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I've spent half a day trying to resolve this, and haven't had any luck. Here is what I'm trying to do:
Hook my PC to my 5.1 AV Receiver and be able to watch MOVIES, DVD's, and play video games in 5.1 SURROUND sound. In order to do this, I had to connect the S/PDIF_IO on my motherboard to my GPU, then plug in a DVI to HDMI adapter to run the signal through HDMI to the Receiver. My PC can detect the receiver and I have it set to play audio through it as the default(it shows up as High Definition Audio Device). The only problem is that it only plays audio through the left and right speakers(it also utilizes the subwoofer). It won't let me click on "Configure" in the Sound category in Control Panel, so I can only go to Properties. From there I can run the audio test for DOLBY Digital, and all of the speakers will work properly. I can't understand why the 5.1 will work when I run it through the test, but nothing else seems to utilize anything more than the left/right speakers.

My current setup:
Windows 7 64 bit
GeForce GTX 260(which I believe is capable of OUTPUTTING up to 8 channels)
AMD Phenom xII 1100T Six Core ~3.3Ghz
MoBo: Gigabyte GA-MA78LMT-S2
4 Gigs of DDR3 RAM

This is hooked up to a Yamaha RX-V371 AV Receiver via an HDMI cord to my GPU. I don't have a second HDMI cord at the moment, so I have a second cord going from my second DVI slot directly to my TV via an HDMI adaptor. Are these by any chance just MP3's you are playing? MP3's are 2.0 channel only. Some sound cards/outputs allow the sound card to upmix to 5.1. My card does, but the sound card cost $180 NZD it also has optical out on the card itself. Have you tried an actial 5.1 channel DVD with something other than Windows Media Player? VLC, Power DVD ect. Note you may have to set programs like powerDVD to 5.1 mode.

OS NameMicrosoft Windows XP Professional
Version5.1.2600 Service Pack 3 Build 2600
OS ManufacturerMicrosoft Corporation
System NameLATITUDE
System ManufacturerDell Computer Corporation
System ModelLatitude D600
System TypeX86-based PC
Processorx86 Family 6 MODEL 9 Stepping 5 GenuineIntel ~1594 Mhz
BIOS Version/DateDell Computer Corporation A16, 29/06/2005
SMBIOS Version2.3
Windows DirectoryC:\WINDOWS
System DirectoryC:\WINDOWS\system32
Boot Device\Device\HarddiskVolume1
LocaleUnited States
Hardware Abstraction LayerVersion = "5.1.2600.5512 (xpsp.080413-2111)"
User NameLATITUDE\User
Time ZoneMountain Daylight Time
Total Physical Memory1,024.00 MB
Available Physical Memory535.17 MB
Total VIRTUAL Memory2.00 GB
Available Virtual Memory1.96 GB
Page File Space2.40 GB
Page FileC:\pagefile.sys

I have searched for the answer to my question but can't find it.

Can I use any Power Cord (as long it plugs into my laptop) or do I have to get a Dell
power cord? I have the same question for laptops in GENERAL??
Thanks for your help
I would only use one made for that machine as voltages and polarities can vary...
You risk DAMAGING it with the wrong one...
Simply not worth the risk.Don't forget, wattages are different, too.Thanks Guys. You may have saved my computer.
One more question. What if the Output (V and Amps) are the same.
You mention polarities. What are they?Polarity is plus and minus, like a car battery.
Look at the AC adapter, there is usually a diagram of the plug. If the plug is round, most of the time, the center is +, and the outer part is -. Some Dells have a triangular plug than only fits in one way.All OK thanks guys.

The speakers on my Toshiba notebook computer sound like I am in an echo chamber. Anyting that can be done to CORRECT this problem?Golfman, Welcome to the CH FORUMS. I don't know if it is true of all laptops/netbooks/tablets/etc but for sure the sound quality as it COMES from my C655 Toshiba laptop could not be much worse. You can use external speakers or a headset both will VASTLY improve the sound quality. There may be a sound adjustment in the options of your sound parameters to alter the environment sound such as orchestra/speech/studio/jazz/classical/etc/etc. However no matter what it is or what you change it to i doubt you will be happy with the quality. You can either access those features via the "volume" control icon or the sound card software. truenorthIf the echo is very noticeable, it means thee are two INSTANCES of media players. Make sure only one media player is running.Actually, Most laptop chipsets now are coming with the control panel that allows you to much around with software based EAX effects. Try opening the control panel and selecting the control panel applet for your sound card. Once in there look for an environment setting and see if it is set to bathroom, stone cavern ect.

Hi Comda here,

Just a week ago i had a good 1g Verbatim smart drive. I found my old tower and decided to finally PLUG in the front usbs. I didn't know whick port to plug the cables in so i pluged them into random ones and then booted the computer and inserted my flash drive the light blinked and shut down. i could not get it to turn on the tip would heat up. then of fri i GOT the light to work now when i insert it the computer tells me
"windows does not recognise the Usb Drive"

Any help?Windows98/ME need drivers for jump drives.You may also want to try it on a rear port...if it's heating up something on the front header is connected wrong.This insn't win 98 i'am running windows xp on it and i tried it on all my win xp and older computers!Quote from: patio on October 08, 2009, 09:59:42 AM

You may also want to try it on a rear port...if it's heating up something on the front header is connected wrong.

...Just a week ago i had a good 1g Verbatim smart drive....

i TRIED IT ON THE rear port which ever computer i put it in it gives me that answer..

You 1st said this.
Now you say this. Do you mean, 1 week ago, it worked on all computers and now it does not work on any computer?

I have seen them have issues before with solder joints inside. One of which had its crystal come loose and another had a solder ball rolling around shorting it out. They both heated up and I got same message you stated.

The one with a solder ball I could shake or tap it and reinsert it and sometimes get it to work. The one with the loose crystal you could hear a rattle inside when shaking it by your ear.

I was able to fix both of them by cracking them open and resoldering the crystal and removing the solder ball from the other.

Worth a shot maybe. The data was still on both when they came back to life due to no fried components and in order to erase memory a pin on the static ram has to be fed an instruction to clear data blocks. Basically has to be unlocked to erase memory. So the short outs didnt hurt my memory on my 128MB Lexar drive and 4GB red cheap no-name from tiger direct.

You should be able to crack it open at its seam. Try not to apply any force to the board inside or the usb port sticking out.

...
1. i notice the proccessor looked like it was fried but then the lit turned on when i inserted in once more.
2. Could it be an issue when all my stuff got deleted including the program it had?

Good DAY,
what a shock! i was working on system today on ms word(typing)and suddenly system shut down and since then it refuses to on.What could be the causes and solution
plz helpExactly what happens when you start the system?Could you please provide as much as possible information REGARDING your problem? What happened when you were using MS Word, and what do you guess that are the PROBABLE causes which will prevent your computer from starting up? Also, what is your current operating system and your computers specs?Thanks to allan,exactly what happened is that after the machine has went off i try to on it but it won't on
Am using windows xp OS and there was no specific sign b4 that problem occured.
Quote from: johnkon32 on September 05, 2011, 01:30:17 PM

and what do you guess that are the probable causes which will prevent your computer from starting up?

Thanks to allan,exactly what happened is that after the machine has went off i try to on it but it won't on
Am using windows xp OS and there was no specific sign b4 that problem occured.

Thanks to allan,exactly what happened is that after the machine has went off i try to on it but it won't on
Am using windows xp OS and there was no specific sign b4 that problem occured.

For the past two days my usb mouse on my windows XP computer has been disconnecting and reconnecting randomly. Sometimes it doesn't reconnect and a message pops up saying that the hardware in the usb port has malfunctioned. I have tried switching the mouse, and it happens with a different mouse as well. I also tried using a different usb port, with no luck. I read that if you unplug the mouse and uninstall the mouse driver, restart your computer and plug it BACK in, the driver will install it the problem would be fixed, unfortunately, this did not work and the problem proceeds. Does anyone have any knowledge of house to fix this problem?Quote

Does anyone have any knowledge of house to fix this problem?

Do you have any hardware yellow blots? You know, the yellow circle with a question mark. Any blots. Even on other devices.

my daughter used her toe to press the power button. It JAMMED and I was able to release it, but the computer will not power on . please adviseRemove computer face where the button is located and replace switch. Or look on EBAY for a same model system that is doa and buy that to have a new computer face cheap + spare parts in case she BREAKS ANYTHING else on you And TELL her to keep her shoes on...

So I have a Dell INSPIRON from 2004. I have had the same problem before and I went into safe mode and restarted the COMPUTER and it came right back. This time its not working. I'm not sure what CAUSED the problem before, but this time my 25 LB dog ran across the keyboard. When I first turn the computer on I get the Dell screen and then it goes to the windows screen. After that it goes completely black. When I go into safe mode the screen works the entire time.

Any help would be very appreciated.

Thanks!How to load last known good configurationI tried that, but it didn't work. Any other ideas?How to Perform a Windows XP REPAIR Install

Hello, I'm at my wits end with this issue and hope that some one can HELP me out. For the past three or four weeks this is the problem that has been occurring:
Occasionally my screen will GO black, it says 'no signal' as if it were unplugged from the computer. The sound also extends on a single bit for a few seconds then cuts out. The computer remains on though and the power light does not pulse as if it were in sleep mode. I've noticed this problem occurs most often while playing a video which has lead me to believe it's the graphics card. However with the sound problem as well I'm not sure what it is.
What I used to do was just power it off manually and start it back up and it would be fine for a little while. However it's been happening so frequently I just don't watch videos on my computer anymore.

My computer is a Gateway DX4200-09, Quadcore Processor, 4GB RAM and 640GB HardDrive. The video card was bought separately, it is an NVidia GeForce 9400 GT. My Operating System is Windows 7. If I'm forgetting any specs that would be helpful please let me know.

I hope someone out there can help me figure this out. I'd RATHER just replace the video card if that is the problem rather than bring it in to geek squad or something to figure this out.
Thank you in advanced for any help!

EDIT: I forgot to mention, I did open up my computer and dust it out with compressed air, but that didn't seem to help.There is a HDMI sound controller on most nVidia graphics cards. Does the onboard video work without a hitch?I'm not sure, I don't know how to switch it back from the nVidia to my onboard card.

Just recently as well upon doing a hard reboot it would not start up so it pulled up the startup repair screen. I tried to repair it, it suggested a restore which I okayed but then still wouldn't restart properly. The third time I tried to restart it I skipped the repair screen and opted to startup normally, it was very slow but did start back up again.You must physically removed the graphics card to enable the onboard video. How about running in safemode?It loses signal while in SAFE mode also. Would the best thing to do be REMOVING the nVidia and seeing how it runs without?Yes.

What can be SAID about the strengths, weaknesses, and value of each of these INTERNAL hdd's:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136313

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136284

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136319

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822145233

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148278

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148309

Generally, does one brand offer greater value for the dollar? Is one brand known for a particular strength or weakness? SUPPOSE that for $80 you had the choice of 1TB Hitachi 7200, Seagate Barracuda ES.2 250GB 7200, or the WD Caviar Black 640GB 7200 -- which would you select? GET the smallest capacity you require for your needs.The price differences in HDD's are generally tied to RPM speed; connection style and Warranty.

Oh and capacity...i forgot capacity.

Morning Guys,

I was just looking around for a decent graphics card, my friend has offered me a nearly new HD5770 1GB Graphics card for just £50, I currently have the VTX Radeon HD 5450, and it's RUBBISH. My FPS in every single game is terrible, later did I realise that it's not actually ATI, haha! It's a cheap firm called "VTX". Should I get the HD5770 1GB? And what are your views on it?

Many thanks,

PCGeekable.The Radeon HD5450 is not really a gamer's card. When it came out around the END of 2009 the reviews generally said that it is aimed at the HTPC (Home Theatre PC) market. That is, it is OK for playing HD video etc and is not really designed or meant for demanding GAMING use. It is a low power card, some models using this chipset are passively cooled with just a heatsink, and no fan. At the time it was the cheapest of the 5000 range. I actually bought one to put in a Shuttle mini PC that I was building because (a) it was cheap (£29.95 in UK money) and (b) it was quiet (no fan). I kept getting freezes which turned out to be the HD5450 overheating and I took it out and just used the Shuttle's onboard video chipset (nVidia GeForce 8200) which is quite ENOUGH for my needs.

The Radeon 5770 is a higher level card, still in the budget range, it came out around the same time, and was priced at around 160 US dollars, and was much more of a (budget) gamer's card. So you'd be going from a low-end card to a mid-range card. However you'll need to make sure your computer is up to the job. The power supply needs to be a good stable 500 Watt (minimum) type and unless your cpu speed and memory size are suitable, you may not see very much improvement. You can buy new 5770s from around £70 upwards.

Plenty of cards with ATI chipsets are "POWERED by ATI" rather than "made by ATI" - my own one was actually a Sapphire, and this does not always mean they are rubbish.
nVidia and ATI/AMD license their GPUs to other companies, as above, "powered by ATI."

something like the GTS 450 would be good for high end gaming at probably a resolution of 1600x960 widescreen, high details, to give you an idea of what you want for "Gaming."


Putting 1GB into a low-end gfx card is practically of no use-the low mem clock speed won't do much.


The GTS 450 is slightly lower in price to the Radeon 5770 ~$30 USD cheaper.

My setup:

OS:PCLinuxOS & Windows XP - use mainly Linux
Motherboard: Intel DQ965DF
CPU: Dual Core @ 2.8Ghz
RAM: 3.5GB Kingston DDR2
GPU: 512MB Nvidia Geforce 8800 GT
HDD: Western Digital CAVIAR Blue WD2500AAJS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal

My problem:

My computer became suddenly sluggish a couple days ago out of the blue. Programs are slow to load, scrolling with the mouse is jerky, videos pause then continue 5-30 seconds later, DOWNLOADING(any protocol) brings my PC to a standstill, etc. I have this problem on both Linux and Windows, so I know it's not a software problem. Additionally, I've had unexplainable data loss. Files that used to be there(on my Linux /home partition) have suddenly disappeared without a trace.

I've tried the following so far: I've cleaned my computer of all dust and dirt. I've switched to onboard graphics(intel). I disabled 3D desktop effects.

Both operating systems are fully up to date, including drivers. The xorg.conf file for my Linux OS is correct. Since software, dirt, my graphics card, and 3d acceleration don't seem to be the problem I've moved on to my hard drive. I decide to use smartctl in Linux to analyze my hard drive, however, I'm not sure what to make of the output.

Checking to see if my hdd supports S.M.A.R.T. technology:
Code: [Select][[emailprotected]]# smartctl -i /dev/sda
smartctl version 5.38 [i586-mandriva-linux-gnu] Copyright (C) 2002-8 Bruce Allen
Home page is http://smartmontools.sourceforge.net/

=== START OF INFORMATION SECTION ===
Model Family: Western Digital Caviar Second Generation Serial ATA family
Device Model: WDC WD2500JS-60NCB1
Serial Number: WD-WCANKC800832
Firmware Version: 10.02E02
USER Capacity: 250,059,350,016 bytes
Device is: In smartctl database [for details use: -P show]
ATA Version is: 7
ATA Standard is: Exact ATA specification draft version not indicated
Local Time is: Thu Oct 8 11:07:02 2009 CDT
SMART support is: Available - device has SMART capability.
SMART support is: Enabled
Enabling S.M.A.R.T.:
Code: [Select][[emailprotected]]# smartctl -s on -d ata /dev/sda
smartctl version 5.38 [i586-mandriva-linux-gnu] Copyright (C) 2002-8 Bruce Allen
Home page is http://smartmontools.sourceforge.net/

=== START OF ENABLE/DISABLE COMMANDS SECTION ===
SMART Enabled.
Running overall-health self-assessment test, results were unexpected:
Code: [Select][[emailprotected]lhost harley]# smartctl -d ata -H /dev/sda
smartctl version 5.38 [i586-mandriva-linux-gnu] Copyright (C) 2002-8 Bruce Allen
Home page is http://smartmontools.sourceforge.net/

=== START OF READ SMART DATA SECTION ===
SMART overall-health self-assessment test result: PASSED
Please note the following marginal Attributes:
ID# ATTRIBUTE_NAME FLAG VALUE WORST THRESH TYPE UPDATED WHEN_FAILED RAW_VALUE
190 Airflow_Temperature_Cel 0x0022 068 030 045 Old_age Always In_the_past 32
More data:
Code: [Select][[emailprotected]]# smartctl -d ata -a /dev/sda
smartctl version 5.38 [i586-mandriva-linux-gnu] Copyright (C) 2002-8 Bruce Allen
Home page is http://smartmontools.sourceforge.net/

=== START OF INFORMATION SECTION ===
Model Family: Western Digital Caviar Second Generation Serial ATA family
Device Model: WDC WD2500JS-60NCB1
Serial Number: WD-WCANKC800832
Firmware Version: 10.02E02
User Capacity: 250,059,350,016 bytes
Device is: In smartctl database [for details use: -P show]
ATA Version is: 7
ATA Standard is: Exact ATA specification draft version not indicated
Local Time is: Thu Oct 8 11:10:16 2009 CDT
SMART support is: Available - device has SMART capability.
SMART support is: Enabled

=== START OF READ SMART DATA SECTION ===
SMART overall-health self-assessment test result: PASSED
See vendor-specific Attribute list for marginal Attributes.

General SMART Values:
Offline data collection status: (0x84) Offline data collection activity
was suspended by an INTERRUPTING command from host.
Auto Offline Data Collection: Enabled.
Self-test execution status: ( 0) The previous self-test routine completed
without error or no self-test has ever
been run.
Total time to complete Offline
data collection: (7680) seconds.
Offline data collection
capabilities: (0x7b) SMART EXECUTE Offline immediate.
Auto Offline data collection on/off support.
Suspend Offline collection upon new
command.
Offline surface scan supported.
Self-test supported.
Conveyance Self-test supported.
Selective Self-test supported.
SMART capabilities: (0x0003) Saves SMART data before entering
power-saving mode.
Supports SMART auto save timer.
Error logging capability: (0x01) Error logging supported.
General Purpose Logging supported.
Short self-test routine
recommended polling time: ( 2) minutes.
Extended self-test routine
recommended polling time: ( 90) minutes.
Conveyance self-test routine
recommended polling time: ( 6) minutes.
SCT capabilities: (0x103f) SCT Status supported.
SCT Feature Control supported.
SCT Data Table supported.

SMART Attributes Data Structure revision number: 16
Vendor Specific SMART Attributes with Thresholds:
ID# ATTRIBUTE_NAME FLAG VALUE WORST THRESH TYPE UPDATED WHEN_FAILED RAW_VALUE
1 Raw_Read_Error_Rate 0x000f 200 200 051 Pre-fail Always - 0
3 Spin_Up_Time 0x0003 184 181 021 Pre-fail Always - 5800
4 Start_Stop_Count 0x0032 099 099 000 Old_age Always - 1337
5 Reallocated_Sector_Ct 0x0033 200 200 140 Pre-fail Always - 0
7 Seek_Error_Rate 0x000f 200 200 051 Pre-fail Always - 0
9 Power_On_Hours 0x0032 084 084 000 Old_age Always - 12154
10 Spin_Retry_Count 0x0013 100 100 051 Pre-fail Always - 0
11 Calibration_Retry_Count 0x0012 100 100 051 Old_age Always - 0
12 Power_Cycle_Count 0x0032 099 099 000 Old_age Always - 1325
190 Airflow_Temperature_Cel 0x0022 064 030 045 Old_age Always In_the_past 36
194 Temperature_Celsius 0x0022 114 080 000 Old_age Always - 36
196 Reallocated_Event_Count 0x0032 200 200 000 Old_age Always - 0
197 Current_Pending_Sector 0x0012 200 200 000 Old_age Always - 0
198 Offline_Uncorrectable 0x0010 200 200 000 Old_age Offline - 0
199 UDMA_CRC_Error_Count 0x003e 200 200 000 Old_age Always - 13
200 Multi_Zone_Error_Rate 0x0009 200 200 051 Pre-fail Offline - 0

SMART Error Log Version: 1
No Errors Logged

SMART Self-test log structure revision number 1
Num Test_Description Status Remaining LifeTime(hours) LBA_of_first_error
# 1 Short offline Completed without error 00% 12148 -
# 2 Short offline Completed without error 00% 12147 -

SMART Selective self-test log data structure revision number 1
SPAN MIN_LBA MAX_LBA CURRENT_TEST_STATUS
1 0 0 Not_testing
2 0 0 Not_testing
3 0 0 Not_testing
4 0 0 Not_testing
5 0 0 Not_testing
Selective self-test flags (0x0):
After scanning selected spans, do NOT read-scan remainder of disk.
If Selective self-test is pending on power-up, resume after 0 minute delay.
Extended self-test of hdd:
Code: [Select][[emailprotected]]# smartctl -d ata -t long /dev/sda
smartctl version 5.38 [i586-mandriva-linux-gnu] Copyright (C) 2002-8 Bruce Allen
Home page is http://smartmontools.sourceforge.net/

=== START OF OFFLINE IMMEDIATE AND SELF-TEST SECTION ===
Sending command: "Execute SMART Extended self-test routine immediately in off-line mode".
Drive command "Execute SMART Extended self-test routine immediately in off-line mode" successful.
Testing has begun.
Please wait 90 minutes for test to complete.
Test will complete after Thu Oct 8 12:41:31 2009

Use smartctl -X to abort test.
After waiting more than the required time I tried to view the self test log with:
Code: [Select][[emailprotected]]# smartctl -l selftest
smartctl version 5.38 [i586-mandriva-linux-gnu] Copyright (C) 2002-8 Bruce Allen
Home page is http://smartmontools.sourceforge.net/

ERROR: smartctl requires a device name as the final command-line argument.


Use smartctl -h to get a usage summary...but for some reason it wouldn't let me.

I also ran the Data Lifeguard Diagnostic for Windows app provided by Western Digital but it stated everything was fine, however I'm not sure what to make of the results with smartctl, in particular '190 Airflow_Temperature_Cel 0x0022 068 030 045 Old_age Always In_the_past 32'. I can't get Google to help me with this and am unsure how to proceed. Is it time to replace my hard drive? Are there other tests I can run? Is there anything else I can do to troubleshoot this problem(on Linux or Windows)?Thank you for your comprehensive post.

I am not familiar with the Linux tests but am very familiar with WD Data Lifeguard Diagnostic for Windows, which is able to diagnose issues 95% of the time. I have a WD drive sitting here that I have tested dozens of times and it always checks out okay, but all of a sudden it will "click-click" and fail to be recognized. Turn it off and come back the next day and it could work for days and then exhibit the same behavior, again. It was in a RAID array and was being rebuilt every week or two. No SMART messages were ever generated.

The point is, it can pass all tests and still not be functioning properly. Therefore, I suspect your hard drive is the culprit. Good news is that's it's only $50.Thanks for your reply. I'm pretty convinced it's the hdd as well, though I think I'll spend the extra $15 for one twice the size with a bigger cache and better response time.

hello folks

i have a cd-rw DRIVE now and NEED to replace, is a cd/dvd burner the same?

thanks much
harleyYes...DVD's have greater STORAGE capacity.
Get a dual-layer DVD burner.To give you more info. on the difference between cd and dvd burnersBTW, upgrade your XP HOME SP2 to SP3.

I have a Dell XPS 1640
2ghz processor
4gb ram
640gb hard drive upgraded from original 320gb
ATI Radion 3670
Windows Vista
to me its a very nice computer, I've had it about 2 years now and want to upgrade to a Desktop... to get my desktop though i really need to sell this laptop.
there's only one problem though. its very confusing to start-up... when i start up my computer i can access the internet but after a few moment it goes to the yellow triangle. to get the internet back i have to disable the hamachi network, go to my normal network diagnose that and then click turn Windows Wireless Service on... the only way i can start-up my computer without this happening is to login when i can and leave it for 3-5 minutes before doing anything.. it also isn't the fastest start-up in the world. i really don't want to sell the computer to someone with it in this state. i was thinking i could possibly sell it for parts? if i do need to do that could anybody recommend me a price to sell it for?

Thanks

HeavenlyUse Dell PC Restore Partition to return Windows to "as-shipped" condition. Ctrl+F11 at startup, follow instructions.
http://www.goodells.net/dellrestore/Well, if you don't want to format your HDD and re-install Windows, you might wanna try to clean the Registry and remove any unused programs. However, you might still encounter problems.

So, you can use the CD/DVD which came with your computer and wipe the whole HDD (Take Backups first), then re-install Windows.Quote from: johnkon32 on August 07, 2011, 07:31:04 AM

Well, if you don't want to format your HDD and re-install Windows, you might wanna try to clean the Registry

Hi everyone, I am new to the forums!

I had a power supply go out in my desktop. I replaced the power supply, but now when I turn on the computer is will not stay on. It comes on, acts like it is going to start, runs for 20-30 seconds, then shuts off! Any suggestions?? I am not sure where to even start.

This is my first attempt at doing much work inside a computer case, But I am pretty mechanicaly inclined at stuff like this.

Thanks in advance!

Remove the side panel and carefully re-seat all the RAM sticks and any add-on cards...
Double check to see if the 4 pin ATX power line is hooked up to the MBoard...I tried all these suggestions, but it is still doing it , It SEEMS to do it at diffferent lengths of time also. The last time I tried it, it made it all the way to the screen that displays the big windows logo... then complete loss of power.Are all of your FANS working and is the HEATSINK completely flush with the motherboard...all clips in place..yep...I keep double, double checking everything. Cant find anythingReturn the PSU for a replacement...
I hope it wasn't one of those $20.00 specials...they cause nothing but headaches.not sure if this was a good idea or not... But I unplugged the square 4-pin connector and hit the power button. The power supply fan turned on, and is constantly running without cutting off. I turned off the computer, plugged the 4-pin back in. Then turned the computer back on only to have it run for 37 seconds and completely lose power again.


The PSU I bought was the Diablotek PHD350 from tigerdirect. It was a cheaper ($25 I think). unit that I bought. It had a ton of good reviews but I know that doesnt mean that I didnt get a bad one. I will try a few more things before I mail this thing back in for replacement.I'm not familiar with that brand....When I get off work tonight, I have an old computer that I might be able to try its power supply in this computer if it has the correct hookups. Its an old 800mhz, does anyone know right off hand if it will be the old 20-pin connector and not a 24-pin like I need? If not, it will only take about 5 minutes to check it. SORRY I never came back and thanked everyone and updated this. I have been super busy with school.

First off, thanks for all the suggestions everyone!

I finally took my computer in to a guy I know that has a computer shop. The original power supply did die on me. The reason that he said the computer was just shutting off was that the PROCESSOR was over heating. I guess it all happened at the same time. He took it out, cleaned the "goo" off and put some new goo on, and its been going for two weeks with no problem now!

Once again, thanks for all the suggestions from everyone!Great news...and thanx for reporting back...

Quote from: ALLAN on October 09, 2009, 08:45:46 AM

Now let's stop arguing in a thread where someone needs HELP, shall we?

second thing is I'm write your wrong

I'm thinking the boot drive in my computer is failing, so i figured I'd make a post here real quick just to be sure

PC specs real quick----
windows 7 Intel core 2 quad Q9450, O.C. to 3GHz
4GB of ram Geforce GTX 260
all SATA HDDs 3 HDDs total, C being the smallest and oldest
750 watt PSU ASUS formula rampage MOBO

My computer suddenly became much slower this morning and quickly became much slower throughout the day, while i was trying to find the problem. I first noticed that the hard drive was always in use, even while idling. no PROGRAMS running, no updates going, the programs in the task bar doing background tasks. I have NOD32 antivirus and it had not reported anything yet. so used msconfig.exe to stop all startup programs and restart. still slower. uninstalled many programs that i've temporary stopped using. still slower. checked to see what was using the hard drive using resource monitor, mostly windows programs at the top of the list. noticed that only C drive was being active.
I've opened up the case, and i don't hear any unusual noises from the HDDs, if anything the HDDs don't seem to be making much noise at all compared to what the HDD light on the case is doing. programs were taking a long time to startup from boot. taking may minutes to appear on screen. examples: firefox, google chrome, minecraft, all took a long time to start.

I've booted my computer into safe mode now, which took more than 10 minutes to do, finally started coping important files off the C drive in hopes the HDD doesn't CRASH too soon. It's taking a very long time to copy the data. The computer is responding very slowly. I feel like I'm using an old windows xp computer that only has a 20GB hard drive and no space left. I'm currently on my much older laptop. because I can't get my computer to do much of anything. The hard drive has calmed down a bit in safe mode after quite a long time.

The hard drive in particular is a seagate 320GB sata drive. I've had it for about 5 years or more now. I'm almost possitive its the drive now, if so is there anyway to speed up the back up process, im almost afraid to shut it down now. I have a slightly older backup, but i don't want to what files that still need to be backed up, that cannot be recovered. some photos, videos, documents. those documents are on the failing drive, which is also the boot drive.
I have an older computer at my disposal with a windows xp on it.
Do you think i should throw the drive in there and backup the data using that computer instead?


Bottom line is, hard drive is more than likely failing. Is there anything I can do to keep it alive longer while I attempt to copy some stuff off of it?
Or anything I should do now while there is still time.... other than get a new driveTest it with drive MANUFACTURER's diagnostic software: http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=287
I see embedded in the post, it's a Seagate. Get the SeaTools software for Windows or the iso to create a CD boot disk. SeaTools works on most other brands, too.I'll give that a shot. See what i get... just taking awhile to work with the computer
It passed the SMART test
Quickly failed the "short drive self test"
It recommended to use a dos version of seatools and try to fix it that way. possible bad sectors... blah blah blah
I'll give it a shot after i back up what i can.The HDD is failing...
Services will be held Thursday at 2 PM...Quote from: patio on August 06, 2011, 08:24:00 PM

The HDD is failing...
Services will be held Thursday at 2 PM...

Hi everyone!

I have a CPU upgrade QUESTION.

I currently have a HP DC5100MT and want to upgrade the CPU to support 64bit applications,

UNFORTUNATELY my Pentium 4 does not support EM64T so I decide to upgrade my CPU.

The specification on the website says it can support up to Pentium 4 3.2Ghz, and the problem is those processors are expensive...

So I was thinking about changing the processor completely to a

http://www.amazon.com/Intel-Pentium-Dual-Core-Processor-800MHz/dp/B001DCNQ1O/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1255050759&sr=8-2

Dual Core processor.

My first question is: Can my motherboard support it? It uses the same Socket and FSB speed. There is a BIOS upgrade but I don't know if they will support it or not.

The second question is: Why are Pentium 4 3.00Ghz+ super expensive compared to a dual core processor? Isn't having 2 cores faster then having 1 core and 1 virtual core? I think MAYBE because they are OEM versions they cost more then retail versions?

http://www.amazon.com/Processor-Intel-Pentium-LGA775-Socket/dp/tech-data/B000I3T2NK/ref=de_a_smtd

Anyways if someone can help I will appreciate it, I never upgraded CPU's before, only Memory HD, and all the other simple stuff.

I would like to edit and say I currently have a p4 2.8Ghz (Prescott) 520 with 2GB of memory.Quote from: Windows98 on October 08, 2009, 07:55:40 PM

Hi everyone!

I have a CPU upgrade question.

I currently have a HP DC5100MT and want to upgrade the CPU to support 64bit applications,

Unfortunately my Pentium 4 does not support EM64T so I decide to upgrade my CPU.

The specification on the website says it can support up to Pentium 4 3.2Ghz, and the problem is those processors are expensive...

So I was thinking about changing the processor completely to a

http://www.amazon.com/Intel-Pentium-Dual-Core-Processor-800MHz/dp/B001DCNQ1O/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1255050759&sr=8-2

Dual Core processor.

My first question is: Can my motherboard support it? It uses the same Socket and FSB speed. There is a BIOS upgrade but I don't know if they will support it or not.

The second question is: Why are Pentium 4 3.00Ghz+ super expensive compared to a dual core processor? Isn't having 2 cores faster then having 1 core and 1 virtual core? I think maybe because they are OEM versions they cost more then retail versions?

http://www.amazon.com/Processor-Intel-Pentium-LGA775-Socket/dp/tech-data/B000I3T2NK/ref=de_a_smtd

Anyways if someone can help I will appreciate it, I never upgraded CPU's before, only Memory HD, and all the other simple stuff.

I would like to edit and say I currently have a p4 2.8Ghz (Prescott) 520 with 2GB of memory.

hi im a newbie in this group. please HELP me i'm having problem everytime i start my computer this will appear to the SCREEN " Veryfying DMI poll DATA..."
Disk boot failure, insert system disk and press enter..
But when i press enter the computer will ASK me to restart again, and same thing appears again. I tried to clean the memory stick and put it back, it will run smoothly then after a few days same problem appears. please help. thanks!Most likely, it's your hard drive problem.

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.Quote from: Broni on October 08, 2009, 11:49:46 PM

Most likely, it's your hard drive problem.

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 have a dell e1505 and the lcd was cracked so I ordered a new one and replaced it. it comes on and the screen is really dark I have to go to a dark ROOM to see the screen. I have tried the fn keys to turn up the brightness and nothing. I went to the RESOLUTION properties and messed with things and did'nt help either. I am lost at what to do.

Thanks in advance

ChrisSounds like the backlight is messed up. It could be possible that you were sold a defective screen.

Question I have is, was you prior cracked display able to illuminate to correct brightness with lcd cracked or was it also dim? This answer could rule out the laptop itself or the new display backlight.The portion of the screen on the cracked one that was STILL visable was still nice and bright. so you think the screen might be BAD?Just a thought - you have TAKEN off any protective film that it was shipped with?
the film is off

please help me. i encounterd this PROBLEM a few weeks from now, my computer is on, the monitor is on but nothing appears on the screen, the power on light of the monitor is GREEN and continous blinking. i tried to connect other cpu to the monitor and its working. please tell me what to do? thanks!The problem in your cpu.. what is the brand of your computer..? try to listen very close to your cpu and check if the cpu still beep when you TURN it on..Quote from: daryllsilorio on October 08, 2009, 11:03:43 PM

The problem in your cpu.. what is the brand of your computer..? try to listen very close to your cpu and check if the cpu still beep when you turn it on..

i'm trying to get my pc to use dual monitors with 2 video cards. but whenever I boot up this message appears and the 2nd MONITOR doesn't work.http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v254/judisminatree/error.jpg I've changed the bios setting back and forth from pci to onboard, when set to pci the other card will work but the MAIN ONE won't

the onboard card is a Nvidia Geforce 6150SE nforce 430
the pci card is a ATI Radeon X300se

is there any REASON why these two cards are conflicting?
It's LIKELY that you can't use onboard and PCIe x16 simultaneously. I assume you tried to enable the secondary graphics adapter in Windows? If the ATI has dual outputs, they are sure to function.yeah I tried enabling it through windows, unfortunately the ATI only has one vga output and an s video output. If only one of my monitors had and s video port v_v

Quote from: Brokel on August 05, 2011, 03:16:22 AM

get mbrcheck.exe and scan for a mbr virus if you have one it will CAUSE the issues you describe and will not be detected by a normal virus scans and most pc repair shops will not check the mbr ( master boot record ) I hope this HELPS ..

http://windows7themes.net/how-to-check-mbr-for-virus-infection-via-mbrcheck.html

...but I did try this.
I have an old floppy drive and from right clicking and formating, I made a DOS boot disk and tried it with an old dos game.
I booted dos from startup with F12 and choosing the usb floppy drive.
The game worked but the PC crashed after about ... 5-10 minutes.

A friend of a friend has a Fujitsu Lifebook T2010 tablet and suddenly her TOUCH screen stopped working. I'm not experienced with touch screens outside of smart phones and I haven't found much help searching the internet for the cause or solution. Anyone here know much about them and what I might be ABLE to do to get it working again? Sorry I don't really know much about it other than that model number (T2010). Thanks.Have you reinstalled the operating system lately? What OS is installed? What changes have been made to the device lately?
I think its a driver PROBLEM, but it would help if you ELABORATED.




As for smart phones, the operating system usually comes with a touch screen driver-for example, the IPHONE comes with a Zephyr-based touch screen driver built into the iOS package... I am digressing here...

Hello, I currently have a Intel Celeron 450 CPU running @3.30GHz SINGLE core and my PC uses a G41 Chipset.

This is my pc- http://www.dell.com/us/dfh/p/inspiron-537s/pd

All parts I have in the PC are the stock dell parts that came with the PC. I would like to upgrade my video card to a 8600GT because I will be receiving one for free. I would also like to upgrade my CPU to a Intel Pentium E5800 Processor. I would like to know if upgrading to these would be possible. I am aware that my motherboard is Socket LGA775 and the processor I want will FIT into it.
Also if there are any better or cheaper options for the processor I would gladly love to research the ones you recommend. Thanks for reading.The card probably won't fit in your low profile case. CPU's are generally not upgradeable in branded COMPUTERS, i.e. Dell, HP, Compaq, etc. The BIOS is "locked" to the cpu and is not configurable. Cheaper to buy a new computer.Well I know there was a BIOS upgrade from A02 to A03 at some point that I did, I'm not sure if that means its not locked or whatever.It should be upgradable, because both are socket 775 CPUs.
Quote from: Computer_Commando on August 07, 2011, 05:26:54 PM

The BIOS is "locked" to the cpu and is not configurable.

It should be upgradable, because both are socket 775 CPUs. That is the first time I have heard of such an OEM restriction...

Hello , I unable to use my touchpad and am looking for someone to tell enable it after I think someone who used the laptop pressed some keys and disabled it. They cant remember what they touched. Great....Gateway Laptop Model MA7 . vistaTry this.

Go to Start --> Control Panel.
Click on either the Mouse Icon, go to Printers --> Other Hardware and click the Mouse icon.
In the Mouse Properties window, click on the Device Settings tab.
Click on your touchpad, and click on Enable or Disable.Thanks for the reply: I have the following headings -button,s pointer, pointer options, wheel & hardware. Cannot see device settings. No Device Settings?

If you go to Device Manager, are there any Yellow Question or Exclamation marks?No yellow , but there is a blue question mark at the top of the page.. Hold on a sec, this is Windows Vista?Yes Windows VistaOk.

At the bottom RIGHT, where the clock is, look for the icon for your mouse. Not sure what you're may be, but mine is 'Synaptics Pointing Device'.
Have a look through its options and see if you can disable it.

You may ALSO want to ask the person who was using it what he did.

Does your laptop not have any buttons to disable the touchpad?Okay , I have gone into control panel and gone into "change settings" . Clicked on "disable device" which is a HID Compliant mouse, that must be what I am using now, and ended up not being able to use the pointer at all. The touch pad did not work when I disabled the mouse. There is no mouse icon near the clock on this laptop.
The six year OLD , (yes six) who touched the computer cannot remember what keys he touched ob the computer. Hmmm....that may be a problem....

Try, whilst holding down the FN KEY, tapping all the function button. For example, FN + F1.
There may be a function button to disable the touchpad. Once pressed, it should enable it again.Ive tried all that . I,m quite sure that he touched a key or a number of keys yet as much as I try I cant work it out. Maybe I should give the computer back to him. When I contacted Gateway the recommend that I send them the computer, which would lose everything on the hard drive. Was not impressed with that solution.
Thanks for your time anyway.I know this thread fizzled out more than two years ago, but I want to thank thank thank the expert who posted the assistance. I have a 6-month-old daughter who loves to punch keys and she somehow disabled the touchpad. This post gave me the lead to solve the problem: hit Fn+F6. That toggles the "disable touchpad" function.

This has been driving me crazy for more than a week, and I haven't been able to find the solution anywhere, including the Gateway user's manuals, google searches, nothing.

So, thanks, friend. Thanks. Glad to hear from someone who benefited from the discussion here.

Hi, My PC is a Packard Bell Pentium D tower unit and is very NOISY when running. As this is driving me mad I am trying to find out why. First of all can anyone tell me if the fan speed READINGS I am getting are correct for this computer. They are as follows:

Sys Fan 0 RPM
CPU0 Fan 2909 RPM
Aux0 Fan 0 RPM
CPU1 Fan 0 RPM
Aux1 Fan 0 RPM

Are these readings correct? It seems that only one fan is WORKING??? Any other help to cure this noisy fan would be much appreciated. Thanks
do you mean grinding or just loud. if it's grinding, then try some wd40. if its just loud, was it always that way?How many FANS do you have? If they're not connected directly to the motherboard, they won't show up. If a little dust gets into the fan bearings, it can get very loud. WD40 might work for a short time, but will assist in locating the bad fan.

Hey i am having problems with my computer system. I was moving my computer to a new case and adding a new dvd player to REPLACE a defective one i had this serous problem. I had a q660 processor in the pc and a aftermarket cooler. When it was moved to the new case and started a lot of smoke come out of the system, after this i cleaned it off and it smoked again. I have even tried putting it into the old case.

I then ordered a new processor and aftermarket cooler, same problem. both processors have thermal sensors on them so this makes he wonder if the moboard if defective? please tell what i can do. Thanks

system parts
new cpu: Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 (http://www.newegg.comProductProduct.aspx?Item=N82E16819115041
old cpu: intel core 2 q6600
video card: xfx geforce 9800gtx+
Motherboard: nforce 680i sli ultra
Case: COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP Black SECC/ ABS ATX Mid Tower
psu: modular 800w 80+ efficiencyAre you sure the CPU is what smoked?

Is there a burn mark or blister on the cpu itself etc. 90% of the time its the motherboard that smokes and its because the board is grounding shorting out on a component leg to case ground. If your lucky you might just need to replace the motherboard if the motherboard was the cause of the smoke.

Next step means verifying what really smoked and try to figure out why before spending more $$$ of the system.could be the motherboard, check for any broke capitorswell there was scorch marks on the old processor so i figured it was SHOT or that the thermal sensor felled but new one appeared to smoke as-well. It could of been the socket possible but im not shure sense there was so much smoke. Is there any fix to the motherboard or is it ruined?

EDIT: Is there anyway to figure out what exactly is smoking without creating further damage to the parts.You're wasting good money and letting that board fry perfectly good CPU's...And the newest cpu isn't even old enough to smoke! Quote from: coolkid on October 08, 2009, 09:08:04 AM

...Is there any fix to the motherboard or is it ruined?
EDIT: Is there anyway to figure out what exactly is smoking without creating further damage to the parts.

...
1. Is the motherboard ruined or can it cheaply be repaired.
2. If I can get a pic would you guys want to see one?

this is the best picture i could get

ya i got that still trying to figure out where to upload it at

MY COMPAQ HDD WITH WINDOWS VISTA HOME AND IS (X32 BIT) REPLACED IT WITH A TOSHIBA (X64BIT)HDD RUNNING ON WINDOWS 7? I DO OWN BOTH BUT THE TOSHIBA'S SCREEN WON'T TURN ON AND THE COMPAQ WONT START UP SO I TRIED THIS . THE LAPTOP WORKS AND SURFS THE WEB BUT KEEPS TELLING ME WINDOWS NOT GENUINE. PLASE HELPWelcome to CH.
Please do NOT use all caps. Unless your terminal is a model 33 teletype, which only has caps.

Yes, the VERSION of Windows on the Toshiba was sold to the manufacture as a OEM and nuns on Toshiba with no problem.

For a Compaq you need the HP OEM version of windows. If you do not have it, you can contact Microsoft and they will sell you a product key for your computer.

Also, what you did is not recommended. The chip drivers for a Toshiba and a Compaq are different. You will need to go to the HP site for the night drivers.

I only have the VGA PORT

I just got 6 brand new Viewsonic 24" LED VX2450wm monitors, with a capable max resolution of 1920 x 1080. These replace my Samsung Syncmaster E2320X which is 23" with the same resolution.

I use 2 KINDS of laptops:
1) IBM Lenovo T500 with Windows 7
2) Fujitsu T1010 Tablet PC with Windows XP pro

When I set the display of the IBM laptop on the viewsonic, the monitor automatically detects and sets it to 1920 x 1080. PERFECT.

When I set the display of the Fujitsu laptop on the viewsonic, the monitor sets it to 1680x1050 automatically FULL screen. When I set it to 1920 x 1200 which is the next available resolution, it compresses the size to the center, RESULTING in 2" of black space on each side of the display.

I've attached a picture so it's easier for you to see.
1680x1050:


1920x1200:


Now, an issue is... with the same Fujitsu laptop, I can set it to 1920 x 1200 just fine on the Samsung E2320x full screen. I'm not sure why it's not working on the viewsonic. I've tried looking at other options through the monitor controls, but just not working out :oZ

I've already updated the drivers of both the video card of the fujitsu T1010 laptop and the viewsonic monitor drivers

the properties windows does give me the option of 1920x1200:


Can anyone please help - thank you in advanceThis happens because 1920x1080 is a 16:9 ratio (like that screen) and 1920x1200 is a 16:10 ratio. The screen is automatically adjusting so as to not cause distortion in what's on the screen. If the 1920x1200 MADE to fix that screen, it would be stretched horizontally. Set that laptop for 1920x1080 instead of 1920x1200 and it should fit the screen fine.

Your old monitor wasn't compensating for the different resolution ratio and just stretching the image to fit the screen from the sounds of it.

the laptop doesn't grant me the option of 1920x1080 though... how can i get this? im thinking its just cause it's windows XP cause with my windows 7 on my IBM it works completely fine. the Fujitsu Canada drivers doesn't give me 1920x1080. what can i do from here...? im trying to get it to stretch like the old samsung monitor which worked for me..The answer may lie in your graphic card options.

Right click the desktop and you should be able to access the settings.
Try looking for these settings under Aspect Ratio Options - Display Settings
However, as suggested it will be of different visual resolution. Try setting the resolution through the Intel graphics interface and not the Windows desktop resolution box while the monitor is plugged in. Might be called 1920x1080 or just 1080p (Should be an icon for the Intel on in the system tray if it's installed properly.)Quote from: jason2074 on September 05, 2011, 09:09:13 PM

Try looking for these settings under Aspect Ratio Options - Display Settings
However, as suggested it will be of different visual resolution.

Hello i RECENTLY got a Signature Pro w/ 4MB of ram and an intel i486 SX CPU (i cant remember the MH/z) from my uncle, i've tried starting it up but i soon discovered the HDD BLOWN a chip (after a loud pop and smoke pouring out of the chip D=, ILL replace the main board for that soon(=.=), and i've recovered all the data (= ) so i got 2 other HDD's one is a
Western Digital Caviar 32500 2559.8 MB 5400 RPM
and a Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 60 61.2 GB 7200 RPM
The Maxtor DRIVE i've tried hooking it up to one of my PC's and comes up as CANOT LOCATE SECONDARY DRIVE (0) PRESS F1 TO CONTINUE F2 FOR SETUP.
And the WD drive is fine but when i configure and hook it up to the OLD PC is goes to BIOS, usualy i have 1MB of video RAM but then goes to 256 KB of Video RAM, tests RAM, and says WAIT... and nothing happens!
im stumped i want to hook up the MAXTOR to another PC and the WD to the signeture pro
what do i do??? (>.<)

I am going crazy USING my mouse; it has become sluggish. I must PRESS very hard to get the ball to turn. I have not spilled anything on it and it does not feel sticky. What could be the problem? If it needs a cleaning, how does it open-up and how is it cleaned? I am not mechanical, I even have difficulty changing a battery, and am afraid I'll ruin it.How does it work in safe mode?Allan = Leet....

Replacing the mouse may be the EASIEST...QUOTE from: patio on October 08, 2009, 08:55:26 AM

Allan = Leet....

I build this COMPUTER back in February and since then it makes a loud buzzing sound at startup for about 45 seconds. It is an I7 build with a Gigabyte MB. The sound only comes on bootup and then goes away. I have a url below to a sound clip of the noise. The noise is quite loud and the file does not do it justice but it gives an idea of what the issue might be. I have already ruled out the noise coming from any fans or the power supply. It seems to be coming from the video card area. Any help in diagnosing the issue would be great. Thank you!

http://www.zshare.net/audio/665884516760588b/Open up the case and see if you can locate where that sound is coming from.

If it's coming from the hard drive, I'd back up your data immediately while it still works and replace the drive.

It's also possible that it could just be a fan that's faulty. Those are easily and cheaply replaced.Thanks for the RESPONSE. I was having a hard time trying to isolate the sound but I think I've got it narrowed down to the fan on the graphics card.Carefully remove the card and take it to your LOCAL PC shop...you should be able to match up a replacement fan for it pretty cheaply.
I did this for a customer over a year AGO and the card is still going strong...

I’ve bought a 500 GB Western Digital external USB HDD but I haven’t yet plugged it into my desktop’s USB socket because I fear it will lead me to an irreversible situation from which I can only leave by shutting down or restarting my desktop computer and I don’t want to do that.

Have my fears any technical foundation?

Thank you in advance.

Vigaenson
I don't understand your question. You bought an external drive and you're afraid to connect it - is that what you are saying? It's going to be kind of hard to use if you don't connect it.Hi Allan!

You missunderstood me.

I'm not afraid of connecting it.

My computer is on and I'm afraid of NEEDING to shut it down or restarting it if want to use the external USB HDD.

In other words: I want to use it but I don't want to shut down or restart the computer as a condition for that.

I've heard some people say it's necessary and others say it's not.

What's your opinion?If it's a usb connection, as I assume it is, you do not need to shut down the system - usb was designed to be hot swappable.

More important, what's the issue with shutting it down or restarting?Hi Allan

Some days ago, at bed time, after I had ordered my computer to shut down, I discovered that instead of shutting down as usual it had turned into a blue screen where there was a complex and threatening message I hadn't enough time to read because while I was trying to find a paper and a pencil to take notes the computer went off.

By threatening I mean that it said something like "A severe error has occurred that may compromise what's stored in your computer. If after the next boot and shutdown it happens again you shall have to follow ...” and here there was complex description of several steps I should follow and had no time to record “...so that the loss does not occur."

After restarting my computer and because I have never MADE a complete backup of my HDD, files I decided I would not shut down nor restart my computer until I hadn't done one.

I bought the external USB HDD with the idea of transferring all the contents of internal HDD to it.

But as the moment of using it approaches I remembered I'd heard some people say you must restart the computer before you use an external USB HDD for the first time and I want to be sure that is not true because if that is the case I don't want to run the risk of losing data and I will have to look for an alternative way of backing up my internal HDD.

Does this information change your previous statement?

Thanks for your time

Vigaenson

PS: It is a USB connectionQuote from: Vigaenson on September 04, 2011, 05:54:12 PM

Hi Allan

Some days ago, at bed time, after I had ordered my computer to shut down, I discovered that instead of shutting down as usual it had turned into a blue screen where there was a complex and threatening message I hadn't enough time to read because while I was trying to find a paper and a pencil to take notes the computer went off.

By threatening I mean that it said something like "A severe error has occurred that may compromise what's stored in your computer. If after the next boot and shutdown it happens again you shall have to follow ...” and here there was complex description of several steps I should follow and had no time to record “...so that the loss does not occur."

After restarting my computer and because I have never made a complete backup of my HDD files, I decided I would not shut down nor restart my computer until I hadn't done one.

I bought the external USB HDD with the idea of transferring all the contents of internal HDD to it.

But as the moment of using it approaches I remembered I'd heard some people say you must restart the computer before you use an external USB HDD for the first time and I want to be sure that is not true because if that is the case I don't want to run the risk of losing data and I will have to look for an alternative way of backing up my internal HDD.

Does this information change your previous statement?

Thanks for your time

Vigaenson

PS: It is a USB connection

• 1st: If I were to use that specific Western Digital Passport drive of yours with my Windows XP SP3 computer, it would most likely ask me to restart the computer?
• 2nd: In that case, if I skip the restart by telling it to "Restart later" I would most likely be able to find the drive in "My computer"?
• 3rd and most important: In that case, and no matter I haven't restarted the computer yet, I would most likely be able to make a full back up of my internal HDD on your Western Digital Passport drive and rescue all the data I'm concerned about?

• 4th: After I'm sure I've got the backup on the USB external drive I can choose the time that suits me best to shutdown/restart the computer?
  

I'm using Windows XP SP3.

• 1st: If I were to use that specific Western Digital Passport drive of yours with my Windows XP SP3 computer, it would most likely ask me to restart the computer?
• 2nd: In that case, if I skip the restart by telling it to "Restart later" I would most likely be able to find the drive in "My computer"?
• 3rd and most important: In that case, and no matter I haven't restarted the computer yet, I would most likely be able to make a full back up of my internal HDD on your Western Digital Passport drive and rescue all the data I'm concerned about?

• 4th: After I'm sure I've got the backup on the USB external drive I can choose the time that suits me best to shutdown/restart the computer?
  

If anyone has the time and patience I need some help. I am a complete IDIOT on a computer and should be ranked as a complete novice, jargon just goes over my head. How do I LOAD photos to my computer and then move them to ebay. The camera is a Canon powershot A560 and I have what I am ASSURED is the correct cable. I am using an ACER laptop equipped with windows vista. Thanks in anticipation. Peter.Nothing to be embarrassed about... we were all beginners at some point.


You can use the Vista Scanner and Camera wizard:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/Working-with-the-Scanner-and-Camera-Installation-WizardQuote from: peter11111 on August 17, 2011, 10:33:35 AM

... and then move them to ebay.

Hi,
What is the maximum size of HARD Disk that we can use in our computer?
Does it affect the speed of the computer also or just RAM affect the speed of computer?Hard disk size is virtually unlimited in computers-however, if your computer doesn't support 48 bit LBA, you are limited to 137.4 GB IDE drives.


RAM AMOUNT and clock speed, CPU clock speed and number of cores and amount of L1/2/3 cache, and Hypertransport speed, CPU-northbridge frequency, all play a part in the "overall" speed of the computer. If you are a gamer, you will WANT to FOCUS on the graphics card too.

Hi, I am thinking about buying a custom made GAMING computer for 400 dollars, the parts i know it has is- amd athlon x4 630 quad core processor, 4GB ddr2 -800mhz, ati radeon HD 5770 hawk edition, Asus m4a785-m motherboard, ultra LSP 550 watt PSU, 320gb hdd, 200gb hdd, 2x 80mm fans with BLUE LEDs, 2x 120mm fans, and 2 more 80mm fans on the graphics card, and lg super-multi disk drive.

I am wondering with this hardware, if the computer is worth the price of $400. I can get more information if needed thank you for the help!Very worth the $400. The computer in my specs was built for a total of $297 (never topped $313.) (Including replacing the DVD Burner, Motherboard, and the GT 430 cost $70) Original cost was somewhere around $186. The cost of a stock Lenovo computer (forgot the model but saw it at the local computer store SOMETIME ago) with the single-core AMD Sempron 2100+, the ATI Radeon HD 5450, 160 GB hard drive, AMD 760G chipset, is $500.


The fact that it has 2 hard drives and the Radeon HD 5770 makes me salivate. What case are you planning to get? I got myself a micro-atx case, when I had to upgrade to the GT 430 from the low-profile GeForce 210, this is what happened:
BEFORE (Note the Apple Logo and the Taped-on "OEM" logos):

Still works.
AFTER (Note the fact that I installed the motherboard backwards because the GT 430 wouldn't fit and the modded XBOX controller):

Sorry for bad picture quality. If you looked carefully I glued what was previously my case fan onto the back of the GT 430 and positioned it so my NB heatsink had air flow.


My monitor is also pretty cynical of my actions, too.





ComeMon 17''. That's an apt name for a 14 inch monitor and the ghetto workaround.

Quote from: jason2074 on August 14, 2011, 01:20:59 AM

Have you tried booting to Safemode with or without networking? What is the result? You could also provide all protection SOFTWARES installed such as Firewall, Antivirus/Spyware/Malware, Scanner. Depending on how intensive you are using the computer, you could try using one or two RAM modules to isolate them from the issue or run memtest as an option. Another option also would be to PERFORM a Clean Boot .

ESET Smart Security 4, paid or trial version? Looking at your protection software details shows you have already an Antivirus, Firewall, Antispyware, Antispam. Do you have any other protection softwares installed/enabled that could be conflicting such as windows firewall?

when my computer comes out of stanby mode I get a BLANK white screen...( sometimes ) has anyone ever had this happen before? could the monitor be going bad? the entire system was just reformatted could somekind of driver be MISSING?

thanksInstead of standby try setting the display and hd to power down after a defined period of INACTIVITY. It serves essentially the same purpose and is a problem free method, unlike hibernation and standby - which some users find problematical.how do I go about doing that?Control Panel - Power OptionsUnless you've got a UPS backup, I strongly recommend not using standby on a desktop computer. Laptops are a bit better with this, as they'll pull power from the BATTERY in the even of a power failure. But a power loss on a desktop or laptop computer (without a battery) in standby can often result in problems like this or even causing OS issues, and many computers just don't like standby altogether. I know it's more convenient, but it's also riskier.

My Windows XP desktop does the same thing with standby, so I disabled it and hibernation. Not a big deal, since my desktop starts XP in 30 seconds or LESS. However, on my laptop running Vista I usually use sleep mode simply because of the amount of time it takes Vista to cold boot. It only gets an actual shutdown/restart about once a week or any time a program or Windows requests a reboot after installing or updating.

Now, if you just want it to save a bit of power if you're going to be away from the system for an extended amount of time (like an hour), I'd follow Allan's advice and just have it power down certain things, like the monitor and hard drive. Like he said, it tends to be less problematic.

I can no longer burn or record data on DVDs or CDs on my disk drive. It reads just fine, but when ever I insert a new disk, I'm informed that Windows cannot format the disk. The brand of disk doesn't seem to matter either. I have a couple DISKS that were previously FORMATTED and I can drag &AMP; drop to them, but no new disks. What've I done wrong?

1. This is the FAQ Solutions Database. Didn't you see where it said "DON'T POST QUESTIONS HERE" ?

2. Just putting your USER name as the thread title is not very sensible (No sh*t Sherlock!) Better would be "Can no longer format CD or DVD disks". An informative thread title will get you more and better answers.

3. How old is the drive? The write laser could have failed. Did it previously show any signs such as taking a long time to do burns? Or occasional bad burns?

4. You can drag and drop to previously formatted disks and the new content is actually on the disk after you remove them and try them again later?

I'm MOVING this to a more appropriate forum.Ok so now we have that awekwardness out of the way...

What software and operating system are you using to format these disks?
What kind of CD/DVD are you using? CD-R, CD-RW, DVD+R, DVD-R, DVD+RW ect...

Kurtis

My Dell PRECISION 390 DESKTOP started turning itself on and off. After unplugging the power it would stay on a tiny bit longer. Unplugged computer from power surge and plugged directly into wall...still does same thing. STAYS on a little longer if I have it unplugged for a while and then plug back in. Will let me to the POINT to log on to computer then shuts down. Had it looked at and power source not the problem, and all fans are working properly. Any ideas? thanks Windows XP

Problem solved...was biosCould be overheating? Check in the bios when it is booting up and see what the TEMPS do.Have you had the power supply inside the computer checked? It might be failing as well.

My daughter has an HP Pavillion dv6. I borrowed it the other day and plugged in a logitek thumb wheel, as I do not like to use the built in pad. Later, when I returned it, the scroll bar on the pad would not work. I have TRIED reloading the driver software via the device manager. Still no luck. The pad itself works as a pointing device. Does anyone know how to reactivae the scrolling ability of the pad? Thanks for looking, JIM Hmmm, no rsponse. Well it isn't a serious problem and there must be a simple solution. Guess I'll poke aaround ELSEWHERE. Maybe I'll try the HP forum. Haven't had much luck with them in the past. Many laptops have a hotkey assigned to the touchpad functions...
Perhaps she pushed 1 by mistake...
HP support ...or the Manual is indeed a good place to start.
Sorry for the lack of responses.Control Panel--Mouse Properties--Synaptics Tab--Synaptics Lux Pad--SettingsOK guys, thanks for the comeback. I found a list of all Hotkeys for Windows 7 but could not find one for the HP Pavilion dv6 or the Synaptics driver. One thing that I did do, however, when I was cleaning up her machine I got rid of every thing that hinted of NORTON. ( I'm prejudiced)

Quote from: Computer_Commando on August 15, 2011, 03:11:00 PM

Control Panel--Mouse Properties--Synaptics Tab--Synaptics Lux Pad--Settings

I've Had my computer for a less than a year now, but last night, my sister's friend cut the breaker switch as a joke, and since I've noticed a few things happening. First off, I can only start the computer effectively when its on its side(Motherboard Facing Upward). It is chancy when starting Right-side Up. After the power came on, i put the computer into the Right-side Up position, but then during gaming, it tends to stop working, power is still RUNNING to the computer, but it will not put power out to mouse/keyboard, and display stops. Currently I'm testing keeping the computer on its side to stop the effects entirely. This seems to be working, but I'm not sure it will be a permanent solution. I know the problem is hardware and I've come down to it being likely the power supply or the HDD, but I'm not exactly sure what would be the direct issue to DEAL with. Input is appreciated.If it is still under warranty exercise that option. If it is still under warranty be careful what you fiddle with as it may PROVIDE the excuse to void your warranty.truenorthI'm with TN on this one. If it's less than a year old, use your warranty rights. However, if you can determine what is wrong, it makes it a lot easier making a claim. Since it WORKS in one orientation & not another, see if the PSU FAN is spinning; it should be spinning 100% of the time. You might check the CPU fan, too. BTW, turning off the breaker should have no effect on any hardware. However, if the hard drive was in the midst of writing, you could have data corruption.That was really not an acceptable way of making a joke with circuit breakers. Where's the joke?Quote

Where's the joke?

my sister's friend cut the breaker switch as a joke

I have a Presario sr1750nx and want to upgrade the video. currently it has integraded video, but I have a PCI express x16 slot to use. When I look for new graphics cards they list "CORE clock speed" and "memory speed". I don't know what I have. Does that matter? The MB is a AmberineM A8AE-LE, and the proscessor is an Athlon 64 3500+ 2.2ghz and the memory is PC3200 184 pin DDR

any help?
thanksThe only thing that matters is if your motherboard has the capability to turn off the onboard video or to recognize the PCI-e as the 1st video (if a graphics card is plugged into it).Just to follow up on C_C's post, What he said is correct. This is because the core clock and memory clock are from the graphics card, not your machine.

Generally speaking, the faster the GPU (Core Clock) and Memory clock are, the faster the card goes.

There is one thing to consider though, and that is if your power supply can handle the card you choose to put in it.

What games were you wanting to play? What wattage is your power supply? I can help you pick out a card that will fit both the games and the PSU..Quote from: Kurtiskain on October 01, 2009, 04:58:45 AM

Just to follow up on C_C's post, What he said is correct. This is because the core clock and memory clock are from the graphics card, not your machine.

Generally speaking, the faster the GPU (Core Clock) and Memory clock are, the faster the card goes.

There is one thing to consider though, and that is if your power supply can handle the card you choose to put in it.
What games were you wanting to play? What wattage is your power supply? I can help you pick out a card that will fit both the games and the PSU.

No games? You don't need a new video card. Your current PSU is certainly more than 100W. You can adjust how much of the RAM is allocated to video memory. There will be a setting in the BIOS to control this.

This is your computer. You have 4 DDR memory slots. You must understand that Windows XP will not recognize more than 4GB of memory (actually closer to 3GB), so I would recommend two 1GB DDR PC3200 modules, which will get you to 3GB (including the 2-512MB you already have). Total RAM available to Windows will be 2.75GB (3.0GB minus the shared video of 256MB).

With Xbox and PS3 I figure why bother. anyway I looked at the PSU when I had the side cover off and it's rated at 300W output, so If I wanted to use the PCI x16 could you recommend a decent card thats reasonable in price?

thanks for all you help!

I HAVE A WHITE UTILITY BOX IN MY GARAGE THAT HAS THE NETGEAR-FVS318 ROUTER AND RCA-DCM425 MODEM. THE BOX ALSO HAS CABLE TV LINES AND PHONE LINES. I WANTING TO USE NETGEAR-WNDR3700 ROUTER AND MOTOROLA-SB6120 MODEM (REPLACING RCA-DCM425 MODEM) TO GO WIRELESS FOR LABTOP COMPUTER ,PS3 GAME AND WII GAME. BUT I ALSO WANTED TO KEEP THE ORIGINAL WIRED SETUP FOR TWO DESKTOPS COMPUTERS. I ALSO WANT TO KEEP THE NETGEAR –WNDR3700 ROUTER AND MOTOROLA-SB6120 MODEM IN MY OFFICE ON THE SECOND FLOOR WITH KEEPING NETGEAR-FVS318 ROUTER IN THE WHITE UTILITY BOX IN THE GARAGE. I DO HAVE A COAX AND CAT5 OUTLETS THAT TO THE WHITE UTILITY BOX IN THE GARAGE.
CAN I FROM THE OFFICE ROOM HOOKUP MOTOROLA-SB6120 MODEM WAN ETHERNET RECEPTACLE TO THE NETGEAR-WNDR3700 ROUTER WAN ETHERNET RECEPTACLE? THEN CAN I PLUG INTO ONE OF THE 4 LOCAL ETHERNET RECEPTACLES ON THE NETGEAR-WNDR3700 ROUTER INTO THE CAT5 OUTLET IN THE OFFICE WALL WHICH GOES INTO THE WHITE UTILITY BOX IN THE GARAGE AND PLUG THE OTHER END INTO THE NETGEAR-FVS318 ROUTER WAN ETHERNET RECEPTACLE ( OR DOES IT GO INTO ONE OF THE LOCAL ETHERNET RECEPTACLES)?
WOULD BE BEST TO SETUP WIRELESS ROUTER FIRST THEN ONCE IT IS UP AND RUNNING HOOKUP THE WIRED ROUTER? WOULD I DISABLE THE DHCP ON WIRED? (OR WIRELESS)?
THEN WHAT WOULD BE THE SETTINGS ON THE WIRED ROUTER?
I HAVE INTERNET SERVICE WITH WWW.INSIGHTBB.COM CABLE COMPANY.See attached diagram. I have internet with www.insightbb.com cable Company.

[Saving SPACE, ATTACHMENT deleted by ADMIN]Okay, I'm editing / deleting my comments now that I see the original post.I've merged your two Topics into one post...

hey i have bigben interactive ps3 controller (3-directional wireless controller and on the WIRLESS recive it has a little switch saying pc and ps3 so i put in my LAPTOP. and installed the DRIVERS, then i loaded up half life oposing focer to use, i have CONFIGURED the controlls but it wont work ... im not sure it its a problem with the game or the controller . any help is WELCOME ohh sorry if its in the wrong topic

2.4 GHz radio frequency controller for PS3®, PC compatible (Windows XP® & Vista®)

I got the motherboard replaced on my gateway laptop - but everything is not running well.

The model is a Gateway MT6821 - an Intel Core Duo Laptop.

I downloaded a Intel utility that shows the Expected frequency is 1.6 but the ACTUAL frequency for Core 1 = .79 and the actual frequncy for Core 2 = .79.

I tested my desktop to see if they should be added - but the Expected frequency was 2.4 and the actual frequency for Core 1 =2.4 and Core 2=2.4.

I am running at lightly less than 1/2 speed on a brand new (not repaired) motherboard - ordered from the original manufacturer - Skyline-Engineering.

I don't know why the original board died - there were no burn marks anywhere.

I did not install the board my self - it was installed by a professional.

Any ideas on what could be causing the SLOW speed PROBLEM?Is this the place where you got the Intel program?
http://www.intel.com/support/processors/tools/frequencyid/sb/cs-007621.htm
Intel® Processor Frequency ID UtilityNo

This is where I got the download - a slighlty diffferant utility

http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=N&ProductID=1881&DwnldID=7838Yes, that is different. Seems to work fine on my laptop. Two cores have identical frequency and actual and expected is right on.
Speed 1.73 GHz and System Bus 533 for each core.

Hypothetically, if the work load was divided equally, the effective sped could approach the sum of the speed of each core.

I jest had a thought--- never mind I checked on URL you SUGGESTED - but I read the read me doc and on multiple systems, Only one of the cores can be tested at a time. Other than physicaly removing a core, how can I test one core at a time?

I feel I am working on a level so far above my understanding that I am truly lost.

Dos was easy - they had printed manuals that explained everything and there were additional books that
you could buy to give you additional info - if needed.

Now you must almost be an electical engineer to understand what is happening. I need a very simple answer, My computer is not working well. Is the problem the processor (which is running at 1/2 speed), the motherboard (which was just replaced), or is there a software utility that I can run to correct the problem?

Running in the low power mode would fgive a figure of about 80% of expecred speed.You have the answer.

I posted on several Web sites - and some one on one of the other sites suggested I check "Enhanced SpeedStep Technology" and that I disable it. That wasn't the answer - but when I put it in the search, I was able to view a file on tuning (Increasing efficiency) for laptops. The first suggestions was to check the power options.

I did, then changed them, rebooted and ran the tests again. That is the Solution.

I don't, however, understand why it KICKED in when the computer was plugged in.

I consider that a bug

Also a 50% reduction in speed seems excessive.
When the computer is running on battery, we only have about an hour+ use before the battery dies (On power saver). I wonder what how much time we will have on the new settings.

I've had my Sony Vaio laptop for 3 years and have never had any problems with it. However, I went to turn it on this morning having used it the night before and everything being fine, and it didn't load up at all. It GOT as far as the Vista loading screen, and then the hard drive made a clicking NOISE and it turned itself off. I tried turning it on again and it did the same thing, but when I did it a third time it booted up fine.

Now I'm really scared that if I turn it off it won't boot up again. I have back-up discs if that does happen but as I've never had to do it before, I don't know how to do it so that I don't lose everything on my hard drive.

Is there any way while it's working that I can find what caused it and if it's likely to die on me again? ThanksI RECOMMEND trying to GET all of your files that you dont want to lose(photos,music etc. ) backed up onto a usb drive or disc.
"clicking noise" may indicate a failing HD. 90% chance it's a failing HDD as suggested above...
Take cruisin's advice ASAP.....the more you use the machine from now til then the less chance you will have of rescuing your data...