Explore topic-wise InterviewSolutions in .

Dear Sirs!

I need your advice on the possible hardware issues, which could show themselves in the unstable work of 2 different DVD drives with different types of connection, separate cables and different brands of disks. There were external USB-drive and internal IDE-drive. Ide drive is connected to motherboard and power block directly. USB was connected to the computer by 2 cables.
The issues began with often and sudden stopping of disks recording or erasing. Only USB-drive was connected firstly. Its image often desappeared from Windows Explorer window. But the reading of disks was normal. I found two main error messages in the Event Viewer.
1. The driver detected controller error on device/cdrom0
2. The device cdrom0 is not ready for access yet.

I WRITE to you, because of the doubts on the causes of the problem resolved. First, the temperature of air reduced on about 10 degrees at the same time. Second, it is unclear why defective or bad working drive could affect the job of the normal one, when they have no common connection? Except of it, I am far from being technician, have no repair guarantee and do not want to bring hard computer to the repair serice. I include the list of my successie actions, their results, information on Bios utility, DVD-RW drives. The system information is included in a separate file.
The following has been made:

1. I tried to record disks on the different operaTING system on the same PC. No success. The system is installed on another partition of the same hard disk.
2. I uninstalled Kaspersky Crystal software from one of the systems using standard Windows Control panel and then using their own software. During 1 day everything was normal. Then unstability appeared again, but the second error did not repeat any more.
3. I called to the Kaspersky lab. They answered, they were famous conflict between Kaspersky Crystal, Kaspersky internet security and some recording software. I have nothing to do.
4. I have upgraded system Bios and made the following changes.
a) I disabled CPU Virtualization Feature Technology
b) I replaced ACPI suspend type from S1 to S3 to save energy.
C) I set up Stop Grant as suspend type with the same aim.
d) I set up the following parameters of the PC Health management to make cooling more effective. CPU fan off is 17 degrees. CPU fan start is 20 degrees. CPU fan full speed is 35 degrees. The start PWM value is 50.
e) The power management parameter was changed with max saving.
j) No other changes were made. There are no overlocking.
5. During a day, there was normal work, independently of the Kaspersky presence. Then the unstability repeated.
6. I have made detailed diagnostics with its manufacturer utility and made memory diagnostics with memtest software. No errors were found.
7. I put off the computer corp and installed the IDE drive. No changes.
8. I BOUGHT new discs and tested old ones with Vso inspector software to select disks with defects.
9. No results. The same.
10. I tested IDE-drive on another computer. It worked normally.
11. I switched off the USB one from my computer and tested it on the above-mentioned computer. It worked so unable as in my computer.
12. The Ide drive works normally, when the USB is switched off.
The bios data: Bios Phoenix AWARD Bios Cmos Setup Utility (IP965-A7)

USB DVD-Drive: Samsung Se-084C

IDE Drive sony Nec Optiarc AD-7200A
It seems that Kaspersky software and USB-drive were the causes of the unstable work. But the temperature reduction and the abcence of the common connections of the drives make me to doubt, that I found all the reasons of the recording and erasing issues.



[recovering disk space - old attachment deleted by admin]I'm not very familiar with USB DVD Drives-but I'll try...
If the "temperature of air," I take that to mean "temperature on air cooling viewed by software," DECREASES by 10 C, we have isolated the issue to a hardware problem, or a hardware/software interface problem, as you said, "3. I called to the Kaspersky lab. They answered, they were famous conflict between Kaspersky Crystal, Kaspersky internet security and some recording software. I have nothing to do."
Your fan speed settings are all right in the PC Health management BIOS section.

I think the problem lies in the power supply or a faulty USB connection somewhere, whether from the motherboard to the front panel USB ports or from the USB ports themselves-if the USB DVD drive CONTINUOUSLY disconnects and reconnects, it could be that your power-management settings are preventing the USB DVD drive from getting enough power, and then the USB DVD Drive overloads the power supply, thus causing problems with the IDE drives.I thank you for helpful answer. I simply want to correct my statement on the temperature. By mean "temperature of air" I mean temperature of air on city streets, rooms, I mean atmospheric temperature, but not temperature inside computer.

hi,
I was OPERATING my friend's samsung netbook and i tried to connected my mobile HEAD set on it and it got sparked and turned off. can anyone SUGGEST me any autherised samsung service center in Kochin.

plz helpCochin is in India... I do not live in India, but these links may help you:
http://www.indiahousing.com/electronics/samsung-service-center.html
http://www.vamban.com/gadgets/samsung-home-appliances-service-centers-in-cochin/

I have an LG Flatron L227WTG that I use with my laptop as a second screen, or I can close the laptop and it becomes the primary screen.
I bought it new in March so it's 6 months old.
Today suddenly, it has a whole lot of tiny horizontal lines, and flickers a little at the very top of the screen. I tried changing the resolution but that doesn't change the lines. I also connected to another computer that used to work with it, and that didn't clear it up either.
Any ideas?
JimWarranty?....Take it back....Do you hear a high pitch whine when the screen comes on?No noises, but I learned something else. When I disconnect the cable from my computer, the monitor goes into a standby screen. The lines are still there. I guess the pretty much says the trouble is in the monitor huh?
Luckily this is one of the few times I actually paid for the service warranty contract. I guess I'm making a trip back to Fr..s!
JimQuote from: jimpl on September 22, 2009, 02:07:50 PM

No noises, but I learned something else. When I disconnect the cable from my computer, the monitor goes into a standby screen. The lines are still there. I guess the pretty much says the trouble is in the monitor huh?
Luckily this is one of the few times I actually paid for the service warranty contract. I guess I'm making a trip back to Fr..s!
Jim

You really should get the problem documented, once you're out of warranty and a problem arises you'll be even more embarassed you didn't have a note attached to your warranty.....for that matter, I'd report intermittent problems with the monitor and request a replacement....better safe than burned.

Well my kid has this printer that all the sudden just stopped working. It wont turn on BUT when it is initialy plugged in you get one blue light on the "PHOTO TRAY" button. Nothing else happens. I consulted with a HP tech on line and they said I needed a new power supply because they asked me if the P S was getting warm. I told them no it was not, so they said try a new one. Well that didnt work. If the thing isnt drawing any power how can I expect it to get warm.
I have completely disassembled the printer and removed the battery to try and get it to reset but that didnt work. I removed the complete panel with all the buttons and then even opened up the panel to check and see if one of the buttons was jammed in the down (contact) positions. no go. There are several plugs on the main board that I guess provide various functions to the printer so I tried disconnecting each one, one at a time with the machine plugged in to see if I could identify which one might be causing the problem. No luck. Ive tried pressing various combinations of buttons as described on FixYa web site---Nope. Removed all the cartridges and tried them one at a time. After all this Im assuming I have a short or broken connection fairly close to the main power plug since hardly any power is getting into the printer except for the one blue light.
So the main reason Im going through all this is because my daughter INVESTED almost $100 in cartridges and shes pretty upset with HP.
So anybody got any ideas besides scrapping the thing.














pearlhouse, How long have you had this printer? Is it possibly still under warranty?truenorthIts out of warranty.She has had it coming up on 3 years. Never uses it very much but then got a job where she really could use it and bingo it gives up on her. That's the way it SEEMS to work with inkjet printers. My experience has been the same as yours. I've got one sitting here that was given to me. I refuse to spend $50 for ink cartridges. I now consider them to be disposable. When the ink runs out, you throw them away. So, I would never pay more than $50 for an inkjet printer. Some lasers are better, at least they don't dry out if you don't use them for a long time. I've had good luck with my HP LaserJet, it's 10 years old and still on the ORIGINAL cartridge. I can live without the color. I don't think they make them like that anymore.Comp-Com: Again as i have done so many times on this forum i suggest that there are a variety of methods (depending on the particular manufacturers technology) of overcoming their limitations at "refilling cartridges". They all render it possible to either refill the original or replacement cartridges and/or allow a very inexpensive cartridge replacement option that is NOT SUBJECT to their limitations. I totally do agree that manufacturers replacement cartridges are outlandishly expensive and should be avoided. However notwithstanding the environmental issues with throwing away printers when the cartridges run dry it is a fallacy to believe that with a small amount of effort and an equally small amount of expenses to start up an alternative does not exist. We at this residence have been refilling (ourselves) multiple brands of printer ink jet cartridges for about 12 years and our convenience has risen immeasurably and our costs are minimal. It would never occur to me to consider an ink jet printer "disposable" simply as a result of an empty ink cartridge. The printer manufacturers must be beating a path to your door.truenorth

My printer states that there is a paper jam and the alarm light is on. I have checked EVERY AREA of the printer and the rollers are working. When I turn it off then on again the error message COMES BACK up. I tried to take the back off but wasn't able to do so. I would appreciate any suggestions. ThanksSome little micro switch is jammed or broken. It's a $50 inkjet printer, replacement ink costs more than the printer. Need I SAY more?No I got it. Point well taken thanks.

i have a relatively new hp laptop with vista and recently the sound started to malfunction. sometimes when i would try to listen to music no sound would COME out of the speakers that for a while worked perfectly. so now the only sound i get is when i listen to ITUNES or when the computer turns on. but if i try to listen to anything on the internet no sound COMES out, using either headphones or not. i haven't changed any settings and checked the sound settings and it all seems OK so i don't know whats going on? any ideas?? the internet i have been using google chrome and just to CHECK i opened internet explorer and sound worked fine on it there. so im guessing its something to do with chrome but i still don't know how to fix it??nevermind. i just missed the fact that i somehow turned off the sound in chrome. i fixed it.

i want to build a pc that will play VIDEO games.

i am getting a Sentey PS2-3268 Professional Series ATX Mid-Tower PC Case http://www.outletpc.com/ez8347.html#

i want a good but fair PRICED motherboard that will support a DUAL core cpu and 6 standard pci slotsthat case is not "middle class," PERSONALLY...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128341

on a side note- if you want a phenom x4, buy a phenom x2 and then use the bios to unlock the 2 deactivated cores. http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=3447#ov
This board supports AM3 processors also.

Quote from: lectrocrew on July 04, 2011, 11:39:28 PM

there seems to be no need to "ground" the board to the case.

Is there a GOOD reason for doing this ? And if it is necessary why don't the manufactures use bushes in the holes.

Intel Core i5 CPU 2.66 GHz, 3.49 GB RAM
Gigabyte GA-P55M-UD2 :Motherboard
Galaxy GF8400GS- Graphics card

Windows XP Pro
Ver. 2002
Service Pack 2

Hello, Well this computer is just like 4 days old, when I got it home I installed all the required stuff that comes with the computer (eg. Motherboard CD stuff, graphics cards driver stuff, my anti-virus SOFTWARE) anyway it all went well like the other times I have done the same with previous new computers. After a couple of days of use the computer started to freeze? and has continued to freeze at random times. It always freezes on a empty desktop (the XP wallpaper- green hills blue sky) no start button, toolbar or desktop icons, I am FORCED to press the reset button. Along with this freezing/crashing problem the computer has also reset itself a couple of times.

After it had reset it self I checked EVENT VIEWER : Event ID 108

The driver nv4_disp for the display device \Device\Video0 got stuck in an infinite loop. This usually
indicates a problem with the device itself or with the device driver programming the hardware incorrectly.

Please check with your hardware device vendor for any driver updates.

For more information, see HELP and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

If it's a Graphic card driver issue I'm at a loss because I've tried installing the correct updated driver and the one that came on the installation Disc, without Anti Virus installed and using the appropriate methods.I'd return the video card for a new one.
It sounds like you have done everything you can.Sounds like either a bad video card or a corrupt driver (and by the way, when you describe what you did please don't say "stuff" - nobody can know for certain what what "stuff" you are talking about - give a full and complete description of what you are talking about).

Uninstall your video driver and then go to the nvidia website, download the latest driver for your card, and install that one. If it still doesn't work right you may need a new video card.It is my recommendation that given that it is a brand new computer i would NOT be describing the issue to the vendor as an improperly functioning "video card". While that may indeed be the problem it is up to them with all their technical expertise to find it fix to your satisfaction or replace the complete unit.Certainly at this stage of your ownership that is the least they should do.truenorth

Can I RUN DOS program to USE a COM1 port(Prolific Usb-Serial)


Hanz

My printer (just over a year old) has stopped printing in colour. I've done the usual STUFF - cleaned PRINT heads, replaced CARTRIDGES (currently Brother originals) but it doesn't want to PLAY. If anyone's got any suggestions I'd be very grateful.
richardhowell, WELCOME to the CH forums. What had you done immediately prior to this situation occurring in regards to the printer or the computer?truenorth

Hi. I have a problem with games (restarting pc, turning off by themselves, crashing) A LOT. So I've asked people what is the problem. They've said that it might be my m-board. And here goes the question: is there any good alternatives ? if so - what kind ? BRAND ? how much it could cost ? Why don't you provide us with some more information on the CRASHES you are having.

If they can be fixed then we can save you some money.Every game I play causes my pc to restart without any warning. Some of them SOMETIMES crash and drop me to desktop (as if I pressed 'EXIT GAME' ) and few of them just freeze on spot (that's not a major problem). I've looked for info for 2 weeks now and found someone that works with pc's and he told me that it might be my m-board cuz she's really old. I'm desperate - don't havee enough money to buy a new pc (not even 200 $) and I can't play games which was the reason I've baught a new graphics card (it has nothing to do with the problem cuz I had same problems when I used my old graph.card). Don't know what to do ... I'm lost, cold, and hungry for BLOOD and DESTRUCTION and CHAOS ...

my pc specs are uploaded into my profile if you need them...

This is probably going to be a very long and complicated post, so I apologize in advance. My problem is that my computer will not recognize that I have inserted a CD into the CD-ROM. However, the whole problem is a bit more complicated and the only way I can explain it is to do a timeline summary of what I’ve done so far. (sorry) Because I know what I’m explaining is kind of confusing I’m explaining the problem in general terms and all the details about the software and the hardware are listed at the end of the post.

I was away from home for 9 weeks this summer and when I returned everything appeared to be fine on my computer. As to be expected because it had been so long since I’d been on my computer there were a lot of Windows updates to download (27 total). These updates were downloaded on 4 different dates, unfortunately I know I didn’t install them right away. I’ll give the dates and specific software updates below; but I don’t know exactly when I installed any specific update.

About a week ago, my computer was working fine and was able to read my CD-ROMs. That night when I turned off my computer Windows alerted me that I had updates to install (the kind where you shut-off your computer and Windows installs them and shuts off automatically). I went ahead and let them install the programs and I think the screen said that there were around 14 updates.

The next day I turned on my computer and inserted a PC Game (CD-ROM) into the computer. I noticed right away that it didn’t startup (it is usually on AutoPlay). I opened up My Computer and discovered that my 2 optical drives didn’t show up. I tried inserting other CDs and NOTHING worked. I went to the Device Manager and it showed that my computer still was not recognizing my CD-ROM or DVD-ROM. I tried scanning for Hardware Changes and that didn’t work. I looked online hoping to find a driver update for either optical drive, but came up empty.

I finally scanned through the Microsoft KNOWLEDGE Database and came across a link to this page (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314060). I was so irritated with my computer by now that rather than try and fix the problem myself I downloaded “Microsoft Fix it 50027” (it was on the above web page). After Microsoft Fix-It ran my computer recognized my CD-ROM and my DVD-ROM and I was very happy.

My happiness did not last long. I inserted a CD into the computer and I knew it was reading the CD because I could hear the machine working. In addition, the little box appeared on my screen asking what I wanted to do with the CD (they give you a bunch of choices like Open an Explorer box, listen with Media Player… or take no action). I selected take no action and then tried to open my game by clicking my desktop icon. However, nothing happened. I then opened up My Computer and discovered that while I could see my optical drives on the screen (the Device Manager also recognized them) but now neither drive recognized that a CD had been inserted. When I click on the drive in My Computer it asks for me to insert a media disk. I tried numerous CDs and DVDs and nothing worked for either drive.

I tried using a lens cleaner disk but it won’t work because neither drive even recognizes that a disk has been inserted. What was very interesting was that a couple days later my sister came over and brought her external CD/DVD portable drive. I connected the drive to my computer (using a USB port) and my computer recognized the drive, but it wouldn’t recognize when a disk was inserted into that drive either. At this point I STOPPED looking for drivers for my optical drives because I’m assuming that the problem is not with the individual drives but with my system. I mean what are the chances that 3 separate drives (from 3 different companies) all simultaneously stopped working?

The only thing that had changed between my computer working and not working was the software updates. So I went to my download history and uninstalled all of the downloads from September 9th on (the day I returned home). There were a few updates which my system won’t let me uninstall and I left those alone. There were 7 programs I didn’t uninstall and they are listed at the bottom of the post. Unfortunately, uninstalling all of those updates didn’t affect my drives at all. All 3 still don’t recognize if I insert a disk.

I checked what programs are initiated when I startup my computer, but all of them checked out as being legitimate. Throughout this entire process I have also done numerous security scans of my computer. When the software I had found nothing I downloaded and installed other software and they also found nothing. I also attempted to do a system restore. I don’t really understand what that is but I was getting desperate. However when I attempted to do so my computer said it couldn’t because no changes had been made since my last “restore point”.

I would appreciate any help. And thank you for taking the time to actually read this confusing mess.

Again here is a brief list of what I have already tried:
--searched for updated drivers
--scanning for hardware changes in the Device Manager
--uninstalled all drives through Device Manager and reinstalling them
--full system scans with Norton 360, Ad-Aware, Spybot, and Avast!
--attempted a system restore
--downloaded Microsoft Fix-It 50027 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314060)
--uninstalled most of the Windows updates

CD/DVD Hardware Information:
--Samsung CD-R/RW SW-240B
--CD-ROM driver: provided by Microsoft (7/1/2001), ver 5.1.2535.0
--Liteon DVD-ROM LTD 163
--DVD-ROM driver: provided by Microsoft (7/1/2001), ver 5.1.2535.0

My Computer System:
--Dell Dimension 4500 desktop computer
--all my Windows software is “real”
--Microsoft Windows XP Professional, service pack 3
--Microsoft Office 2003 (full suite) & Microsoft OneNote 2007
--Processor: Intel Pentium 4 CPU 2.00GHz (speed = 1.95GHz)
--1.00 GB of RAM
--NVIDIA GeForce 6200 A-LE
--Norton 360

Windows Updates (in chronological order, first being the earliest download):
--Update for Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 Junk Email Filter (KB972688)
--Security Update for Windows XP (KB960859)
--Security Update for Microsoft Office Web Components (KB947319)
--Security Update for Windows XP (KB971657)
--Security Update for Windows XP (KB971557)
--Security Update for Windows XP (KB956744)
--Update to .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1 for the .NET Framework Assistant 1.0 x86 (KB963707)
--Security Update for Windows XP (KB973869)
--Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer 7 for Windows XP (KB972260)
--Security Update for Windows XP (KB973507)
--Update for Microsoft Silverlight (KB970363)
--Security Update for Windows XP (KB973354)
--Security Update for Windows XP Service Pack 3 (KB973540)
--Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool - August 2009 (KB890830)
--Security Update for Windows XP (KB973815)
--Security Update for Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 Service Pack 1 Redistributable Package (KB973923)
--Update for Windows XP (KB970653)
--Internet Explorer 8 for Windows XP
--Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool - September 2009 (KB890830)
--Security Update for Windows Media Format Runtime 9, 9.5 & 11 for Windows XP SP 3 (KB968816)
--Update for Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 Junk Email Filter (KB973515)
--Security Update for Windows XP (KB956844)
--Update for Microsoft Silverlight (KB974331)
--Security Update for Jscript 5.8 for Windows XP (KB971961)
--Office Genuine Advantage Notifications (KB949810)
--Update for Windows XP (KB968389)
--The 2007 Microsoft Office Suite Service Pack 2 (SP2)

All of the above downloads were uninstalled EXCEPT for these 7:
--Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool – August 2009 (KB890830) = I couldn’t find this download on my system
--Security Update for Microsoft Offive Web Components (KB947319) = won’t let me uninstall
--Internet Explore for Windows XP = I can uninstall this but I know that I installed this after my problem began
--Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool – September 2009 (KB890830) = couldn’t find
--The 2007 Microsoft Office Suite Service Pack 2 (SP2) = won’t let me uninstall
--Office Genuine Advantage Notifications (KB949810) = couldn’t find
--Update for Microsoft Silverlight (KB974331) = won’t let me uninstall

Hello,
your frustration is understandable. There are many people here will qualified to help you out. I will try to just offer a few suggestions that occurred to me. For one thing, you are using two optical drives. You may find you had better results by using just one dries. Also, you are using Windows XP with service pack 3. But she did not explain is the this came from the manufacturer asked XP 3 or if you had upgraded from XP service pack 2. That could make a difference.
The most critical issue is you use four different anti virus programs. Did you use them all at once? Or, did you install than one of at a time and use in each one at a time.
One more issue, and this may be the most critical, does B IOS recognize either or both of the optical drives.
Pardon me if there's some bad spelling errors or GRAMMATICAL errors, I have a hard time typing. This was speech dictation.
Hello and thanks you for your reply.

I didn't know that having two optical drives could be a problem, but in reality I only use the CD-ROM/RW, I hardly ever use the DVD. My Windows XP software was upgraded to Service Pack 3 (I had to download it, it didn't come with the computer). I did not use all of the anti-virus software all at once. Before the problem began I had only Norton 360 and Spybot on my computer. I did both of those scan separately. However, I did download Avast and Ad-Aware after the problems began and than I ran them (separately), but Spybot and Norton were still installed on my system. Since than I have uninstalled Avast and Ad-Aware.

I'm afraid that my ignorance is showing... BIOS? I've heard that term before but have no idea how to check it. I do know that I can see the drives when I open up My Computer and that the Device Manager recognizes each optical drive (when you hit properties, each drive says that it is working correctly). Thank you for your help, but can you tell me how to check if BIOS recognizes my drives?


Thanks,
BreeannIf the device manager says you have two drives, then the drives would be also in the BIOS. So ignore what I said about the BIOS
Here is the most critical issue:

Quote

Before the problem began I had only
Norton 360 and Spybot on my computer.

I recently purchased a Optiplex GX-280. 750GB HD, 4GB RAM, P4, 2.8Ghz, XP Pro. One day when plugging in a usb memory stick the computer blue screened and shut down. Ever since, when I try to power up, I get an error that there is nothing on SATA 0 and SATA 2 and to EITHER press F2 to setup or F12 for bootup. BIOS is not SEEING the hard drive at all. I've tried unplugging the hard drive and plugging it back in, but that did not do the trick. I have an OLDER Dell that does not have compatible HOOKUP to test the hard drive independently. The computer was cheap, but not cheap enough to buy another or spend $30 an hour to have looked at. Any ideas, advice? Andrea75, Seeing as you appear to be still able to access the BIOS ensure that the SATA controller is enabled. Sata port "0 " is the 1st SATA port. Try that and let us know. truenorth

I recently bought an 8600gt, with Dual DVI ports, My previous card was a 7300SE/7200GS, which worked fine.
I unistalled the drivers, and CHECKED that the 7300 also wasn't installed.
I then went to the bios menu after restarting to quickly see that it hadn't SWITCHED back to my onboard graphics. I then turned off computer, and swapped the cards. I plugged an adapter into one of the DVI ports (I tried both) so my VGA cord will plug in. (I use an LCD tv as a monitor) and when I turned my computer back on, there was no signal going to my tv. I also know it didn't resume it's USUALLY boot-up because I press Enter at the log in and it logs in, with my "busy light" flashing, but that didn't happen.
how come I am not getting any video signal from my new card?Your card might require a power connection from the power supply, have you checked the manual?The card might also require more power than your old card. Check the 12V ratings on you card and power supply.

Hi I have TOSHIBA Satellite A25-S279 runs windows xp. When I turn it on it only stays on for about a minute before shutting down and restarting itself, never letting me get into the computer itself. I will do this over and over and over again until I stop it. I've tried safe mode, I've tried configuring to an earlier DATE, nothing seems to work. I tried system RESTORE and it opens it up and when I confirm I want o restore the system "WRONG MACHINE" appears n the screen. Don't really know what to do here. I'm not the computer savvy so if you guys could dumb it down for me that would be awesome.


THANKS,
DANIELLEProbably your processor heatsink. How old is the laptop?

If it's significantly old (I'd say 2+ years or so) then the heatsink could be loaded with dust. If the heatsink isn't dissipating enough heat it will heat up and shut off. The only way to fix this would be to open the laptop and use some compressed air to clean out the heatsink.

I've had this happen on more than ONE occasion to different PCs.

Here’s my problem
I recently received a new Digital Media Player as a gift. It’s a GXP ML660 8 GIG Digital Media Player. I’ve been trying all week to get it to work, but not having any luck. I am using the home version of WINDOWS XP and recently downloaded Windows Media Player 11. My family purchased our computer in 2004, and I checked, it does have USB2 already installed. There is a cable that came with the player. But whenever I attach the device and plug it into the USB Port on my computer, I get an error message that says “USB Device not recognized. One of the devices attached to this computer has malfunctioned and Windows does not recognize it. For assistance in solving this problem, please click the message.” When I click the message, I get a weird screen that shows all the available ports and at the bottom it says “Try reconnecting the device. If Windows still does not recognize this device, replace the device.”

The thing that I don’t understand is that the problem only occurs with this Digital Media player. I have several other USB Devices. I have 3 different flash drives and an Ipod SHUFFLE. These devices all work perfectly fine. I plug them into the USB drive and have no problems whatsoever. Because of the nature of the error message, I assumed that the player was defective in someone. My mom tried taking it back to the store where she purchased it. She said that the guy took it out of the package, plugged it into his computer and it worked just fine. I don’t know if the problem is in the cable, the device, or the USB hub.

Here is a list of the things I’ve tried so far to fix this problem. None of these things have been successful.
1.Downloading and installing latest version of Windows Media Player
2.System Restore
3.Updating the drives
4.Deleting and reinstalling everything under “Universal Serial Bus Controllers” in Device Manager
5.Showing hidden files and folders
6.Using Device manager to try to install/update new software
7.Disabling Power Management on the USB Hub.
8. Turning off the computer, unplugging it from the wall for 1 minute and then restarting the computer

On the original packaging for the Digital Media Player it says that the system requirements are Windows XP and Windows Media Player 9 or higher. I also can’t get the player to sync. I go into Windows Media Player and click on sync. I am able to drop songs to be synced. But when I hit the start sync button, nothing happens. Above my list of songs to be synched, it says “Attach Device”

At this point, I am completely out of ideas. Would it help if I bought a different USB cable or a different brand of Digital Media Player? If this will solve the problem, I will gladly do it. But if I will get the same error message with any type of Mp3 player, then I’m not going to waste my money!

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Lms526
You have done a very good job of trying all the things that usually go wrong.
At this point, the best recommendation I can think of would be to try the device in another computer. Of course, I don't mean the computer at the store or your bonnet. I mean on the computer that one of your friends might have.
You mentioned a problem with Windows media player. Windows media player must be working perfectly before you can synchronize it with an external device. If you are having any problems with Windows media player, you absolutely have to address this problem first.
Does your windows XP have the current updates on it? You may wish to completely uninstall Windows media player. Furthermore, uninstall any other type of media player you may have on your system. In particular I am thinking of Nero. But other media players and similar devices can interfere with the Windows media player.
Do you have iTunes or QuickTime installed on your computer? Please also might possibly the suspect.
Try and do a complete reinstall of the Windows media player. Possibly finding one of the earlier versions of Windows media player. Perhaps Windows media player version 9 work better on your computer.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/download/AllDownloads.aspx?displang=en&qstechnology

On the above link scroll down until you find Windows media player nine. It says it is for earlier versions of Windows up to 2000. However, it works fine on Windows XPYes I have both Itunes and Quick Time installed. Could that be the problem?

Lms526?Remove both iTunes and WMA and try the version 9 WMA.Okay, I removed both QuickTime and ITunes. I also rolled back to the original version of Windows Media player that was previously installed. It was Windows Media Player 9. I tried plugging the device back in and....got the same error message. Any other suggestions? Do you think the same thing would happen with a different brand of Digital Media player or a new USB cord?

Lms526 Please repeat the make and model number of your digital player. I have had limited experience with these new digital players, but I know they can be very frustrating. And some of the stuff that has been sold out there is just pure junk. But I don't know about yours, just a quick check on Google shows a number of people complain about installing that video player with Windows. Just to make sure were talking about the same device, this is a little USB device that you can plug in your computer and upload or download music files and possibly some movie files. Some of these work real slick and are easy-to-use. Others have instruction manuals and software that will drive you up the wall. However, in most cases where there some kind of error message it usually ends up being the issue with the drivers. But your to do that. Without any more information I would say your best option is to just go back to the store and ask for your money back or exchange it for a different brand or different model or something like that. Again make sure that you give me the right model number. I want to look that up on Google. Of course, you could do that yourself. Just open up the Google search ENGINE and type the word problem followed by the model number of your device. That should give you lots of hits we'll find dozens of people complaining about the same thing.
Unless the manufacturer does more to try to resolve this issue, the best thing to do is just change it for a different brand or different model. I would go for different brand. You know to make these manufacturers pay attention to us we have to vote with their feet.
But the way, I am not a good speller or grammar teacher. So you'll find some obvious errors in my dictation. I try to give you the best answer I can in the shortest possible time and this results in all sorts of strange errors that I don't catch.
I noticed you said you were using a hub? plug it straight into the rear ports on your motherboard and see if this helps. It may be that the front USB ports or the hub do not provide their own power, not allowing the device to be recognized properly

I wasn't sure whether to post this in the Windows forum or here so hopefully I'll get some help in here.
I just installed Windows 7 Pro X64 and everything SEEMS to be fine except I have 2 IDE drives installed with my SATA C: DRIVE and the 2 IDE drives aren't showing up under "my computer." They don't show up under "disk management" either. I've been using them fine for the last few months with Windows Vista and they ALWAYS showed up and worked. They do show up when I go into my boot menu at start up. Anyone know what's going on here?
Thanks.Did you re-install all your drivers after the Win7 install ? ?
Especially the MBoard chipset drivers.D'oh! No I haven't done that yet. I was so concerned about GETTING the installation right that I forgot about doing that. By the way, I meant to say that they show up in the bios setting rather than boot menu. I'll re-install my drivers and take it from there. Thanks.No problem...and don't worry...you wouldn't believe how many people forget this because they are so fired up about having everything all new and fast...That seems to have done the trick! Thanks again. And thanks for not laughing at me Good to hear that solved it...stop by anytime...

Skip the first paragraph below unless you want to know the reason I'm asking this question.

My Macbook hard drive has failed. When I try starting it up, it doesn't go past a white screen with a "no trespassing" symbol on it. I have tried USING the reinstall disks but nothing happens and the disks just get stuck. The data may or may not be recoverable. The Genius Bar could not handle my case, so they recommended me to Tekserve. I went to Tekserve and they told me they would try to get the desired data off and place it onto an EXTERNAL hard drive. However, they said that if they GOT everything off that I wanted, then the charge would be something over $800. I have done some research and discovered that the price is most likely around the same (and can be more) wherever you go.

Before I shell out this amount of cash, does anyone know how data recovery works EXACTLY?

To narrow this question down, I'm wondering specifically about two things:

(1) Why can't they just automatically get all of my data off, instead of asking me what specific data I want off?

(2) How secure is my data (can I TRUST that they won't be opening files, or even looking at file names that may suggest important private information?)?

hello:
I recently PURCHASE a soundblaster titainium hd soundcard, but my motherboard does not conatian a pcie interface for the card. Would purchasing a pci to pcie card help to solve this problem or do i have to purchse a whole new motherboard?
mikeTo my understanding there aren't "converter" CARDS for using a PCI-E card in a PCI slot. If there are, I wouldn't recommend them. Also, for the most part such "converters" would require that the card be low profile (because the card you are installing will in fact be plugging into the top of the adapter card). The Titanium HD is not even close to being low profile.

Basically, yes, you will NEED a whole new motherboard. Ideally you'd be able to TAKE it back and get a PCI card; my X-Fi card, for example, is PCI, as are most of my SOUND cards, I'd like a PCI-E one though since I have lots of empty slots , wanna trade? .

Chances are, if your computer doesn't have PCI-E slots, then it's a tad older and it's unlikely you would be able to use the card to it's full potential.


P.S: in the future it is best to research what you have,need, and can use, before making a purchase for peripherals

HI,

I did a BIOS upgrade to be able to upgrade my memory and CPU.

ACER Aspire T180
MB ID: EM61SM/EM61PM
Phoenix Award BIOS
BIOS Version before: don't know
System BIOS ID before: R01-A1
Release date: 09/14/2006

BIOS version after : 6.00 PG
System BIOS ID: R01-C0
Release date: 06/15/2007

HD
SATA HDS728080PLA380 - 80GB
IDE WDC WD1200JB-00CRA1 - 110 GB

No drive A

Memory:
1GB generic
512MB Apacer

I did a backup of the BIOS and have a copy on CD.

After the upgrade with the supplied WinFlash software, I got a message that the erase failed and that I need to take out the protection.

I ran the WinFlash to see what version of BIOS I had and showed the old version.

I rebooted to see how to take the protection off the BIOS when I realized that the BIOS version CHANGED.

I could see all the drives with no problem.

But when I let it pass PAST the BIOS check screen, it stop at Verifying DMI pool data..

I resetted the CMOS with the jumpers and the battery (took it out) for 20 min or so - i.e. stop PC, unplugged the PC, grounded myself to the casing, changed jumpers and took out battery....

After reboot I got the following messages:
CMOS checksum error - Default loaded
Warning! Now system in safe mode
Please re-setting CPU frequency in CMOS setup

The issue is that I don't have access to the CPU Frequency in the CMOS setup... this BIOS is an Acer Customized Award BIOS.

I configured the BIOS to show all the messages...

It finds memory and tests it OK, finds all HD, goes through the PCI

then it stops at the
Verifying PMI pool Data ..

Only two dots at the end, I don't know if it MEANS anything.

Thank you in advance for any help.
Verifying PMI pool Data ..Hi,

I have taken out the IDE drive already and reset the CMOS and got the same messages:
CMOS checksum error - Default loaded
Warning! Now system in safe mode
Please re-setting CPU frequency in CMOS setup

Will try to get all the cards out that are not required to boot.

I haven't found anything that RESEMBLES to:
Enable "Reset Configuration Data" (may be "Force Update ESCD" in some CMOS Setups)

Replace your CMOS battery...part # CR2032...bout the size of a dime on the MBoard.
Make sure all power to the system is removed.Hi patio,

nope, it still doesn't go pass the Verifying PMI Pool Data .. message even after changing the CMOS battery.

I'm thinking of taking the drive A from my son's PC to hook it to my PC to see if I could at least boot from a diskette and reload my old Bios file...

I don't know if it has a chance of working or not....

Anything else I could do?The absolute last thing i would do to fix a Windows issue would be to flash the BIOS...You didn't seem to follow the 10 steps I provided.

Since you didn't remove the SATA drive, do that first.
Next, remove all drive data cables, so BIOS sees nothing.
If that works, after connecting drives you may have to set Compatibility Mode of SATA to IDE.Quote

I'm thinking of taking the drive A from my son's PC to hook it to my PC to see if I could at least boot from a diskette and reload my old Bios file...

...Should I disconnect the DVD also?...

Just to let you all know, that I couldn't connect a FDD so I trashed the card...
I'll be more carefull before upgrading the BIOS...

Can i change my cpu from 'Intel Atom-N550 Dual Core' To a 'Intel i5-430M Dual Core' My socket is '437 FCBGA8' And i have a 'Asus Eee PC 1015PEM' PLS help me.No.
The only thing those 2 cpu's have in common is that they are both manufactured by Intel.That is equivalent to attempting to put an F1 engine into a mini cooper/ice cream truck.
The pins of the i5 need to fit into a socket PGA-988.
http://www.compusavedirect.com/ssproduct.asp?pf_id=1015675340

If you want to know what happens if you try and it really fits, well, I attempted to take a mobile core 2 duo processor and stick it into a sony VAIO W notebook atom 1.66 GHz dual core-all the pins fit, but there was an empty pin slot in the cpu socket. powered it on-constant black screen. no it didn't harm my CPU or the socket. Well thanks anyway... Quote

If you want to know what happens if you try and it really fits, well, I attempted to take a mobile core 2 duo processor and stick it into a sony vaio W notebook atom 1.66 GHz dual core-all the pins fit, but there was an empty pin slot in the cpu socket. powered it on-constant black screen. no it didn't harm my CPU or the socket.

It's silly to recommend swapping anu CPU into a slot not designed for it...

"try this...nothing went wrong when i did it"...

I have moved from a Thinkpad R40 laptop to a tower with XP and a Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000. I can't get used to the keyboard. Can anyone recommend a straight standard keyboard with keys like the one on my thinkpad? By that I mean they are quiet, comfortable, easy to reach, easy to push down, and it's not an ergonomic keyboard.Someone gave me one of those because they hated it. I hate it, too. It's CONNECTED to a backup computer which I rarely use. Go to any computer or office supply store and try out the "normal" ones.The "ergo" keyboards are the best!

You might EVEN try some of the thrift stores in your area. I've gotten good keyboards from the local Goodwill store for two DOLLARS US, a piece. Sure, they need to be cleaned, but you may find you prefer the tactile sensation of the older keyboards.

As was suggested above, try the variety of keyboards you'll find at retail stores. PRICE isn't always an idicator, either. Some of the best keyboards I've had have been in the twenty dollar range.The one I'm using right now is a MS Wired keyboard 500.

I was using another keyboard, far larger, more buttons, etc.

but some of the keys were the wrong shape... stretched out, almost... it was extremely annoying.


Also, the Home/END ..etc key block was a different shape then what I was used to...

it takes me some adjustment to be able to use them effectively, and until I do... well, I end up pressing the wrong keys.

My fiance does a lot of production on his computer and we decided that it would be best to finally utilize the RAID capabilities of his MOTHERBOARD and set him up with RAID 1, so that all of his gigabytes of music files and synths and whatnot wouldn't have to be re-installed if his primary drive failed.

The main hard drive is a 500 gb drive. The new drive is a 1 tb drive which I have partitioned to be 2 separate 500gb drives.

The Marvell RAID utility sees both of the drives. When I launch the utility and go to set up the drives for RAID 1, though, no matter if I SELECT QUICK, Full or None for the initialization, it STATES that if I continue, the master boot record will be deleted for drives 8 and 12 and data will be lost.

Drive 8 is the old XP drive that we do NOT want to delete.

Any thoughts? I need to set up RAID WITHOUT deleting the contents of the drive. Quote from: IguanaGrrl on November 13, 2009, 10:01:52 PM

...The main hard drive is a 500 gb drive. The new drive is a 1 tb drive which I have partitioned to be 2 separate 500gb drives...

I need to know if I'm ABLE to upgrade the video card and power supply in this ridiculous Acer Aspire AX1420G-U5832 that I recently acquired. I don't care whether it is external power supply or internal, I just can't seem to find one. I'm LOOKING to upgrade to a video card that requires 350+ watts of power. I have the PCIE 2 x16 slot. I know I can insert a card. I just need the power to run it. CAN SOMEONE PLEASE ASSIST ME???Use it the way it is. Not worth upgrading, find a different computer.Hi teagueum,

You only have a 220W power supply. I would say this is a poor choice of computers if you plan to add a video card.

Take a look at computers like the one I linked. They're a BIT more expensive, but they already INCLUDE the video card.
Source(s):http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as…

Thanks,

usb cable

I have a used ASUS P5k SE motherboard that I bought off an online auction site and assembled all the parts with a brand new 1 gig PCIe graphics card and 4 gigs of ram. Both of the RAM sticks are identical in specifications, but different in appearance. After I turned on the power switch nothing appeared on the screen. I don't know if the graphics card is faulty or like the guy said when I bought the motherboard that the BIOS chip is faulty. Also, the power supply reboots by itself but only once. Assuming the BIOS chip is faulty, how WOULD I fix it or would I have to buy a new BIOS chip? I believe it is a AMI BIOS, where would I get a replacement chip from if the BIOS chip needs to be replaced? And, how much would I expect to pay for a new BIOS chip?BIOS chips look like one of these:

Expect to pay $15 plus shipping.
IMO, you would do better to just get a junk motherboard and try the chip from the junk board. Most of them are in sockets. If yours in not in a socket, you should forget it.
But you can buy used motherboards that work fine for about $25, no CPU or fan.
Quote from: Geek-9pm on September 24, 2009, 08:32:12 PM

If yours in not in a socket, you should forget it.

His bios chip is not in a socket...I checked

oh well

Have you ever seen a BIOS chip that wasn't in a socket ? ?

Thanx for that info and i'll sit corrected.
Just something i haven't seen...

I've seen them soldered...but always to a socket.

How does anyone remove them?

disregarding that... I wouldn't be apt to think that the BIOS had failed.

I meant, why solder a chip into a socket?

I haven't used my PC for a few weeks. So i just turned it on and it started up OK. I LEFT the room for a few minutes then came back...and my screen was all dark. Thinking it was the screen saver, i moved the mouse around but nothing HAPPENED. The green power light was on and the H.D.D red light was also BLINKING a few times.
I restarted my PC using the small re-start button and the screen was still dark.
This time i turned it off by holding the start button down for about 5 seconds. Then i turned the main-switch off at the back....waited about 10 minutes and turned the PC on again.
Now when it started for the 3rd time, the Green power light started to flash on and off very fast, while MAKING a very, very quick on and off beeping noise. The beeping was so fast that it's almost like one constant beep.

So...Turn PC on........green power light fast, crazy flashing and beeping......screen completely dark.
Any ideas?
Does the power light's fast beeps and flashing indicate the problem in some kind of PC code?
Thanks.It could be the power supply is on the verge of complete FAILURE or it's cooling fan is stuck, which will cause it to fail.

...yes, there is hot air coming out from from the top vent...

So i had posted here a while ago about how my laptop battery had died and just wouldnt GO past 5 percent. WELL now i BOUGHT a new battery and charged it too full and then when i turned it on it wasnt plugged in so when i check battery life it was at 95% but it has been pluged in and on for the past HOUR and it still is at 95%. Could this be something wrong with my laptop or with my charger? Thank you for any help anyone can offer.Maybe I don't understand your question but if it is plugged in it is always charging.As the battery is approaching full charge, the charging current is reduced. That last 5% can take hours.It has now been plugged in for over 12 hours and is still at 95%. It says its charging but it doesnt move from that point.Return new battery for warranty replacement.

I have a dell e1505 and all of a sudden, the sound stopped working. I bought new SPEAKERS, still didnt work, reinstalled drivers, and finally a fresh install, and still NO SOUND! What could be the problem?Don't know. Look in Device Manager - are there any yellow EXCLAMATION marks?No it says device is working properlyLet's get the obvious out of the way. Go to START - RUN and type: sndvol.exe (press enter). Are the volume settings okay with nothing muted?Everything is on maximum volume, nothing is muted. Thanks.Okay. Are you 100% certain the speakers are connected to the CORRECT port in the sound card (usually the green one)? Please try them all. And forgive a silly question, but if the speakers are powered are they plugged in to a working AC line?yes the internal speakers are connected correctly, I have checked it 3 times already, and the EXTERNAL speakers are plugged in to the laptop and into ac outlet. Still no sound.Does the laptop output sound from its internal speaker or is there no sound from any source?No there is no sound from anything. Even the headphones, which I use a lot, stopped GETTING sound, but works when I plug into my friends laptop.Well, then it sounds like there's a problem with the sound card. You might want to contact DellI contacted them, did everything they asked me to, and they said it was the speakers. Bought new ones, still no sound. They are no help.Sorry, I'm not either. I still think it's the card though.Thanks for your helpSuch as it was. You're welcome.

a pie2 9600gt will do BETTER then a pcie1 9400gt in a pcie1 boardIf a 2.0 card had more MEMORY than a 1.0 card and supported higher res. I would agree

I was TRYING to say was that if you have to decide between a 2.0 and 1.0 card with virtually the same hardware (with exception to bus speed) the 1.0 card would likely be cheaper...

If there were 2 identical cards bedsides the fact of bus speeds, like on was pcie2 and one was pcie1, I guess it would make a little difference. But I dont think they make cards that have pcie 1 and 2 versionsQuote

But I dont think they make cards that have pcie 1 and 2 versions

Hi, my laptop keeps SHUTTING off at random times. I cleaned the fans but it still does it. It does it the most when my mom uses eBay turbo Lister. Any IDEAS to fix it?Do this while using eBay turbo Lister...

Download, and install SpeedFan: http://www.almico.com/sfdownload.php
Post your computer temperatures:



Provide processor INFO (hold Windows logo key, and HIT Pause/Break key to FIND out).

The DUAL adapter works very good.
But still the PS/2 message is a mystery.
I have NEVER had any RUBLE USING the dual adapter. But is goes PS/2 to USB, the the other way.

Hey iv been looking at aftermarket CPU coolers because my case is pretty hot.
I will be keeping fans in my system just to git rid of the remaining hot AIR in my case.
So the basic question is which is better at COOLING a LIQUID system or fan system?
Just kind of wondering, this is a little bit of a non SERIOUS questionAll things being equal, liquid cooling. Also, cooling properties of various liquids are not the same. It's the reason most car engines are liquid COOLED. However, the heat exchanger probably still needs a fan.Liquid cooling is the best. It cools WELL and is quiet. You can either buy a cooling pump for a PC or a car pump.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUwdSd0yxTs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuLNUOymSP8
You can also use air coooling with similar temperatures but can get noisy and quiet ones get hot.

I am trying to create a custom grip tape design for my longboard, so I pulled an image of the BOARD from the internet and scaled it to the boards dimensions in ACTUALITY. I created a design on the board with gimp and I'm planing on PRINTING it out to actual scale so i can cut on the designs and trace them onto my grip tape, cut out the grip tape and put it on my board.

I'll try that out though HOPEFULLY it works Ok, so when I select it as my printer it converts the file but for whatever reason during the conversion it does not keep its scale. Maybe if I used another program it would keep the scale?Whats a longboard ? ?
Quote from: patio on July 07, 2011, 10:53:01 PM

Whats a longboard ? ?

Device MANAGER---Network Adapters
Should SAY something like Ethernet Adapter with no yellow exclamation.

It's POSSIBLE there's a resource conflict with the new graphics card. Delete the entry and scan for hardware changes. Windows will find the "new hardware" and assign new resources Then query the router.KK i checked network adapters it says hamachi network and then Nvidia NFORCE networking controller NOTHING besides any of them and its says they are working properly what do I do.

I have a Gateway laptop I am fixing for a friend. Its a M6312,
Their dog knocked it onto the floor and the LCD broke, I just replaced it with a brand new one. I started it up and I can barly see the screen, it is very dark. I tryed doing the FN key with the sun and it doesn't work. It looks like the backlight is not on. how do I go about turning it on. where would I find this.


PLEASE help. I actually have a similar model -- the 6714 -- and ran across the same issue when I first got it. When you say "sun" are you referring to the F8 key? (ie are you pressing Fn + F8 to try to brighten the screen?) Not sure how yours is labeled, but if it's like mine then it's backwards.

Assuming Fn + F8 does not work, try Fn + Up* instead (unless, of COURSE, Fn + Up is what you already tried, in which case try Fn + F8). Incidentally, their counterparts are (USUALLY) Fn + F7 and/or Fn + Down.

Hope that helps...

* "Up" means the "Up arrow key" on the bottom-right of the keyboard.Did you ALSO replace the small board at the bottom of the screen. If not, it's possible the power supply (inverter) for the back LIGHT is also faulty.

I am facing a peculiar PROBLEM. My PC boots up automatically when I switch on my UPS. I TRIED the options in the BIOS settings in Power TAB...with all 3 options of After Power Failure - Stay Off, Last State and Power On.....but have been unsuccessful. I have even changed my SMPS but this has YIELDED no result. Please advice as I fear my motherboard or any other component may get damaged.

I am running an Emachines with Windows XP.

Ok, my computer started failing at various stages in the boot process but I was able to get it to TURN on after many tries. After several weeks of it steadily getting worse, now it will not work at all, I don't even get the Emachines logo.

I would try to start up my computer and it would fail early on in the boot process (after the Emachines logo). After several tries like this it would get ALONG a little further in the boot process (and would shut off in the middle of LOADING XP). After a few more tries I would finally get it to boot up. It could take 20-30 tries to get it to boot. After booting up things worked out fairly well.... it would stay on but once in awhile (average of 15-30 hours later) it would chirp and shut off for no reason. Fans would keep spinning and the power button stayed lit. For some reason the hard DRIVE light stayed on continuously. Usually it shut off when I was doing something that used computer resources such as listening to an mp3 song (although it didn't tend to happen while browsing the internet, maybe a RAM problem?) but sometimes would happen when I wasn't on the computer.

When I tried to restart the computer after it shut off suddenly it would start right up. Interesting? However if the computer had shut off while I was asleep, and presumably a few hours had passed since it shut off, I would have the same trouble I described earlier with getting it to start.

This, along with the fact that it worked after several boot attempts, it seems that if it was "warmed up" it would start just fine.

Whenever I tried to start my computer and it would shut off in the middle of the boot process it would make a chirping sound at the time it shut down. The power light would stay and the hard drive light would stay on solid.

Now after the problem has steadily gotten worse (it would take more tries to get the computer further along in the boot process and eventually get it started), the computer shut off while I was sleeping and now doesn't work at all. The power light will come on and the fans will spin (and hard drive light comes on and stays on) but the Emachines logo won't even come on, I can try restarting 50 times with no avail. Since the BIOS logo doesn't come on, I doubt it is a hard drive problem, but that doesn't explain the light staying on. I might be wrong I'm no expert.

Please help me troubleshoot my problem! Thanks in advance.

-BrandonBorrow a known good PSU of the same or greater WATTAGE and swap it in there...Well my suspicions were confirmed that it wasn't the hard drive. I swapped in a different hard drive and it had the same problem, it wouldn't start spinning and the hard drive light was still on steady.

I don't have a power supply unit to swap in because my dad doesn't want to take apart his computer anymore. I need to be absolutely sure this is the issue before I buy a new one.

I checked the power supply to the hard drive with a multimeter and it was 12 volts.

Could it still be a problem with the PSU?

I just put in two new pieces of hardware; a hd6870 and a ocz 1000w power supply. I had been using a 520w power supply and the onboard graphics before this. Everything seemed fine for about a WEEK and then I woke up one MORNING to find my pc off. The power button on the front and the other directly on the motherboard didn't respond. After pulling the plug and waiting a couple minutes for the light in back to go off then plugging it back in it would turn on. About 2-3 days LATER the same happened and then again today, which was another couple days after last. I was around to catch it doing this and felt all the components in my pc and everything is rather cold, except the cpu which feels rather hot. The heatsink is the one that came bundled with the cpu, so it's not too beefy. Obviously I'm suspicious that this is a heating issue, but I was hoping I could get some more experienced opinions and suggestions.

Thanks in advance, Paul.When the computer does turn on could you install HWMonitor and post a screenshot of your idle temperatures/temps while on stress?
I think its the CPU triggering the Tj. Max, but it might well be something else.

http://www.cpuid.com/softwares.html
Download link to HWMonitor.That's the temp after a fresh reboot. I'll get one under stress a bit later.

I should also add that the power supply was a refurbished one from ncix.com.Quote

I should also add that the power supply was a refurbished one from ncix.com.

I am running Windows 7 Enterprise in a Domain environment, and would like to remotely determine the amount of RAM in client workstations. I need to do this unobtrusively (I would like to avoid disrupting the users, but don't need to hide my steps or presence). There are about 100 workstations.

Any ideas?

Thanks!
-darryl

(this seemed like the best place for the post, but perhaps it should have been somewhere in microsoft/windows. sorry.)Found it: http://system-admin.livejournal.com/2867.html

Quote

USE the command: Get-WmiObject -computerName COMPNAME -class Win32_ComputerSystem

(Replace COMPNAME with the computer you want to check.) It will SHOW you a LITTLE more than just the amount of memory INSTALLED, but that will be one of the members it returns.

Hi all , very useful site!

I have an older (~2006 I think) Western Digital SATA hard drive WD2000JD-22HBB0 formatted as NTSF that came from a Gateway running XP Home where the MOBO died. I have pictures and some other things backed up BUT not some recent files that are really needed ASAP (of course ). I have placed this HD in a external Rosewill USB enclosure and also internally in my eMachines 6250 running XP Media Center.

In either case I can see many and various files and folders for example "L:\Documents and Settings\All Users" but I can't find the subfolders I need. There is 2.3 gB of data in that All Users folder by properties, but the few items that are visible in All Users (Desktop, Favorites, Shared Documents, Start Menu and the NTUSER.DAT file) take up about 74 mB when I actually add them up so the info seems there just inaccessible.

I have taken ownership via the Security tab as found via various Googles that others have suggested, and I also made sure to Show Hidden files and Folders and nothing changed, not sure what else to try.

Thanks much for any suggestions! I do not want to take this to someone else for recovery of just a few files...
This Method ? ?Thanks patio! Yep, that's it. I have done that a few times now. And I just did it again, though it did seem quicker this time...

There are 3 accounts on this drive. Administrator, All Users, and one with my wife's name. All Users is the one that should have the files. The current owner of All Users is the account I am currently in.

There are some other links at the link I did not search or post in yet, LIKE WinXP Newsgroup - will investigate there as well.You may need to do it one folder at a time...depending on how the Admin rights were initially setup...Thanks! I have tried it for Documents and Settings, and next LEVEL All Users, and now just tried the Shared Folders below that one, but still not seeing the invisible folders etc. Show hidden files and folders checked ? ?Let me make sure I understand. It's not a matter of not having access to the folders, you just can't see them - is that correct?Yep. I have Show Hidden checked.

And, that is correct - they are not visible, though based on how much space is taken up in the upper level folder, they should be in there.

A QUESTION - do I need to restart every time I make a modification to ownership or PERMISSIONS? I have been restarting at all changes, but it takes time to do that...

Thanks

No, ownership changes are instantaneous. If you can't see the folders I question their existence. See if treesize personal HELPS (http://www.jam-software.com/treesize_personal/).

And ownership permissions have nothing to do with the ability to see folders - only to access them.Well, I don't usually use this term but ZOMG!!! Thank's so much, Treesize showed me exactly what was up! You were right, those folders did not exist where I thought they did... I am clearly such a noob but you both have been SO helpful ! I was looking too far down in the tree based on earlier looks when I had not checked Show Hidden.

It was in Owner (which was hidden for some reason) M:\Documents and Settings\Owner
I had been looking in a few other folders especially Users (which were not hidden) - eg, M:\Documents and Settings\All Users

Kind of embarrassing but, again, thanks so much! You peeps are generating much good kharma! Much thanks for your time!You're very welcome. Glad you got it sorted out.

hey ppl... can you all tell that i have too many non working hard drives...
so today, i have an internal desktop hard drive... it was running windows 98, and from what i guess... the OS crashed...
when plugged into the old desktop, it shows the intel screan for the processor, for about 30 secconds, then it displays that the drive is not ready... does this mean that i can not use this as an external???
im using a hobo RIG of a modified comnputer PSU and an IDE - USB CABLE... and the drive does not show in the computer menu...
is there a reason it is not working?? i have proper power suplied to the drive, and you can hear it run, but it wont affect the computer
thanks to anyone who helpsHard drives and external USB adapters can work very well. Sometimes.
These devices are not suitable for repair by the average user.

Experienced Technicians can repair such devices with economical consideration.
Which means that in a remote underdeveloped area where importation is difficult, a repair is made. In advanced countries where skilled labor cots are very high, the devices will be recycled and replaced with new devices readily available. Quote from: Quantos on July 08, 2011, 11:35:11 PM

If you use an IDE hard drive with a USB adapter, you may need to either remove the jumper or put it in the "park" position. Having it as "master" can cause conflict with an internal master.

Wrong! Sound the Gong! The drive must be master or single.
Has that happened to you, Salmon Trout?

I have an intel quad core 2.6, with 8 gb of ram ddr2 800, and a ATI Radeon 4590 500 mb ram Video Card. My hdd is an Hitachi 1Tb 7700 rpm. I use my pc mostly for photoshop/ websites, and music. The onlygame i play is world ofwarcraft cataclysm. Is it worth it for me to Build a new pc with an i7 3.02 and about the same specs? I mean i know there is a difference between 2.6 and 3.02 but is it reallyworth it for what i use it for? My os is win 7 64 ultimate/ ubuntu 10 dual boot.My case is a thermaltake v9, with 4 fans : 2x 230mm fans on top and on the side, 2x 120 mm for the hdd and the back. My Core uses a Cooler Master Hyper N520 . My computer is always cold and i clean it every 2 months. For gaming and graphic design is it worth it to go for the change or should i keep my current system and perhaps just change the video card for a more powerful one?One last question lol, if the answer is no, for how long do you think my current system could last until it becomes a crappy pc. My computer is a similarly configured machine (quad core [emailprotected], 8GB DDR2, Geforce 9800GT, 1TB+750GB drive, etc., going on TWO years since I built it, I think)

Personally I've not even thought of ever upgrading it. It still runs anything I throw at it (stuff like 3ds max, Pinnacle studio 15, Flash CS5, Paint Shop Pro, Visual Studio, Eclipse, FL Studio, FamTracker etc. all running at the same time) and games like GTA4, Just Cause 2, Crysis, etc run without any issues. The only problems I've had so far is that the Q8200 doesn't actually have any virtualization hardware support, so I cannot run OS/2 as a guest OS in most Virtual Machine programs.

I think a good point might be if you have to ask if it's worth it, it's probably not; but if you want it, that can be reason enough.

To be honest, as far as I'm concerned, there really is no such thing as a "crappy PC", generally speaking; after all, even 286 machines still find their use as EMBEDDED systems; of course crappy for a given task is DEFINITELY the case; a good gaming machine in 1999 might have been a Pentium 3 with 512MB of RAM, but nowadays people seem to think that is useless for anything, but that is simply not the case.

We have to remember, to only reason we ever think our computers are "crappy" is a result of seeing "better" machines in commercials/magazines or hearing about them; I was literally using a 350Mhz machine for 5-6 years leading into 2007 or so and as long as I understood it's limitations I didn't have any problems. When I finally upgraded, what I was finally able to do that I hadn't even considered previously was overwhelming.I wanted to build a new core i7 machine last year (just because), but decided not to since my current machine does everything I need it to. (Core2 Quad 8200 2.33Ghz, 8Gb DDR2, GeForce GTX 260, 10,000 RPM/150Gb & 7200 RPM/1Tb)
If it GETS to the point where I actually need a better machine, then I will build another. I don't know when that will be, but by then there will likely be SOMETHING better than Core i7 ect.
Although if you have the funds and want to have the latest technology then go for it. I understand perfectly.
I don't know how long it will be before your PC will be "crappy" but I'd say it will be quite a while.

I have a 2.5" 50gb Seagram hard drive from a broken laptop and i want to retrieve the data on it. The simplest soloution seemed to be to buy an akasa integral usb interface. Basically a small metal box to put my hard drive in which connects VIA a usb cable. I plugged it into my newer laptop and it loaded the software, then nothing. When i've looked in my device manager it says 'This device can not start.(code10).

Can anyone explain what this MEANS? Is there another way of RETRIEVING the data on this HDD??

The laptop it's plugged into is a Compaq CQ70 running Vista.Have just tried a Y usb cable on it to see if the increased power helped, i can HEAR it clicking away, but it's still not working!Does that enclosure have a +5VDC input? You may need to provide power through that in order to function properly. BTW, the Y-cable was a good try.Yes it does have a 5V dc input, i'll get a dc adapter and give that a try thanks.Got an adaptor and that solved the problem, not sure why i needed it as usb voltage is 5v but thanks for your help!Voltage is 5VDC, but Windows limits current to USB ports to 500ma (1/2 A).

Hey guys, some of you may know that my computer is really old (9-8 years old) and I have been using the same HDD throughout the 9-8 years. Just curious, are their any symptoms I can detect from my HDD which indicates that my HDD will SOON end up --> ****OFFLINE**** forever?

I have backed up all the IMPORTANT stuff I need like a week ago.go to command prompt/ms dos/cmd (whatever you call that thing depending on what version of windows you got) and do the chkdsk/r command on the hard drive to see if it's still ok.

Also, check out the intformation on this link. Though it's from 2007, it still is applicable today.Also listen for clicks and rattles.http://datacent.com/hard_drive_sounds.phpanother thing, if you're TRYING to copy data out of a dying hard drive, it might just ATTEMPT to make a copy of a file, which may have same file size as original file but contain absolute junk. This happened to an old drive on one of my older computers I used to have. Quote from: 2x3i5x on August 05, 2009, 11:37:12 PM

go to command prompt/ms dos/cmd (whatever you call that thing depending on what version of windows you got) and do the chkdsk/r command on the hard drive to see if it's still ok.

Also, check out the intformation on this link. Though it's from 2007, it still is applicable today.

You can also enable SMART in the BIOS if the system supports it....this will warn of a pending drive failure...most times.

Nope.
Your good.

Also listen for clicks and rattles.

However, I just found out, my HDD is 65 degrees Celsius. I guess it's been that hot for over 8 years. I opened up my case while it was running to see if it was actually that hot, and man, IT WAS HOT.