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help  dell inspiron 8100 laptop  hiberated by itself and now the computer won't TURN on....any idea?Are you sure it's only hibernating and not dead? What is the key combination to wake it up?According to the setup manual for that laptop, the POWER BUTTON should bring it out of hibernation (default setting).  Of course if there's no power it will take a very long time.

DellHit the enter button......

hey, i have a HP pavillion ze5375 laptop and my fan sounds like air force one is TAKING off in my bedroom whenever my computer is on. I've had this problem before and have had my hardrive melt and fans malfunction, which in turn i've sent my computer in to be fixed by HP about 4 times because of this. Obviously this solution isn't working. So if anyone has any ideas on how to fix this problem before my computer melts down again it would be greatly appreciated. thanksAre you using it on a hard FLAT surface free of cooling obstruction?What fan are you talking about. All fans or just one.i wasnt aware that a laptop had more than one fan. but its the one thats on the upper left side. and yes i have it raised about an inch above the desk. its of no use...within 15 minutes or so of turning on the computer the fan sounds like its in overdrive or something. the only thing hp tech support has done for me is replace it with obviously the same crappy one and have it do it again.I don't suppose it's still under warranty?It MAY be NORMAL.  Some laptops do not use mobile processors, they use desktop processors.well its extended best buy warranty runs up this summer. it doesnt really matter anyways tho. if i were to get a new computer they would just give me the same model, so it would be kind of pointless. can i get a new fan for a laptop? Quote

well its extended best buy warranty runs up this summer. it doesnt really matter anyways tho. if i were to get a new computer they would just give me the same model, so it would be kind of pointless. can i get a new fan for a laptop?

Can anyone tell me how to play videos through my computer such as outputting video games to my monitor? Is there a CARD i can get with a/v inputs? If so, where?Without knowledge of your computer or OPERATING system it is rather difficult to make a response. More info would PROBABLY help you.Dell Dimension 8100....windows xpNot sure what you mean, Why dont you just use your television for video games and what does this have to do with a car.As the above say, more detail gives better answers.

There are several external systems (Dazzle, etc.) available which will process s-video, component and RF sources so that it can be inputted via 1394 and USB connectors to your PC (display, files).  There are PCI and AGP cards which will do the same.  Prices from $10-200 +

DellThat REQUEST for more info yielded some amazing amount of info...

i need a vacation, again.

patio.  Is this via a digi-cam........or vcr.....machince.

Can I connect to the internet on a dial up connection without having phone service?Well of course not!   Quote

Can I connect to the internet on a dial up connection without having phone service?

...Then, do you have to subscribe to cable tv to have a cable connection for the internet?....

...i believe that Cable is the only service that does not require a working phone line...

Please help if you can.
we have a packard bell club computer and today brought a new monitor as the old one was getting on.
Its a flat SCREEN (flatron L1515s) from LG.
Well im trying to plug the old speakers in with no luck as i guess one of the leads had to go in the old monitor. With the new flat screen there is no where to plug in speakers ? where am i GOING wrong !
Do i BUY new speakers and plug in to hard drive ?
HELP ME PLEASE.Wait now... Speakers do not plug into the monitor UNLESS they are BUILT in... Also, the plug does NOT connect into the hard drive... It plugs into the back of your computer, in the speaker slot... (Usually a green hole)... Does this help?

[glb]Flame[/glb]Thanks flame ! the packard bell monitor had the speakers attached to the side of it and the leads connected to each other, then into the back of the monitor. I take it that if i buy some new speakers then they just plug into the slot (marked green) "speaker slot"
ITS NOW 11.55PM (ENGLAND) AND TIME FOR BED !
THANK YOU FRIEND.wow i never see other brits on this forum. how specialActually, if you look around, there are many that I know of...     Back to the issue... Try plugging the speakers into that green slot and tell me what happens... That should fix the problem...  

[glb]Flame[/glb]Heres something I whipped up in like 3 minutes on MS paint to help you out.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v346/ShadowSnipe4/untitled77.bmp
Sorry, its showing up small.

My computer has 2 hard drives -- C (20MB), and E (60 MB). A is FULL, and it is CURRENTLY the default hard drive. How can I/ can I change the default drive to E?

I'll explain the full story.
I had a drive i backed up with MP3's about 4 years ago.
It's a Maxtor 40 GB.
It is FULL of them with only about 15 MB free.

I used an old hard drive of my Dad on a new PC we got through the post.
Installed windows, and copied all of the 40 GB Maxtor MP3's onto the big new hard drive which is also maxtor.

Recently i listened to a few of the songs on it to find that 3 of them downloaded from exactly the same site (all 3 were from the same site) infact i think i got them from FTP.
I noticed that they were scrambled (I heard other mp3s in the song that i had ages ago on that drive and they were playing throughout the song a few tracks and it kept going back to the original song.
I don't know whether it would have done this on the original drive i downloaded them to or the new one.
What i do know though is that the drive they were backed up on in the first place had no errors using ontrack recovery it had no partition errors, done a full diagnostic test and it logged no errors.
I then tested C: (the new drive i copied them to from the 40GB Maxtor.
Full Diagnostic Test - Fine
Partition Test - Fine Until half way!!
Then it errored and said critical something.

I then ran the file recovery without ticking the 'deleted files' and without realising i was just getting back files that were already on there but some were coming back in clumps like about 4 mp3s joined together, what does that mean?

It had also changed the QUALITY, some used to be 192 but were now 128 but it doesnt matter cos they were already on the pc.
I was just wondering why it got them back in Clumps and why it changed the kpbs or something?
Would it have changed the uality of the mp3s as in the uality i listen to and made it all MUFFLED or is this impossible cos its digital?

ANYWAY about these 3 mp3s business, i emailed the bloke who had them on his FTP and he said hes were ok.
So i can assume somethings messed them up.

How?
Why?
How can i get them back to normal?

It's crazy!!

I have also noticed that on other drives i have created partitions on with partition Magic using ontrack recovery that on the first second of starting off the partition test it fails.
But all the diagnostic tests run fine!!

I thought it might be useful you also KNOWING these drives are NTFS. I think 2 out of 3 were converted from FAT32 to NTFS.

Cheers guys.ne1 know?ne1 know??if you don't have a copy that isn't scrambled there isn't anything you can do but re-download them. Sorry mate

are they all scrambled or just ones from a spacific site?thass alright mate, only 3 seem to be so far, i was wondering if theres any mp3 scanning software out there to load all the files and so it can tell what ones are scrambled??Sounds like the old drive got corrupted, and if I'm not missing something, you transferred them all over to the new drive. If you still have the older drive with the original files then you can set it as a SLAVE on the new computer and listen to them directly from there too see if it was the transfer or the drive.ooh no the annoying thing is, is that i cut them all from the drive.

I was thinking, surely there must be a bit of software out there which tells u which files are corrupt and which ones arent.

Divfix was a good video error checking tool, surely there must be an mp3 one too..

Thanks 4 the help mate.

well im gonna get a new computer soon   and i need to decide to get AMD or intel CPU i asked alot of my friends that have good computer knowledge and they all told me different answers... please just answer and dont skip my question..... WHICH MAKER WOULD YOU BUY AND WHY? help me out guys thankskpforizzle.........The choice is really yours.

http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=1194

dl65 Intel - because I like there adverts  AMD. Always AMD

[payme]AMD have a tradition of making superior processors at lower speeds than the Intel, This therefore allows you to get more PERFORMANCE for less money. They also GOT the first 64bit processer in a P.C. And the best reason is I use them [/Payme]

For normal home use, there is LITTLE difference. It is true that AMD uses lower speeds and does as much work as Intel at higher speeds. If you intend to run any math intensive programs, then AMD is the choice. The AMD's FPU puts Intel to shame.I like AMD...  I have been using them for years now.I have an AMD.... I've never had any problems.... However, I have heard better REVIEWS about Intel... Who do you TRUST?  :-/

[glb]Flame[/glb]

i have a slimline dell. i am WANTING to upgrade my videocard(lowprofile) and i just need HELP choosing the BEST ONE possible. here are some i have researched on

http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16814150107

http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16814131280

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814150041

any advice will help, or if you know of any other video cards that would be better. thanksThe next question is can the power SUPPLY handle it. The slimlines are notorious for having small (185 watt or so) power supplies. You didn't give a model number, so I can't say for sure.

I have a custom BUILT, computer that a uncle had made for me. I went around websites to look for ram made for this VIA Technologies Inc. Model P4M266-8237 but havent found any ram for it.

I heard of RAM that is capable of WORKING on any machines. If so, do anyone have any recommendations? Any downfalls to not having ram not made specifically for your computer?I have never heard of such a "magical" product... I don't see how that is possible, but of course, I could be proven wrong... You need to do one of three things... (1) View the owner's manual for the MOTHERBOARD to see what kind of RAM it takes. (2) Take out your current RAM chip and take it to a store and see if they can figure things out. (3) Contant the motherboard manufacturer or view thier website for this information...

[glb]Flame[/glb]You can also travel to crucial.com and after entering your machine SPECS it will tell you exactly what type of RAM you need...

patio.  That's why they have so MANY varieties, because no RAM is compatible with every possible system.

Someone has given me two boxes, never opened, of something called NETGEAR. It says on the box it is a PCI ADAPTER CARD and apparently is used to hook two computers together.

Anyone have any more information on this - any pitfalls? Is it just something I can PLUG the cards in with and go?

I know nothing about this facet of computing.It sounds LIKE an Ethernet card. You may alread have one in your computer. If you have one, you don't need another. If you don't have computers networking, you don't need it either, unless you are going to start cable/DSL modem.Maybe if you provide some more info such as what is printed on the box such as a serial # and or model # we wouldn't be sitting here GUESSING...

Netgear

PCI ADAPTER CARD

Share your internet account, files, and printers among multiple PCs with your existing HOME phone line

Make EVERY telephone jack in your home an internet connection

No new wires to install
LED displays

Model PA 301

PC 32-bit PCI Bus

Most of the stuff on the box.

I don't have DSL and can't get any kind of broadband out here in the country, but if I could use this to play games between two computers, that would be neat.

Thanks in advance.You will have to check if either machine already has an Ethernet card as both machines will need one if you are going to network them together.
Then all thats required is a crossover cable and a visit to ezlan.net for some reading up on setting up a home network...

patio.  That may not be an ethernet card, but a phone line solution. These were made a few years back and I think they transmit at 1, and no more than 10, so unacceptable for what you are planning (like gaming). The old ones were originally made by Diamond Multimedia, I believe.

I PURCHASED a TFT flat screen 14 months ago.

A week or so ago I turned my computer on but the screen remained BLANK.  Power is supplied to the monitor and it powers on, but just displays a white colour with no messages.

I attached another monitor to the computer and it worked fine.

I left my own monitor for 1 week and then retried and it worked perfectly.  The following day however the same problem was back.

Could it be something to do with LEAVING the monitor on standby?  I do this all the time, but for the week inbetween it not working and working i actually powered it off.

Any ideas or suggestions would be much appreciatedI suppose the warranty was 12 months?  If it works by powering off when not in use, then continue to power it off.yep - the warranty was indeed 12 months?  Do they do this on purpose??

Unfortunately the answer isn't that simple as the monitor doesn't work every time i turn it on after powering off....infact it has only happened once.  Any other suggestions??Contact the manufacturer to SEE if it is a known issue. Maybe there was a recall and you weren't notified? If not then you are probably SOL.

I just recently picked up an Acer TravelMate 630 (TM630XCi), and I've been searching day and night for the name of the motherboard manufacturer. It doesn't say anywhere on the actual board, and noone has been able to help me. Please Help Me? Thanx.
Also, it's not the computer i'm on now.
Here's all I have so FAR......
P/N: 91.43U01. BA5
MFG: M 020516
CSI 020515 REV A01
intel Pentium 4 Processor-M 1.4GHz
Core logic chipset: ALi M1671 and M1535+
400 MHz
256 DDR SDRAM-Samsung M470L3224BTQ-CB0
nVidia GeForce2 Go 100 with 32Mb DDR
14.1 TFT at 1024x768x16M (XGA)
DVD-ROM + CD-R/RW-Kyushu Matsushita Electric Co.-UJDA720
20G Toshiba HDD-MK6411MAT-HDD2143  B ZE02  T
Cirrus Logic CS4299-XQ
32-bit CardBus Controller 1 Type II/Type I
Touchpad
1 CardBus Type II SLOT; 1 Smart CARD slot, 1 RJ-11, 1 RJ-45, 1 ECP/EPP compliant PARALLEL port, 1 VGA, 2 audio jacks, 1 FIR, 2 USB ports, i IEEE 1394, 1 S-video, 1 docking port
V.90 Modem/14.4 Fax
Realtek 8100BL 10/100 Mbps and WLAN 802.11b
100-240V AC AutoSensing Adapter
Windows XP Pro
PlatinumPAS-Smart Card
PlatinumSecure-Smart Card
PlatinumKey-Smart Card
I would travel on over to Acer's site and type your serial # into their search bar and see what results you get...
Another option would be to DLoad and install Everest Home which is mentioned a few times here...

patio.  I already tried the s/n. Needless to say it didn't work. I will go get everest right now, though. It'll be hard because the smart card is locking me out of the Acer at the moment and i lost my emergency card. it wont even let me get to BIOS. Good times. Security without reason. That's progress!  I've had a couple of people I know that work at MS looking, too. They're having a hard time of it.What does.......msinfo32 typed in the run box tell you/?

Or dxdiag typed in the run box.That's on of the main problems. I can't get to the run box because of the "smart card".Computer  Key Command(s)  
Acer®  F1, F2, CTRL+ALT+ESC  


  ^^^Bios set up.^^^Have you tried Everest?

FREEWARE

Have two disc DRIVES, a CD drive & a DVD BURNER.  Although both drives read CDs and DVDs fine neither will now recognize a blank disk to write to.  This is a recent development - both in the past worked fine and I had burned numerous CDs & DVDS.   The only changes which I have made since they were working was to reconnect a floppy disc drive (cable removed to install more memory).  WINDOWS system check says both drives are working fine.  Any suggestions as to a fix?Which operating system are you using? How long AGO did this start? What software do you use to brun CDs?

[glb]Flame[/glb]

I just installed a new HD with XP on it and tried to use the old HD with ME as the slave. I have checked the jumpers and there ok, the slave (old drive) shows up in the BIOS as slave but I go to open My Computer theres only the new one. I looked in Computer MANAGEMENT and the slave is there and healthy and active but theres no letter assigned to it and I cant assign one, it wont let me. I dont WANT to format this drive, it has files that I need, so how would I make this drive show up. If it matters the new drive is NTFS and the old one is a FAT, not sure 16 or 32. Thanks for any help.FAT is not the issue. It may be as simple as it was originally partitioned as a primary drive, and two primary drives cannot be seen at the same time. I would suggest booting with a Linux Live CD and then copy your files to the main hard drive, which of course should be C. Then delete the partitions on the old drive and  recreate it and format.

The Linux CD writes no files to your hard drive, so it is safe. I suggest Linspire as it is the most Windows like and easiest for Linux newbies. Just keep in mind that it is running slow because it is running from the CDROM.

Here's a link:

http://iso.linuxquestions.org/distro.php?distro=58

Just burn the ISO with Nero or whatever you're using.You can have more than one Primary drive, but only one can be Active at a time.
Active partitionif you just want to use it as a slave. Fdisk it and format it.He has stated he doesn't want to format at this time as there are files on there that need to be saved first...

patio.  And I have given him the Linux solution....

hi all,

as i have been confused for a long time,i hope someone give me a straight answer in here...and explain things to me....

what is happening is that i hear about a certain graphic card (let's say like nVidia Geforce4 FX 5200)...but someone tells me that "not all that FX5200's are good"...and that different companies like Asus produces the same FX card that is let's say better than that FX manufactured by another company like Hercules !!....what i want to ask about is the following:

1-Is it true that different companies produce the same  graphic cards,however,there is difference in perfromance between these cards depending on the manufacturer??

2-If the answer is yes to the above question,how can I know about this difference... or how can I know which graphic card is "manfuactured" better ??Possibly wrong, but my understanding is that the card itself is made by one company ie. Nvidia ATI, but different companies will sell it and change settings.no the chip is made by nVidia, but companies like MSI or aseus make them. its the same with motherboards. There really wont be any performance difference though between two cards with the same memory, and pipelines if one is made by a different company. HOWEVER! one may be cheaperVideo cards using the same chipset vary widely in their configuration. For example the FX5200:
1. Some manufacturers USE heat sinks, where others use COOLING fans to cool the processor. Personally, I prefer cooling fans as opposed to heatsink solutions.
2. Some manufacturers use a core clock speed of 250 MHz, where others will have a 280 MHz core clock speed.
3. Some of the cheaper versions do not come with a DVI (Digital Video Interface). As to the DISADVANTAGES to this, well, it depends on the monitor you're going to use. If the connector is a standard VGA, then it's a non-issue.alright Crusader...what i meantb my question is the following:

does different fx cards manufactured by different companies show any difference in pc gaming??my question was actually about performance not components and structure of an fx card??
It's all about quality... And support... For axample, I like ATI better then NVIDIA, becuase their support sucks. But both cards seem ok to me...

[glb]Flame[/glb]No FX cards from different manufacturers will not show any difference. its more to do with warrentys, how long they last etcActually....  I believe you're wrong, Kablam...  As far as my knowledge goes, each retailer modifies the chipset, so some FX5200s are indeed better than others.  Some have more speed, more RAM, more features, etc.  The warranty and such is true as well, but there is definitely a difference in performance.alrighht that is cool...now what about answering the second question  fellows...please!! how can i know this difference??

thanks for the help all Read the box it comes in, or the specs online. If one says 260 mhz and another says 280mhz and theyre both fx5200 then one is clocked higher, even though you can overclock your card if you wanted (I think?). The box/online specs will also tell you warranty etc.thanx sean...but what is the difference between a 260 mhz and 280mhz? what are these?

Hello ya'll,
  I am attempting to build a computer. The specs: M/B A8N-SLI-Deluxe, C/P AMD 64 3500+, Dual CORSAIR 1GB memory, 500W Casedge P/S, dual BFG GEFORCE 6800GT GPU's, and of course lot's of fans!! The problem is the mother board has a place for an EATX power supply, I have the ATX. I've connected one where it works but was told I also need the EATX. Is there an adapter for it? At this point I would hate to have to buy another power supply.
  I messed up with the video cards as they aren't PCI express so I put one in the computer for the kid's and am hoping to exchange the other for a Asus Extreme N6800Ultra, and then save up for the second one.
  Just a word of caution, CAREFUL what you say to your wife. I told mine I WANTED to build a computer, so for XMas she bought me a case and said "go to it". I've learned alot but do not believe I'll be doing again. ThanksAs far as i know there isn't a converter. SORRY mate

its just started happening i have got bright yellow stripes down my monitor, about a inch to half a inch apart.
do i need to replace the monitor? ive tried degausing. could the problem be the video card.It could be either one.  Have you DONE anything to the PC lately?  Changed or moved graphics card, monitor or cables?  Noticed any STRANGE smells?

Personally I WOULD suspect the graphics card since you're getting something on the monitor.  Check your monitor on another PC if you can.

Delli havent changed anything lately, but i have bought this PC from MESH and the computer has had continuos problems. the ting is even at the screen of windows xp at the start up the line going across becomes more than one line, it goes into 2 PARTS, then the screen has black strips all the way down and will not start up. the monitor seems to be fine at the moment but usually in about 20mins the yellow stripes will appear againDoes this happen while in the bios and in safemodeno it does not happen in the bios. my friend definately thinks the graphics card might be a bit stuffed.
today I got this message: The ATI Control Panel failed to initialize because no ATI DRIVER is installed, or ATI driver is not working properly. The ATI control panel will now exit. Go to Control Panel/System/Hardware/Device Manager and un-install the video card.
DLoad the latest video drivers for that card and have them nearby for your next re-boot.
If you are lucky it is just corrupted drivers and that card is fine...

patio.  Yes sounds like a driver issue to me. Or a fault on the graphics card.

Can anyone tell me what the max processor amount is for a dell c800? No one seems to KNOW and I need a bigger processor!!!! Help!!
Thank you, MichelleDell has a website and support lines. Have you considered contacting them?I have. They won't just tell me--they want me to send them my laptop so they can do the work. Go figure...You're kidding right ? ?
You asked them what processer your machine would take and they said ship it back to us ? ? ?

That is so wrong. Go here

http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums/board?board.id=latit_upgrade

and register for the forum and ask the question. They will not tell you that, because they don't work for Dell. Dell does not want to upgrade your processor. You do. Sheesh.Thanks, I will try. Man--I only asked a question.. Why should I send my computer to them when I can do the work myself in about 10 minutes--and FREE labor!!!! Just another case of dell trying to keep the woman down!! It does make good sense to stop women from taking things apart.  You are talking about a C800 which is a laptop (red flag #1) and you want to OPEN it and make some changes to the way the proprietary parts were assembled for optimum FUNCTION (red flag #2) and I am guessing you have no experience working with laptops (red flag #3).

It will either be cost prohibitive, or a total disaster. I suggest just leaving it alone. It's not like just popping out an old PART and putting in a new one. Really!

Ive decided that with the money i get from christmas (and probably some i will have to work for, since i probably wont get enough from christmas alone) to build a COMPUTER. What kind of motherboard should i get? AMD, or Intel compatible? and what kind of socket? a socket 939?  im more FAMILIAR with Intel, but i want what is best. The computer is mainly going to be for Gaming and graphic/game design.

Edit: i just checked and if i got a 939 i would have to go with AMD...should i? and i just found a MOBO i might use...

HTTP://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16813136165

If i get an Athlon 64 processor, does that HAVE to be 64 bit?From what I hear AMD processors are good for games. To check if they support 64 bit go to http://www.AMD.com or http://www.Intel.com check the processor you want to see its specifications. You can also use www.lavalys.com  to see what your processor can do. Its is a unique free utility. You can try it on your computer to check it out.You said graphic design?  Intel then.  AMD processors suck for mathematical things.  Don't go AMD if you're doing graphic design, however for the games they are a lot better.This is patently false...
If AMD processors are no good at mathematics how on earth could they run games ? ?
:-/ :-/

patio.
Go ahead then let them buy the AMD processor.  They'll love it for gaming but it will fall short on the graphic design aspect in comparison to the Intel.  

Either processor will be fine in all seriousness though, I was just pointing it out.  Just like if you buy the intel then your gaming won't be as good as if you get the AMD.  If only there was a processor out there that could do better than the both of them.  It's not anything that will be extremely noticeable but it is there.  It's all personal preference really, when it all comes down to it.  if it helps at all, I'm building a computer soon and I'm going with an AMD athlon 3700+, from what I've read they are better, but being relatively new to building computers, I could be wrong Quote

Go ahead then let them buy the AMD processor.  They'll love it for gaming but it will fall short on the graphic design aspect in comparison to the Intel.  

Either processor will be fine in all seriousness though, I was just pointing it out.  Just like if you buy the intel then your gaming won't be as good as if you get the AMD.  If only there was a processor out there that could do better than the both of them.  It's not anything that will be extremely noticeable but it is there.  It's all personal preference really, when it all comes down to it.  

Need HELP for this:

when i start PC I got this message:

windows PROTECTION error.restart your Pc

when i restart it goes to safe mode but unable to reach safe mode displaying this message:

HIMEM.SYS.has detected unreliable XMS memory at ADDRESS 04000000
XMS Driver not installed.



I reinstalled my OS,
is there any other way to solve this?I'd run memtest.how did you get to safe mode?http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/win98/t1046534570

Forget last reply?HI MERLIN:

I did not go to safe mode.

The Pc tried to go to safe mode but before reaching there,it got this message:

HIMEM.SYS.has detected unreliable XMS memory at address 04000000
XMS Driver not installed.

Anyway thanks for that link

I am going to buy a 300GB SATA150 harddrive that is compatible with the motherboard that I will also buy, but I have also salvaged an IDE harddrive from a past computer. Would it be possible to combine the two hardrives in one computer? Also, I figure, the more HDD space, the better, but could it be potentially bad for the computer to have two HDD's of different interface and different memory?Should not be a problem at all as long as you install the drivers for the SATA drive it should have no problem with the other drive...
Decide how you want them setup and you should be good to go...It's not a 2 GIG. 5400 RPM drive is it?no
No problem at all with that or your DVD ROM drive. (see other post) Quote

It's not a 2 gig. 5400 RPM drive is it?

At first after TWO hours or so of use the monitor would get dark in a few areas then go black. Then it went black in less and less time, new it goes black in 15 seconds. i can turn the monitor back on immediatly but the monitor just goes off after 20 seconds. its an HP pavilion f1503 and its a few years old.

  Have you tried checking your POWER options and settings in Control Panel ? ?

patio.  Swap the monitor with a KNOWN WORKING ONE as a test.

Hope this doesn't sound too thick!
I have an old LAPTOP which is using windows98 and only a floppy drive. I want to load some software which is on CD ROM, can I link to my PC which runs windows ME?
If so, how?

ThanksNot that I KNOW of... It would be BETTER for you just to buy an external CD ROM drive, and then you will always have it... You can link the computers, but I don't think you can share CD drives...

[glb]Flame[/glb] Quote

...You can link the computers, but I don't think you can share CD drives...

The case that I am going to BUY does not have good ventilation, SAYS reviews. What would happen if I TOOK off a side panel and had a regular, non-computer fan blowing into the the computer? Should I just buy better computer fans? Which fans do you reccomend? Can more than two fans be in a case at ONE time??Why don't you just get a better case?

OK, This is a newbies first post here, so dont laugh TOO hard. When I USED to turn off the comp, it would show ok to shutdown, and then power off by itself. It still says ok to shutdown but now it won't without me pushing the button myself.
  This pc started with 98 s.e., then went to ME "upgrade" (crashed regularly and power probl started then) but now has XP Pro sp2.
   So I have another pc that went from 98 s.e. STRAIGHT to XP Pro sp2, now it too has the same problem.

  The first comp is a PII 400 mhz (yup...LOL), 100 mhz motherboard with 3, 256mb bars (gets 688mb virtual and 640mb reporting, amazing huh... this is probably why I get a DOS error beep so many times!!), but the hard drive was replaced to 20g and XP is a "full and final edition so it was a "new OS install".
   The 2nd comp is a PII 450mhz 512mb 98s.e. to XP Pro sp that NOW has the same problem.
   I tried the APM, I even looked at the BIOS, now I am thinking DOS problem. I am HOPING that someone out there says, "OMG this is such an easy fix, go here, do that, have a beer and git-r-done". Other than this possible DOS issue, these things are super reliable internet surfboards, never more than that, but worth keeping for the kids. In need of a real GURU here....c/p from a site  One-click shutdown


If you have Clean Sweep Deluxe,recommend that you disable it before
proceeding. Follow these directions to create a one-click shutdown
shortcut:

1)Navigate to your desktop.
2)On the desktop, right-click and go to New, then to Shortcut
(in other words, create a new shortcut).
3)You should now see a pop-up window instructing you to enter a
command line path.

4)Enter one of these as the path:

Use this path if your OPERATING system is Windows 95, 98, or Me:

C:\windows\rundll.exe user.exe,exitwindows


Use this path if your operating system is XP:

SHUTDOWN -s -t 01


If the C: drive is not your local hard drive, then replace "C" with
the correct letter of the hard drive.


5)Click the "Next" button.
6)Name the shortcut (Shut Down) and click the "Finish" button.


Now whenever you want to shut down, just click on this shortcut and
you're done. Also, if you want to make life better and FASTER, you
can right-click the new shortcut you just made, go to Properties, and
type in X (or whatever letter) in the Shortcut Key box. this should work Quote

When I used to turn off the comp, it would show ok to shutdown, and then power off by itself. It still says ok to shutdown but now it won't without me pushing the button myself.

Ok i posted a thing few days ago that ima get a new computer and yea i have decided to GO with intel can you guys tell me some essencials i should have in my new computer? (im gonna build it)

Heres wut i want my computer to acomplish

1 Math extensive programs
i use photoshop almost everyday for different purposes
2 listen to music while working
3 The computer will be on for the most of the day (at least 7 HOURS a day)
4 Gaming (CS, WOW, SC, DOD)

My budget isnt too flexible i could afford up to 1300 for my new computer

Please list wut im gonna need for these tasks ( MAKERS will be helpful) and any recommandations for INTEL cpus.

So any advises, tips, recommadations will be appreciated

GUYS HELP ME BUILD MY COMPUTER =] thanks
You need to have a 1.6 GHZ PROCESSOR for best performance... You will need a 128 MB video card for the gaming... Probably 1GB RAM for music and working, as well as gaming... Being on for most of the day should not need anything special... And for special programs to be used, you should have at least a 40 GB hard disk... A 60GB if you have a lot of large programs.... However, for $1300, those specs are not easy to come up on.... For the best price, maybe a Compaq? I question their reliability, but, it might be worth it...  

[GLB]Flame[/glb]kpforizzle......What components from your existing pc could you use in the new one ?  You might wish to consider a bare bones Kit.....
You could reuse things like ......
Monitor , Keyboard , Mouse , Vid card , cd-rom , DVD drives , Ethernet card , Hard drives ......That way you can spend your dollars on say a P4 3.2 HT and a big wack of ram ........and if your heavy into movies ....a big Hard drive .

dl65

Does anyone know of a good 120MM CASE fan?  I want it to cool WELL but the most IMPORTANT thing I want is for it to be VERY QUIET.  Know of any fans?http://www.overclock.co.uk/customer/product.php?productid=18599

I'm debating if I should put this MSI video card (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16814127182) into my new COMPUTER, or an two SLI lesser graphics cards,(I'm thinking two of these... http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814130258) but since i'm not really SURE about which of the SLI graphics cards I want, I WOULD LIKE suggestions.Geforce 7800GTX that would be my option without doubt.

I cant figure out how to TURN on the DMA, it SAYS its not on and i cant burn a dvd, im assuming thats the problem.Your burning software should have a setting to do this for you.It's my burning software that tells me i need to turn it on but it tells me to do it in windows and i cant find out where TOWHAT are you using?Look in DEVICE manager. Locate the drive and look at its properties. Under the settings TAB tick DMA.there isnt a settings tab anywhere
the program is Sonic MyDVD

G'day. I have an LG 4163b dvd burner and am having problems reading files direct to harddisk from a DVD or CD.
I can copy the disks via Nero to an Iso file so the disks are not damaged. Also, the computer locks up and WONT even allow me to Ctl/alt/del to the process menu. I have XP sp2 as my os. The burner is on SECONDARY IDE as slave with a HD on master. The burner will burn OK but has TROUBLE getting to the RATED speed and I see a lot of underruns.

Thanks in advance for any help. Optical drives should be on the secondary IDE channel. It may be that your drive is just heading south, HOWEVER.....

I have a friend in Africa who has a canon mp700 printer. It is not easy for him to get it fixed when it NEEDS repairs. He sent a message to me today asking for help. Where do I  find what error messages mean? Today it was check printer # 343. Does anyone know what this MEANS or where to find out what it means? Thanks ?Has your friend properly installed drivers? Have virus protection? Made any changes to his/her system lately?

[glb]Flame[/glb]You can download the manual from:

http://alpha02.c-wss.com/inc/ApplServlet?RQF=MENU&RQS=WWUCA910&LA=1117041338464&SV=WWUCA900&menu=MA&TRF=MAIN

When in doubt, always check the manufacturer's website.

Hope this helps.  I guess Flame is still the FASTEST gun in the West.  Actually, the south east, but eh. lol    Thanks for the compliment by the way!   I try!  

[glb]Flame[/glb]Hi

I've just got a Canon PIXMA ip4000. It's not printing colour. The help guide is hopeless. Can you suggest anything?See your last post...

[glb]Flame[/glb]

I am looking for a good DVD-ROM player, I just don't know which one to get. Also I don't think my motherboard supports IDE harddrives, does this have ANYTHING thing to do with IDE MEDIA players?? Also, if you suggest one, please make it one from Newegg.com. If you don't reccomend one, then GIVE me the specs I should look at. Thanks Any DVD ROM DRIVE will work. Check the reviews at newegg if uncertain. You just have to use the IDE channel on your motherboard. Don't WORRY, you have them.

Well I was recently playing the old game I bought a while back which is Battlefield 1942   I never knew why I stopped playing, so I installed it and then while I played I remembed why, it lags so dam much, so I need some help? I dont have a thing that says the ram or WHATEVER REQUIREMENTS, so here are some of the things I have on my comp or whatever. Not sure what is important but ok let me try.

Intel Pentium 4 CPU 2.00Ghz
256mb RAM
GeForce Mx440
Windows XP Professional

I dont care much about the graphics so I do I need more RAM if so I might get one for the holidays, btw, if you have an answer dont expect me to know a lot about comps, im only 14 and mostly play computer games all the time

Oh one more question, what should I get if I buy Guild Wars?

NEEDED requirements
To me graphics arent that important much but not bad to have.

Sorry for the long story
Well thx everyoneYou need a better graphics card and more Ram.Failing that, try turning down the graphics settings on the game. After you get that RAM for Christmas, yank the settings back up again. Also make sure you have the latest driver for your video card; you can download it from the card manufacturer's website.

You have enough to run Guild Wars, but not well. Again, RAM is the issue.This is the best TOPIC title of the Year...It was wither this or My Computer Suckshmm ok thanks everyone   I will try notching down the graphics and will try it once i get more memory later for holiday. I might come back here for more computer help  RAM sticks for Christmas. You gotta love the 21st century.

but it kinda is,

can i change the BIOS on my DELL PC
or to get a different BIOS, i have to get a different MOTHERBOARD?

You would need to obtain a different BRAND of mainboard.

Hello again wonderful people
I recently purchased a USB2 / Firewire card for my HUBBY so he could burn his dvd's faster. We have an external dvd recorder which works ok but it could be faster.  We do not have a USB2 port on computer. (older one)

When we put the card into the computer, and turned it on all the pictures on the monitor were so large they did not all fit. and the resolution went WAY down from 32 bit to 4 and it would not let me change it .

Can you help me. I wanted to do something nice for him
the DVD burner was a gift and now the card wont work.
Would a IOGEAR GF#) card be better.

(system = Pentium 3 processor, 750 mz?  XP with Sp2)
Please let me know

Thanks
CRLY1264

Did you check to be sure that this port was compatible FIRST? Have you tried updating your video card drivers by going to your video card manufacturer's website? Have you been keeping up with your Windows Updates?

[glb]Flame[/glb] Quote

...
1.  I recently purchased a USB2 / Firewire card...
2.  Would a IOGEAR GF#) card be better...

Don't know if this is the right place to POST this but here it goes...

I have this problem where for some reason web pages won't load and then a window comes out stating that a connection cannot be made DUE to being timed out etc.  The only way that I can fix this is by right clicking on the Interent Connection icon in the status bar and selecting repair connection.  this works for a few minutes, but then it happens again.  I replace my modem with the company I am with(verizon DSL) and its connected via ethernet...any ideas?

thanks

PaoloAre you using a Router besides the modem? What you have is a common problem with NEW suscribers to DSL and Cable, it has to do with the company actuallypushing the modem to upgrade itself via Firmware download automatically.

If you modem lights start to blink then turn off then back on, thats the update, and perhaps may be one of several, this also can happen when new expansions are being made along the same backbone to which you are being routed, the whole throughput suffers (this is espcially true for cable modem users)

Try (am i am sure you probably have been told to do this already) to reset your modem by unplugging it (just the power cord) and let it rest for 10 whole minutes. reboot your pc, as it is REBOOTING, plug your modem back in.

Also note some modems are notorious for being just nasty peices of quality (SURFboard sb4100 anyone?

Anyways hopes this helps, also ask your provider for a different MODEL or MAKE of modem should this persist.Well I had this exact problem a couple days ago until Flame helped me  
I was constantly losing my internet connection after
couple minutes, then i got so bad It said I had NO connection.

To fix I Purchased a new Modem, and replace all the cords  Ethernet, ect
I also put in a new network card .

I unplugged my modem,  waited 5 minutes,  reconnected all , turned on COMPTER, let lights come up and Poof  I was up and running and no problems since

I dont know if this will HELP you, but I was desperate to fix my computer, and I had already run millions of scans so I knew I had no virus.s
Hope some of this help
Internet connection is a terrible thing to waste  lol
Crly1264

Socket 939, 64bit PC. AMD 1.8GHZ processor and 2G of memory. Containing DVD-Rom, DVD-RW, 2 HD, Floppy. Just added a Zip Drive but it is not recognized in "MY COMPUTER". Any IDEA why this is?  Thank you.As it's a legacy DEVICE it PROBABLY needs drivers...check the manuf. website for the proper ONES for your OS...

patio.  Thank you ................

Hi i was looking at away to increase my gaming speed performance, but im not sure whats BEST thing to do. At the momment i have whats listed below. I was of to get a GEFORCE 6800GT but im not sure with this motherboard and these specs, that it will increase my game performance by much...or am i wrong. Do i need a new computer or is there somthing i can do with this one to make games run well like battlefield 2.

MSI K7N Delta-ILSR nforce 2 socket A motherboard
amd 2500
geforforce fx 5900
1 gb Ram
80 GB Western digital hard driveScan for viruses and SPYWARE, keep up-to-date with WINDOWS Updates, close any open and unnecessary programs such as AIM, etc.  Try those. You might be suprised.  

[glb]Flame[/glb]Also how much free space is left on your hard drive.  BF2 is a VERY intensive resource hog.  You may need a bigger faster hard drive.

Also try running disk defragmenter on your hard drive.  That will make it easier for the computer to access files, could speed up the game.

And your caps LOCK key is stuck too!   Not certain if this might help, BU trying wont hurt right?

Disconnect power-cord, then hold the power button in. A QUICK discharge HAPPENS. Re-insert the power cable. Try starting again.

Sometimes, try starting your systems in bare-bones parts.
This would be: motherboard, cpu, memmory & vga only.

I was trying to dual-boot XP and Ubuntu. I've never tried to dual-boot before, so I didnt know what I was doing. I used Partition Magic to partition a 5Gb section out of my 120Gb WD HDD. After it partitioned, EVERYTHING went fine. I rebooted and loaded XP up, and everything worked. Then, I restarted so I could install Ubuntu.

I booted from the install CD, and everything went fine up until the "Partition" part of the installation. I thought since I hard already partitioned it I wouldnt need to do anything here. It wouldnt let me just select the partitioned section (Which I had labeled as drive "U'). I tried a bunch of diff things to get it workin, but nothin did. Finally, I just gave up, and decided to abort the installation. I aborted, and then rebooted the computer. As it was loading, right before the XP boot loading screen came up, I got this message:

Pre-boot eXecution Environment
PXE-E61: MEDIA test failure, check cable
PEE-MOF: Exiting PXE ROM

Whats the PROBLEM? How cold I fix it?Check your boot order in the BIOS. It has DEFAULTED to trying to boot from a LAN.

What is this??? It is showing under Network Connections as the lan connection. I thought this was firewire. Is there any way to get rid of this and force the computer to use a nic and ethernet to connect to the internet via a broadband modem.This looks like your Ethernet Card...

[glb]Flame[/glb]so do i need to use a firewire cable to connect?? When I check the status of this connection it says it is connected but there is no physical connection, no cables connected., so what is it connected to?No... You need an Ethernet port to connect to the internet... If you connect the modem with an Ethernet cord, then you need the Ethernet port... Firewire is not for that...

[glb]Flame[/glb]ok here is what i have. A toshiba LAPTOP with a nic, a 56kmodem and for some reason an ieee 1394 network adapter. When I try to use the 56k modem I cannot connect. When I try to connect THOUGH the nic via and ethernet cable to a dynalink adsl modem, I can't connect. The ieee 1394 network adapter says it is connected but how. There are no cables connected and when I try to load a webpage nothing happens. I have never come across this before so am really stumped. I am trying to sort this out for a friend and am getting nowhere fast.That is strange... Do you have a wireless card installed in your computer? Maybe it is an internal wireless card...

[glb]Flame[/glb]I wouldn't have a clue. When I checked the toshiba website for this model it is all in japanese, but it looked like a picture was showing a wireless aerial thingy is internal in the lid, so maybe that is what the problem is, but why would it be saying it is connected, i don't have a wireless connection here.Well, it shouldn't say connected... But it will say that it is working properly, becuase it is able to find signals... If you still haveit, have a look at your INVOICE for the laptop, and see if a wireless card is in the specs...

[glb]Flame[/glb]the laptop was bought off a japanese STUDENT who bought it in japan and brought it out to New Zealand with them. If I could read japanese I might be able to get somewhere with it LOLdo you think if I got hold of a wireless router and plugged it into my connection here I might have some luck. At the moment I'm ready to try anything.is there anyway to disable the wireless and just use the nic??You can try uing a router... And yes you can disable the device... In the connections or device manager, right CLICK on the device, and disbale it from there...

[glb]Flame[/glb]ok have disabled it but it still wont recognise the nic as the one it is supposed to usewell have been into bios and nothing there to disable this. I am about to throw it against the wall and see if that will help any.I get the feeling that it will... Lets try this again... Do you have an Ethernet port i the back of your computer? Ethernet... I don't want to hear about Firewire...

[glb]Flame[/glb]

Dell Dimension 4550
Intel Pentium 2.4Ghz
1GB RAM
SoundBlaster Live 5.1
ATi Radion 9600 SE 128Mb RAM
Plextor PlexWriter Premium CD burner
AOpen 16x DVD ReWriter
Maxtor 60GB HD
WesternDigital 120GB HD

I have a real problem with sound stuttering lately. It is most noticeable while playing majosr battle scenes in games like Call of Duty 2. The problem first appeared after I installed my new AOpen DVD burner. I don't think the burner is the problem as much as maybe the trigger for the problem. The reason I don't believe that it's the DVD player directly is because I'm still getting the stutter when playing the games directly from my HD without a disc. I have tried changing my sound acceleration both in the game and on the PC itself, I've updated all drivers and firmware, checked the soundcard configuration, even used Creatives suggestions, all with no luck. any suggestions?Is the sound-card integrated or a ADD-on ?

If ADD-on:
Try re-seatting (alternate PCI slot) the sound card away from the Video card.

If built-in:
Try re-assigning the IRQ reservations in the BIOS.
Give the sound card (if possible) its own IRQ channel.

Third:
Try stabilizing your DVD device  with all four screws into the chasis. Do this for the HD too.I have tried EVERYTHING you have SUGGESTED so far except physically moving the sound card, simply because of time issues, I haven't had any time yet, LOL. My only question is, why would my sound card suddenly develope an issue to being parked next to my video card after being there for so long? If this dosen't work, what else might I try?

Thanks,
TinglyCourierI would say your sound card isnt all that good for these games or has developed a fault. I have seen this lots of times before where they suddenly develope this fault. I would suggest getting an Creative Audigy 2 sound card. They are more expensive but i have had mine 3 years and no problems.Reason for moving the Sound-card:

1) ** OCASIONALLY ** A PCI bus itself develops a problem.
2) The video card and first 2-3 PCI slots make use of the North-bridge CPU on the MAIN board.
3) Causes windows to re-load / re-detect the drivers.

Moving it away to the lowest PCI slot available will cause the sound card to work on the south-bridge CPU on the main board.

Another tip:
TEST 1) Remove the SP/DIFF audio cable connector between the sound-card and DVD device if attached.

Re-install DirectX 10.x

If I have a HD that is partition into two which are both basic.  Can I ADD more space to the ONE partition?  One of the partition is 4G and the other is 12G.  I want to add more to the 4G without REFORMATTING if possible.  THANKS!The program partition magic is good for this.

I was wondering, is there anyway i can watch television on my computer MONITOR, if so what do i need.

                                              Thanks.You can, but why? Pull a set into the room.

You need a TV card to do this. CHECK at hauppage.com for some ideas.Actually i'm looking into having my PC MAKE me breakfast every morning...
Sometimes i just wonder.

The reason been, my colour tube has just BLOWN on my telly and i cant afford to get another one straight AWAY.

I've been WORKING on making a new machine for a friend off and on for a month now and it's driving me nuts. I've made several before, I don't know what's going on this time but I can't even GET so much as a beep out of the motherboard.

Right now I have:

Soyo SY-K8USA DRAGON Ultra board
Athlon 64 2800+ (also have a AMD Sempron 3400+ that acts the same)

Right now if I power it up, it does nothing. The LED on the MB comes on, that's it. If I take the battery out the fan spins, no beep or anything, the case speaker is plugged in correctly.. If I power it up with just the processor, shouldn't I at least hear a beep? If i reset the cmos jumper, the fan turns, put it back in place when the battery is in and it stops again. I've tried a fresh battery and it does the same thing.  Anyone have any ideas?Sounds like a MBoard short to me...pull that board and set it on a rubber mat on your desktop...hook up only RAM, CPU and the vid CARD and power up...if you get no beeps either the MBoard or the CPU has gone south.
If you do get beeps congratulations the above doesn't apply.
Introduce 1 component at atime until you find the culprit.

I've tried that and no dice. Both cpu's are brand new and I wouldn't think they'd both be bad so it must be the mb? :/Don't assume too much here...have you REPLACED the CMOS battery ? ?
Have you tried another PSU ? ?

patio.Yes I've tried both. I got a new motherboard today and will try that tonight, perhaps that's the problem after all. Thanks for your advice, by the way.

Hi i have a socket A pc, i know manufacturers dont actually make MANY socket a processors anymore, but i know you can GET socket converters. so my QUESTION is

Does ANYBODY know where or if i can buy a socket a  (462) converter to a 754 or 775?

thanks for any help

AlexWould be cheaper to get a USED 462, if you are intent on using that motherboard.

i have two hard drives on the system, one with W.98se and the other with xp pro. the active partition is on w98.  I would like to know if it is POSSIBLE to make one of the two partitions on the xp drive into the active partion without DAMAGING the operating system. I will then delete w 98. thx in anticipation.walter.Well this is a backaward way of doing it if you are using XP Pro and done with 98. You can edit the boot.ini file and make XP the booting O/S then delete the other, but it will never be the C Drive.

I would format the C Drive, and just reinstall XP there. Then you have a whole spare drive.Well I would do a clean install if it were me. But you could make XP the boot default OS and then erase '98.

You could possibly shrink the '98 drive and extend the Extended partition then SLIDE the XP drive down to the 'front' of the hard disk and put in another Logical partition.

Do you intend to dual boot in future?

If so you might like to look at using BootIT NG which also has a Partition Resizer.