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Hi there, here is the problem. I have 2 computers networked together with one monitor  and a kvm switch. Since I have mapped the network DRIVES I hardly ever see the other pc going. But I did notice it was rebooting for no reason that i COULD tell.So I checked the bios of it and noticed the fan speed was 0 fearing OVERHEATING i took it apart and lighting blew it out with a handheld vaccum on low (not a full sized vacum but one meant for hobby stuff) as it was dusty. ESPECIALLY the cpu fan. Now when i turn it on the power light comes on as does the harddrive indicator light but then there is NOTHING no beeps no output to monitor nothing.  And after some time of being on it sounds like the fan speeds up but still nothing else. Both fans seem to be working. thanks wilma2 It's possible something got loose when you did your maintenence routine...check to make sure all cables are in all the way and check the RAM sticks and vid card to make sure they are seated properly.

patio.

I purchased a barebones KIT with the following:

Abit IG-80 Intel 915G SOCKET 775 MicorATX Motherboard
Intel Pentium 4 505 2.66hz/1MB Cache/533 FSB/Socket 775 Processor
Intel Socket 775 Colling FanUltra 512 MB PC3200 DDR 400 MHz CL3
Memory
Premium 2526ATX Mid-Tower Case w/400 Watt Power Supply
The system powers on, but nothing comes up on the screen & no beeps. No lights flash on the keyboard. I tried to get help from Abit, but could not get through on the phone & emails went unanswered, so as a last resort, I applied for an RMA, received it & sent it in for EXCHANGE. The one I received in exchange did exactly the same.
Things I have tried
Bought another memory module & tried it with each of them individually.
Removed the CPU Fan & powered on the see if the CPU was warming (it was).
Removed all other hardware & tried it with just the CPU, memory, & keyboard.
Tried clearing the CMOS
Checked all connections.
If ANYONE has any ideas of anything else I can try, I would sure appreciate it. Thanx!annrobb.......
did you install the cd which came with the MOBO ?
What operating system do you have installed ?


dl65  Right now I am trying to get it to do something...anything... before I reattach the harddrive & CD drive.  I had read that it should do the memory count & let you enter setup without these attached.You need to have a video card for a minimal boot test...
Have you tried this with a boot floppy ? ?
I would never power up a CPU with the fan off.

patio.  The board has onboard video.  Had the power on for just a few seconds with the CPU fan off.  Read in the troubleshooting section of a computer building article, so assumed it would be ok to try.Have you tried a bootdisk ? ?

patio.  PROBLEM has been resolved. Though I hate to admit what it was, I will say because it may help someone else.
The red switch on the power unit was set at 230 instead of 115.
Thanx for the help!!!!Don't worry. It's a common problem. We appreciate you sharing it though, and are glad your problems are solved. Happy computing!

I have an Optorite DD0401 drive .  I installed this in a computer that I built myself last year.  It worked fine up until a few months ago, when I found I had difficulty burning MP3s from my computer to a WRITABLE CD.  Now, the drive doesn't seem to have a working "read" function.

I emailed Optorite.  They suggested opening the case and cleaning the components w/compressed air, which I did.  It was suggested to reflash the drive w/the firmware. I did that.  They then suggested that some users have had success in recovering the drive "read" function by moving the "factory use only" jumper from the 1st to the 2nd POSITION, booting the computer, shutting it down, replacing the jumper to the 1st position, and rebooting.  I tried that.  They also had test programs to see if the drive recognized CDs or DVDs.  When I loaded these programs and tried them, the drive did not recognize the CD or DVD.

When I boot the computer, the green light on the drive flashes, so it didn't die an electrical death.  

Thanks.

Mary



Do you have a bootable CD? XP perhaps.
Try setting your BIOS boot sequence to use this drive and see if it will boot from the disc.

If it wont then it could MEAN the drive, ide cable or channel is faulty.Sounds like a sticky problem.

You might want to try the following if you haven't ALREADY:

- if you think it's just a bad drive, try cleaning the laser lense for the drive, not just blowing around the dust.  I use denatured alcohol (doesn't leave a residue).  Use a soft lint-free towel or q-tip.  Alternatively you can use a cleaner disk (the one with a small brush mounted on the read surface of the disk).

Sounds like you've eliminated a bad cable or controller.

Beyond this, you could have an alignment problem or drive hardware/electronics failure.

Good LUCK!

DellI have had two Optorite drives in my life. One was DOA, and the other died shortly after installation.   Thanks for all the feedback.  

It might be a bad laser pick up head.  If so, it's done for.  It just seemed like I should get more than  1 1/2 years out of it.  The upside is that although I paid over $200. for it back then, I can get a Sony (which I'm told are better) for $59 (Tiger Direct).  

I do wish I could fix it, but if not, at least it won't be too expensive to replace.  :-)  

Mary

I am building a CAD system (ASUS P4P800-E MOBO, w/P-4/3.0Ghz)  The market pre-occupation with gaming has meant that I haven't been able to DECIPHER the games-focused quagmire of reviews and specifications to tell what card(s) will be good for CAD (AutoCad).  I need and want a good card, but I don't want to SPEND a great deal of money on a high performance card and then not use the performance.  Right now I'm leaning toward an EVGA INVIDIA  GeForce 6600 GT/128.

Can anyone shed any light on this subject?
I think that is a very worthy performer and should do fine for any PURPOSE.

I have a Dell Optiplex GX100 that gave the message: invalid system disk...there was no disk in the floppy drive. Tried to reload the harddrive...nothing, installed a new hard drive.  It will not read the CDrom, I only get the cursor blinking.  The setup screen says the hard drive is there, the CDRom is there; I set it to boot to the CDRom first...nothing but the blink.  I tried a different CDRom, a working hard drive from a working GX100, moved, replaced the memory...I'm out of quick fix ideas.  There are no beeps and the CDRom spins like it is reading the diagnostics CD or REINSTALLATION CD but neither will not pull up.  I would appreciate any suggestions.  
It was running Windows 98SE, 64MBRam, 20GB harddrive, and that's all I know (sorry).I would suggest that you make sure the CDROM and hard drive have the power and data cables firmly seated. Then go back into F2 BIOS and clear the NVRAM. THis is done by pressing the scroll lock and the caps lock so that all 3 lights are lit on your keyboard. Then hold the Alt key down and press the E until it starts to beep. (This will make it beep 5-6 times.)

SEE if this makes any difference. I am assuming the drive is jumpered correctly and the CDROM is on a different cable? If a floppy is in there does it try to boot from that? Have you tried using the IDE cable from a known working good machine?

Was it working fine before this? What is the history of this machine?Thank you for your response, GX_1 Man. I did as you asked (clear the NVRAM) and heard all the beeps, but had no change in what came up on the screen.
I took all the cables from a known working machine and swapped them.  The known-working machine booted up fine, but the problem machine still has the blinking cursor.
I tried to boot to the floppy with a start-up disk, but I get the same response...blinkin' cursor.
The jumpers are correct, factory set and everything was working correctly until three weeks ago.
There are lights on the motherboard and the date is correct so I assume the battery is good.
The computer was working fine, it is one of several on our school network with a network anti-virus (symantec).  It went out of warranty 9/04.  It was STARTED three weeks ago and gave the message:  non-system disk error, replace the disk and press any key.  There was no disk in it (which is sometimes the culprit), but it would not run a repair CD or boot from a floppy.
I tried loading a hard drive on a known-working machine (another GX100) and installing on this one, but it would not boot to it.Just some random thoughts......

Just for grins, make sure you have the latest BIOS update.

The GX100 is one of the least configurable Dells ever made, but they are generally as durable as others of this era.

The error message is one that you receive with a failing hard drive, or one that is connected with bad hardware, or if you try to boot with a non-system diskette. I guess another possibility is a failed IDE channel, since a known good drive and a known good cable gave the same result. This would indicate a failing motherboard, which would neet to be replaced from an identical used unit.

And this started out of the blue with no recent hardware/software changes at all?

You might want to go to the Dell forums and post if for some of their experts, if I am missing something.To the GX cave!

Reset the BIOS.OK.  Dell wants $179 for a new motherboard.  I'll try to get the latest bios update first, although I doubt it will load since it won't read the floppy drive.  Any ideas as to where I could get a more reasonably priced motherboard?One of the reasons I don't bother helping people.

They ignore my posts. Go sort it out yourself.  I don't see a way to reset the BIOS.  This is 98, second edition.  How do I reset it?  It won't read from the floppy to flash or upgrade the Bios, I tried that....See, I'm not IGNORING, I just can't do everything, but I'm trying....thank you for your efforts and suggestions.I was able to flash the bios with the floppy (I just had to do it right, the second time).  However, I still don't get anything on the screen but a blinking cursor.  I still don't see any way to reset the bios other than changing the settings back the way before I reset them.
I trust you all more than the "company" people.   I once had to explain what a quarter was, when we had a student put a quarter in a CDRom in a laptop and I needed to know how to remove the CDRom.I think I have a GX100 coming in in a few days. PM me if interested. I would guess $30 + shipping, but I want to check it out first. The Dell price is too HIGH, I agree.

My computer went down (E-Machine, Celeron, XP), I tried to hook my HARD drive to another computer, when I did I was able to COPY some folders, but I could not copy my user account folder, it said ACCESSS DENIED, is there any way around this? ThanksHave you tried to login to the administrator account and do this?

-NickI connected  the hard drive to a different computer, because mine no longer works. I was on the other COMPUTERS admin name and couldn't access my user account from my hard drive??? Any options? Thanks.hook the hard drive up as salve drive......to the other pc.....then use the file transfer WIZARD........what is wrong with your pc...........??>emI tried that, it wants me to run the wizard on both computers, mine is DEAD, I want to hook my old drive to another computer and get the files off, but my user account folder says ACCESS DENIED when i click on it. How can i get around this???question avoided..........what was wrong with your em machine.........

The answer may lie here........if you are JOINED........take part....dont vanish......no one is patronized here.....you may learn more than you have bargin for......but living life is learning.........And on saturdays we do group hugs.And EVERY Tuesday is DOUGHNUT DAY!    Who doesn't like Tuesday?!

[glb]Flame[/glb]

when i click on my computer icon my cd rom does not show it only shows a and c drive what is wrong and how can i fix this problem I had that same problem, check your cable or power cord going to it first, could be loose or have a short in them...then reboot your computeri checked the cables and they are CONNECTED properly they have NEVER been taken loose what else can i doGo into the device manager, and see if it is detected there... Also, which operating system are you using? Have you scanned for viruses?

[GLB]Flame[/glb]how can i tell this i am not familiar with computersi am using windows 98se and it worked before i moved from auburn to burien.Right click on my computer and select
properties>hardware>device manager and look for cdrom drives.Look for a red  X   or a yellow   !

[glb]Flame[/glb]I didn't MEAN to jump in Flame but you went off the list.
BTW, does your mother still have worms?  To viewers: (Not worms like a health thing. We're TALKING about computer worms)    And no, so has no worms, but those *censored* E-Mails just keep comin. I get like two a day myself! I hate spam...

[glb]Flame[/glb]

Like an idiot, I plugged my laptop into an unprotected power outlet.  Stupid!, I know.  of course,  sudden lightning storm, power failure, now laptop is a PAPER WEIGHT.  Is there any salvaging it.  Can parts be replaced.  Or should I just start looking for a new one?Lightning will fry up every electrical device in your PC. Nothing useful can be salvaged. It's best to look for a new computer.

These things happen. Even if it wasn't just plugged directly to the wall, no surge suppressor can PROTECT againist a bolt of lightning hit directly. The safest thing in a storm is just to have your laptop unplugged.

[glb]Gizmo73[/glb]I agree. Most if not all parts are now damaged... It depends on the strength of the lightning strike... Also, having one or two parts salvaged will not help you much... You would end-up replacing most of the parts anyay. Looking for a new one would be a good idea...

[glb]Flame[/glb]Thanks, you confirmed my suspicions.  Any suggestions for a lightweight laptop.  I don't play games, just the usual work and research type stuff.WELL, it depends on how much you want to spend, but the Dell Inspiron 700M is VERY small...

[glb]Flame[/glb]I suggest that you check to see if the LCD screen is still functional. There seems to be quite a demand for these, people look for them to replace their own damaged LCD screens.

Also test the Hard DISK Drive to see if it is still functioning and capable of storing data.

The RAM can be easily removed and tested as well, but given the fact that RAM is very sensitive I doubt that the results will be positive.

I have the following as a system.

Motherboard.. MSI KM4M-L (MS-6734)

CPU.. AMD Athlon XP-A 2600+ Barton

Memory.. 2 Sticks of Kingston KVR333X64C25/256 MB
PC2700 DDR SDRAM CL 2.5 166 MHz (512 Total)  
     
O.S.. Windows 2000 Pro (Cario) v 5.0.2195 Service Pack.. 4

Printer.. Canon i560 / Driver.. v 8.07

Computer #2 is home networked into system.  It's basically the same as above.

*********************************************

I've deleted.. installed.. updated printer & driver.. re-deleted.. re-installed.. re-updated my printer & driver for my Canon i560.  It SEEMS like about 85% of the time when I go to print, the printer stops printing part way through.. and SHUTS DOWN MY COMPUTER!

I re-start my computer, cancel out/empty my queue and go to print.. and the same thing may happen 2 or 3 times more.  Finally I'm able to print the next couple of pages without any problems.. untill it HAPPENS again.

Other than the above, I've had NO other problems with either computer.. or networked system.

My next and last step I'm thinking about to solve the above printer problem is to format "C" and re-install my O.S. along with everything else.  You have any suggestions before I go the route?

Thanks..

Dakota Duce


scan for trojans bugs............is this printer neworked?

I have been experiencing a strange problem with what I assume to be my video card. I has only happened while playing games so far, but it doesn't SEEM to matter which game it is (with the exception of Empire Earth II, with which it has never occurred). What HAPPENS is the game will give no indication that is is about to lock up (no slowdown, strange noises, etc.) and then randomly, this:
http://home.comcast.net/~justinwoodman/DSCF0093.JPG
will happen. It will continue playing the music and sound as normal for a few seconds, and then the sound loops. I have been living with this for a while and it drives me up the wall every TIME it happens. I have upgraded all of the video drivers, the bios, the sound drivers, and every other driver within the last 5 days. I can usually catch problems like this by looking at the event log or reading the BSOD, but in this case, there is no BSOD (the screed stays like the picture until I reboot) and the event log returns nothing unusual.

If anyone has any ideas on this, It would be great to HEAR any suggestions.

Thank you,
Justin

BTW, that beautiful screenshot above came from World of Warcraft, but if needed, I have an equally beautiful one that came from black and white II.Check and see that the fan on that card is spinning up properly. HEAT Kills...

patio.  yeah, the fans seem to be spinning fine, but I did wonder if it was an overheating problem, and if so, how would I know? I do not have a thermometer in there, so I can't monitor it unless there is an thermometer built into the graphics card that I don't know about.http://www.snapfiles.com/get/mbm.html

Motherboard Monitor.

Enjoy.

patio.

I have a HP psc 1315. I 'm very pleased with it so far; I can't find anything in the literature relating to scanning anything larger than 8" x 11". I'm TRANSFERRING a lot of my old LP's to CD format and would like to use the original covers (a lot of the albums are obscure and out of print). I've tried searching the web for some of them; I can find some of the CD art, but not the original album art (they are often different). Any suggestions?The maximum document size of the scanner function for this unit is 8.5" x 11". It doesn't even look like an LP album jacket will fit in it.

The other thing you could do is TAKE a digital photo of the album cover and store it as a jpg or bitmap.Thanks! Stevent,

I've scanned hundreds of album covers with an undersized scanner.  This is exactly how I do it -

- I scan as much of the cover as I can from one edge, then save (I use jpeg format and 300 dpi).  Use a heavy book or phonebook to hold the cover down.

- I then scan from the opposite edge and save.  This should give you an overlap on each scan.

- I use Adobe Photoshop to open both files (any good graphics program will do, maybe even Paint) and cut and paste one scan on the other.  If you are careful, you won't be able to tell where they overlapped.

- I then save the joined file and there you have it.

- once you resize or print the file to CD size you can't tell it was a double scan!

btw I use an HP1000 scanner among others.

Hope this helps!

DellStevent,

Sorry, I should have included the following.  My Bad!

Please add the following to my comments:

- In your case, since the scan bed is so small, you would have to scan from each of the four corners (4 files for each album).

- If you plan to do a lot of albums, I'd consider getting at LEAST a legal size bed ~8 1/2 x 14"

DELL

I have an old laptop and I cannot GET into hard DRIVE.
The INTERNAL battery (for the battery backed memory) is dead and it cannot remember any of the HD information.
I would like to know how I can get the configuration information. The automatic hard drive detection can not figure out the information its self. I believe it is a 1993 laptop and it has Phoenix BIOS software on it. Any help is welcome!

Thanks in advanced!Unfortunately, no. You need to have a good internal battery to retain these settings. Once REPLACED, you can reset, once you find out what they are (unless it defaults to them automatically as some do).So there is no way I can find the hard drive configuration information that I need?

(the heads, landing zone, etc...)Try the hard drive manufacturer's WEB site for the specifics. Some drives have these things printed on them.

It used to not happen very often before, but now after I changed my motherboard it seems to happen way too much. Sometimes when I turn on my computer, the computer just beeps and the monitor doesn't turn on. If I push the reset button it does the same thing and nothing happens. The only way to GET it to boot is to push that power button in the back and then push power. What could be wrong?How old is this machine ? ?
Since you replaced the MBoard i'm assuming you are fairly familiar with the innards.
I would first replace the CMOS battery part#CR2032.
Make sure all power is dis-connected and you are properly grounded...
While you are in there check to make sure all components are firmly seated especially RAM and your vid card.
Also check all drive cables as well.
And do some housecleaning on the fans etc.
If it still does the same thing after this procedure then it sounds like your PSU is getting ready to take a dump.

Go here http://carpc.kyferez.com/Tools/PSUWattageCalculator.php for a HANDY PSU calculator to see what your machine needs wattage wise.
And do yourself a favor; don't buy a cheap one they are more headache than they are worth...

patio.  Umm well im familiar with almost everything inside my computer except the motherboard. Im sure the vid card is not loose I checked. Some other guys installed the motherboard for me.The CMOS battery is about the size of a dime on the MBoard. If you are not confident replacing it yourself call a local shop, they probably won't charge much to replace it for you.

patio.  Steven,

In addition to the other suggestions, try the following:

I've seen this problem before when RAM was GREATLY mismatched, failed or loose.  If you're not sure of the Ram, try installing one card at a time.  If the problem goes away, then add another.

Use ESD and electrical precautions when working around sensitive electronics.

Dell

Timesaver:  I always keep an older hard drive with the same system/software configuration I am using in my main boot drive.  This backup can sometimes be a real savior when repairing drive or system related failures.  Most of us have one or more 3-10 gig hard drives laying around from PAST upgrades.
I like this better than system restore when initially evaluating a problem since it doesn't depend on using a possible bad drive (with malware, viruses, etc.) to restore function.  You can use system restore once your problem is solved.

ok i have an achilles computer case that can be seen on
www.psicase.com/achilles.htm and the audio hookup at the front of the case is where my problem is i dont know which pins go where they go on my SOUND blaster live card with the model number CT4670 there are 8 pins

mic in......front microphone input signal
mic power......front microphone power
ground......front audio ground....there are 2 of these one for mic one for sound
L out......front left channel audio signal
R out........front right channel audio signal
L ret......rear left channel audio signal
R ret.......rear right channelaudio signal

if you can help or have any suggestions it would be much appreciatedare you sure?

The leads from the front audio port on your case usually CONNECT to the motherboard, on the section for that purpose.

They run along the data CHANNELS and connect to the pci slot where you sound card is CONNECTED to and then from there through your speakers.

Your motherboard manual will SHOW you where they should connect to.

try http://motherboards.mbarron.net/index2.html for more info.

Currently experiencing the following problem:

PC Boots up to login screen
Login successfully
Then after a few minutes (this varies), the screen goes black and monitor displays "no signal", keyboard has locked up, but main PC is STILL on.

I press the reset switch, on REBOOT it either:

1. Screen goes black just before the login screen appears
2. Lets me login and then goes black

I turned the pc off for a while (30mins) then tried again. Was ABLE to get into windows and do a system RESTORE to a week before. Everything was ok for a while, then it did the same. Therefore I assume there is not a driver issue.

Im thinking it may be RELATED to the graphics card or even the monitor?
So the only way to check this out is to borrow some kit of someone and try it out.

Has anyone ever experienced anything like this before?answer on your 'other' post in Windows section.

man i've been working on this thing for hours.Well i downloaded the drivers for the old card from the ati site.Now
the MONITOR is plugged into the new card again but adapter info says its disabled and old card is running.So i loaded up MORROWIND with wizards island and there is no difference so i think the old card is still primary.Which is confusing because there is no screen when i PLUG the monitor into the old card(32), its pluggen into the new one(64).I've re-read this string from the start & my head is spinning.
You have onboard video + 1x32Mb card + 1x64Mb card?

3 video sources all together?
Your bios choices should be either onboard (integrated) or PCI or possibly AGP

You should be able to set your bios option to PCI, save the changes and exit.
Then worry about installing drivers after that.
Just to get our terms right....
Onboard or integrated is built in to the motherboard.
PCI & AGP are slot to plug CARDS into.

Let us know what you have.

leave the old graphics card in ......and reboot......go into the bios setup.......chose setup defaults...save and exit.....and then we will try again........from scratch..no AGP, just PCI . The graphics built  on the motherboard i disabled from the device manager, it will not allow me to mess with it from the bios.This is from Merlins earlier link.

It clearly shows the option to SELECT PCI for video.
Can you download & run Belarc advisor
http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html
Give us your motherboard and video specs with only the 32Mb card plugged in as Merlin suggested.it doesnt give me that option i tried
either got to mobo website for a bios upgrade or there is this>>>.http://www.unicore.com/global/why.cfm
you have understand.....that ...pcs are thick and stupid.....in a perfect world the bios should be capable of handling most if not all pnp devices by it does not alas!<<<< even a less option if msoft gets they way>> therefore >> one option is to plug in the old card and forget it.....or buy a new mobo for the graphics card......or update the bios...?  did your pc display a  bios error>>>>http://www.bioscentral.com/postcodes/hpbios.htmno bios error.Just confusion. Thanks merlin and fed for helping me out, i will check out those  links and see what i can do.lol, ill be back if i run into more walls.Dont give up........

Recently, I loaded CD label creator software - when I used 1ST time, my computer shut itself off.  The error message said it was related to an intel driver for the program and I downloaded an update.  '

This did not fix the problem, I have SINCE removed the software and the driver patch, but now my problem is the monitor RESOLUTION is stuck at the MINIMUM level and can not be changed.  

Any SUGGESTIONS?Does this computer have an onboard graphics or a graphics card. Reinstall the graphics card and the driver.

Hello,
I was unable to register with Netgear in order to ask for the question below (did not recognize the serial nr of the DG814 router I gave them), so I TURN to your always competent help.

I develop hereafter my case:
The computers connected to the router at the beginning:
1)      One connected to the router : 1 pc OS windows millennium
2)      One laptop connected to the local network OS windows xp
The computers connected today June 11, 2005:
1)      One connected to the router: 1 laptop OS windows xp (hereafter “C1”)
2)      One connected to the local network: 1 laptop OS windows xp (hereafter “C2”)
Since I connected C1 the Internet connection is ill functioning
The two computers cannot access the Internet at the same time. Hereafter a list of cases I have met:
1)      No connection if C1 is on with the “i” light of the router on and C2 off.
2)      If I turn off C1 and turn on C2, Internet connection is possible form C2
3)      If  I turn on C1 while C2 is connected to the Internet, the connection is lost for the two computers
4)      Sometimes if I turn off and turn on the router the two computers can connect together to the internet. If I turn off the two computers and I try to turn on one of them, the malfunctions start again.

I do not know how to solve once and for all the IP address conflict windows informs me. Sometimes the IP address of the two computers is different (when both are connected and I press “restore IP address”), sometimes the address I saw on C1 is the same than the one in computer C2 when C1 is turned off.
The options “select IP and DNS automatically” are selected on both computers. My ISP tells that the internet connection is correct.

What is your point of view?
MANY thanks for your reply.
Best regards
Loida
did you LOAD the isp software disk.........??type ipconfig in the msdos prompt.....on winme ....if this used as the server......or winipconfig.....in winxp..........is the led light on your nic CARDS??have a look...also check any firewalls that you may have.....Hello Merlin,
I did load the ISP software disk on the new laptop.
No NIC card as two laptops are connected to the network (a computer no longer connected to the router had a NIC card)
I disconnected the antivirus (bitdefender8) firewall. The Windows firewall is activated in both laptops. Do I have to disactivate them? And If so, can I rely on the router firewall ALONE to protect both computers?
Many thanks for your reply.
Best regards
Loida
Merlin,
I kept thinking about my answer above and think that the reason why the 2 laptops do not connect together to the Internet is because the PC in which I installed the Netgear FA311 (NIC card)  is no longer connected to the router to which both laptops are connected.
So please confirm that one solution could be to connect the PC tower with the Netgear FA311 card to the router again and then connect the two laptops to the router.

Best regards
Loida
you have answered your own question:

(So please confirm that one solution could be to connect the PC tower with the Netgear FA311 card to the router again and then connect the two laptops to the router.

Loida Ollier)

and use the network wizard.......to config sytem to mshome networking...
and keep your firewall on:

My computer was coming on by it self after I shut it down. and now it will not COME on at all when I push the POWER button. COULD the problem be a bad power button or power supply. Nothing happens, the power supply does not come on or the mother board light.More info on your system and what led to this and someone will be ALONG SHORTLY to assist.

patio.

After searching the web for what seems to be an eternity, I have decided to make my own floppy cable.
I have a DFI Lanparty MB in a SuperMicro server case, unfortunately, the floppy connector is situated at the bottom of the case, and the 3.5" bay is at the top! 30" away.

Any ideas, peeps?  :-/I have some very long floppy cables that come with SCSI connectors  (I think they are SCSI connectors) About twice or thrice the length of modern day 34 pin flat ribbon cables.

AT-era 34 pin flat ribboncables, they are. If that is what you are looking for, I can send you one if I didn't allready give them away.Thanx for the offer mate   I'm pretty sure I have one of those in a box somewhere!
Looks like I'll have to do some CUTTING, will also need some sleeving and I'll take some boots off an old rounded cable, to do a nice job.

Question is, will I encounter data transfer problems?There is a maximal length for IDE flat ribbon cables.

Not QUITE certain what the numbers are, though.

Quote

Standard 40-pin ATA interface cable, or an 80-conductor cable if running UATA66/100 (max length: 18 inches).

HELP!!!!!!!
working on an older PIII system, it keeps rebooting...... it will let me run in safe mode, but not in normal mode. I've updated the bios, so that eliminates that one.......
if I'm on in DOS, it seems to be ok........ its just when I try and load windows....... its been fdisked, reformatted etc.................
HELP!!!!!And it is what make and model? What components - RAM, video, etc.? What version of Windows? Did it ever work? What has happened that it is not working?

WITHOUT a little info we're just guessing.

thanx for your responce........ its an IBM NetVista
it was origionally loaded with ME, a client brought it to me with the same symptoms.....
It has 128Mb of sd RAM. Its been formatted etc.
I find it odd, that it will stay up and RUNNING in safe mode, but not in normal mode.
I've tried using the factory recovery disks to no avail either. for whatever reason, the CD drive isnt showing up ..... tried booting directly from the cd........ pffffffft.... nothing.......... I've checked all the connections to make sure everything is hooked up ok.... all is fine.

just incase it helps, its a Netvista 2257 B4UAgain, what  OS ?

patio.  I would boot with a Linux Live CD if it was me to determine if it was hardware or some Windows aberration.

Go to www.knoppix.com and use the mirror near the end of the list at mirror.cs.wisc.edu. Although slow on 128 RAM it will extensively check the hardware and perhaps point you in the right direction.it was origionally loaded with windows ME, was reformatted with 98se.
Thanx, I'll try that site.Hmmm

It may be a problem driver, or a virus (most likely a boot sector virus that is not removed when the drive is reformatted), or some setting.

When in safe mode, try checking Device Manager to see if any of the devices is having a driver problem.  

Try scanning the computer for viruses (you may boot to Safe Mode with Networking, set up a direct cable connection, share the root, and use the antivirus program on the other computer to scan the one that is giving you problems.

If Windows 98, 98 SE, Me or XP are installed, you may use the System Configuration utility (MSCONFIG.EXE) to troubleshoot the startup problem.  Use the Selective Starup option to uncheck all of the items and see if you are able to boot normally.  If you are, one of the settings is to blame.  Check one box at a time and boot the computer till you find the configuration area that causes the problem.  

Let us know how it goes,
DocHello again............ well, I've tried everything from a new POWER supply, to a new hard drive....... still no success........... the machine will start to load windows....... it starts to try and find drivers, then automatically restarts itself. I've tried selective startup in msconfig..... to no avail............. running out of ideas...... and definately out of patience............ the only two things I can think of now, are the cpu...... or the motherboard.......................... side note.................. why, would the machine seem to run ok in safe mode?
Safe Mode loads a minimal set of drivers.  Normal Mode loads all drivers.  There is some hardware that Windows is not "happy" with.  None of the items you have replaced require drivers.  Does it have integrated video and if so, does it use SDRAM for video memory?  If yes to both, set video memory to 4MB.  Download Everest Home Edition and install and run from Safe Mode.  It will display all info.

I suspect a bad modem or ethernet card.  Remove all plug-in cards and see what happens.Did you ever try the Live Linux CD idea?Did you try Doc's suggestion?
Quote

When in safe mode, try checking Device Manager to see if any of the devices is having a driver problem.  

As far as RAM goes........ I tried that yesterday to no avail......

The ethernet, as well as the video are onboard...... I will try those next......

My PROBLEM is simple - maybe what I am trying to do just can't be done, and I am wasting my time. I have been searching for the answer.

I have one SATA drive (Seagate 250Gb - the boot device), one IDE ATA drive (Fujitsu 100Gb), one IDE DVD-Reader and one IDE DVD-RW drive. I want to use them all.

Problem:  When I mount the SATA, the BIOS remaps the SATA drive to IDE0 primary, and ingores the normal ATAdrive connected to the secondary channel of IDE0.   The two optical devices in IDE1 all work as they should.

It seems that if you use a SATA drive, you lose the use of the original IDE socket.  Is that right?

The mb is Gigabyte G-8IPE775 Pro with Intel 965PE chipset.

Regards

Barry
 Barry,

This is a late, but since you haven't gotten a response here yet -

-  your MB should support up to 4 IDE devices and 2 SATA devices as far as I can tell, but read the specs below to be sure!

see:  the MANUAL  http://www.gigabyte-usa.com/Download/Download.asp?DownloadPath=/MotherBoard/FileList/Manual/manual_8ipe775%20series_e.pdf

(1) connect first hard disk to IDE1 and connect CD-ROM/DVD to IDE2 (secondary master)

(2) you can map/configure your drives in bios, but must FOLLOW (1) above

(3) "When the power is turned on, pushing the button during the BIOS POST (Power-On Self Test) will take you to the CMOS SETUP SCREEN. You can enter the BIOS setup screen by pressing "Ctrl + F1".
When setting up BIOS for the first time, it is recommended that you save the current BIOS to a disk in the event that BIOS needs to be reset to its original settings."

Hope this helps!

DellMany thanks Dell, I am afraid that doesnt work either.

It seems if you enable the SATA drive in BIOS, it is then internally remapped to IDE0, and the original IDE0 port becomes inoperable and any drives attached to it cannot be seen by the system.  

I guess you can have one or the other but not both.

One solution would be to take one optical drive out of IDE1 and put the ATA drive in there, but I prefer to have a DVD-ROM as well as a DVD-RW because the DVD-ROM  is very much faster than the DVD-RW at reading disks.

Thanks again for taking the time.  I will drop an email to Gigabyte and see if they might help (or confirm what I have concluded).

Regards

Barry  Barry,

one additional comment -

I believe you can also add a separate SATA controller card (PCI) that would allow you to use this internal drive and free up your onboard IDE controllers.  I'm not 100% sure this would work since I have no practical experience with your MB.

I have seen these cards for around $30-$50 at Best Buy and other stores.

Dell Quote

...seems if you enable the SATA drive in BIOS, it is then internally remapped to IDE0, and the original IDE0 port becomes inoperable and any drives attached to it cannot be seen by the system.  I guess you can have one or the other but not both....

Well i have a Jumpdrive SECURE but i have forgotton my password to the secure SIDE of the DRIVE. What could i do to solve this? Check the manuf. WEB site for info.

patio. Format and start over.

I recently purchased my first USB "Flash Drive" (Removable DISK) and have been using it to store digital photos. Everything was going smoothly for a couple of weeks, until tonight. It is a "MICRO 2.0" 256mb , Actual storage capacity is 247mb with 11.8mb used and 236 mb free.  At this point it started refusing to accept any new photo's. It tells me  "This Directory of Drive G is full. Select a new directory or use a different disk" . What exactly is a  "Directory" and how do I access a NEW one within this unit (removable disk or Flash Drive) Thanks for any helpFormat it.halibut4,

- your flashdrive MAY be full.  If so, you will have to remove/transfer at least some or all of your photos to another storage device (computer hard drive) in order to add new photos.  You can also delete pics or reformat the drive but will lose any saved pics in the flashdrive.

- another option would be to get another flashdrive.

DellHalibut:

Directory = The storage area of the flash drive where all the folders are kept.  

Since the flash drive is formatted with FAT, you may have no more than 255 files and folders in the directory (but you may have many more files and folders inside folders you create).  If there is still more than enough space on the flash drive, try creating folders and moving some of the files into the folders.


Let us know how it goes,
Doc
Doc,

- good advice!  I missed the fact that the drive shows lots of space available.

HALIBUT,

- disregard my advice about transferring files/folders.  Although this would solve problems with too many files, it would be very wasteful and unnecessary with so much space available.

DellThanks Dell!

However, your advice about moving folders is still good, as Halibut may be wrong about the MB left on the flash drive or may have a lot of photos on her digital camera that she is trying to move to it.

I was just trying to cover another POSSIBILITY.

Quote

Format it.

So far, this has been the most sound advise.

Before you start discussing someone's problem, do remember that it might be a hit 'n run post.

If the poster returns, you can go into detail. The chances of someone  else reading this and finding it helpful are as slim to none.

Unless you enjoy wasting time on people who might possibly not deserve it.  

...Unless you enjoy wasting time on people who might possibly not deserve it.  

I bought a digital camera and am trying to install the software, but it's a no go. I took the disc to work and it installed just fine, so I think the disc is good. My computer at home has no problems with music CDs or other software CDs (printer, games, etc.)

I looked here for an updated driver for my CD player, but couldn't find one exactly the same, so was afraid to try it. I have a Mitsumi CR-48XCTE.

The computer is an HP Pavillon 513x running Windows XP.

I'd really, really appreciate any ideas... I FEEL like I'm overlooking something obvious.I thought I'd ADD that, when I put the CD in the drive, it flashes GREEN (as usual) then repeatedly flashes red (not usual). If I go to "my computer", it doesn't even show the CD, just says "CD-rw drive (E), so I can't open the disc and try to install it that way.And does it PLAY other music CD's and read other data CD's just fine? When a CDRom dies, it's usually the optics that goes, not the mechanical open/close, etc.

Can you try a CDRom from another computer in there? Lens cleaning solution are available everywhere -even at Wal-Mart. I don't know if the COST of this is worth it, (especially if another CDRom works in there) as drive prices are pretty low.I've tried several music and data CDs in it and they all work fine.
I researched the driver and found an update that would work, so I downloaded it, but when I click on winflash, I get "device not found". Don't know what's up with that.

I think this may be a sign that I shouldn't be trying online dating...(That's what I bought the camera for.)

Was doing dual displays fine with my CRTS. Connect my new ViewSonic VA712b guys and dual display option is no longer there in the Display Properties. I know it's CONNECTED properly because I have seen the 2nd one react as I went thru the process to GET the main new flat panel to work.

Win 2000 [freshly updated; no HARDWARE updates offered]
NVida GeForce MXMX400 [driver freshly replaced]

I NOTE that in the Display Properties it doesn't recognize the brand of the monitor. It just says default monitor.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

Jaums

Ok, I have been trying to reformat, and install WIN98 on several old HARDDRIVES. Yesterday I was successful in doing this on one of the harddrives. I removed it and put in the second hard drive. When I went to format it said " no fixed disk present". I put the good harddrive back in, rebooted it and it worked fine. Took it back out yet, again and tried reformatting the second harddrive. Checked jumper settings, BIOS for automatic, you name it, and it still did not work. Finally gave up and put in the " successfully  FORMATTED" hard drive and now IT WON'T WORk.

When booting it shows the " Primary  master"LBA,UDMA2,6449MB and the Primary slave :CDROM,mode3........Secondary master:none, Secondary slave:None......floopy 3 mode fail(40)........when I press F1 to continue , the trend chip away virus on guard, shows " now detectin boot sector type virus"........does that mean that it HAS detected a virus or is just looking for one??

Also the Primary Master HDD S.M.A.R.T. capability is " disabled"..........
Any suggestions???Set an option called Virus WARNING to Disabled in the BIOS.

It may be called Trend Chip away Virus.

If you have properly formatted the entire Hard Disk Drive and you have INSTALLED Windows 98 but not connected to the Internet, there is very little risk of infection. Quote

Set an option called Virus warning to Disabled in the BIOS.

It may be called Trend Chip away Virus.

If you have properly formatted the entire Hard Disk Drive and you have installed Windows 98 but not connected to the Internet, there is very little risk of infection.

HI!  I was USING a TRENDNET TEW-424UB...WIRELESS usb thing...one day, it worked, and then the next day, it didn't...  It SHOWS that I have a connection but it won't let me search the web through exploror or USE any messengers.   One of my friends was looking at it and said that it needs to be switched from automatic to something ELSE. I really don't know what he meant, but it seems like al that is wrong is one little thing.  DOes anyone have a clue? Thanks in advance!

I need a new computer. Mine is 5 years old and although I have the fastest cable internet available, it seems LIKE dial up since my computer sucks. I believe just having a brand new model will take care of most of my problems, but I also need to know how to pick one that will hold a lot of mp3s, since that's mostly what I use my computer for, besides surfing. What 'specs' are important in that respect?

Also, I'm content with my monitor, etc. I think I really only need the 'main' PART. Please point me in the right direction, even if it's to a site where I can read up on how to decide how to purchase.  Thanks!maybe you need to clean up your old onehttp://www.majorgeeks.com/downloads1.html what is the make of the one you have........you could always upgrade it....What exactly is it that you wish to do with the computer that you can not do now?You say that you have cable, but it acts like Dial-up... Spyware?

[glb]Flame[/glb]What I want to do that I can't do now is properly utilize my cable connection. I know how fast my internet connection could potentially be. I can't even burn a CD anymore. Even at 1x, it tells me it can't keep up.

I use SpyBot to keep FREE of Spyware. I think it's a COMBINATION of my computer being bogged down with too much stuff as well as being a bit outdated. So I probably either need to buy a new computer or upgrade this one.Computers their abilities do not DEGENERATE. However, the software installed may become corrupted due to viruses, Spyware and Trojan Horses.

Therefore I suggest that you scan for these threats and learn about others.

Quote

What I want to do that I can't do now is properly utilize my cable connection. I know how fast my internet connection could potentially be. I can't even burn a CD anymore. Even at 1x, it tells me it can't keep up.

Some EXPERTS argue that MODEMs may soon become obsolete. Do you agree? Why or why not?

please give a bit detail the answer .
i want to do project to college.Ummmm, they're slow and inefficient as opposed to cable/DSL.


Isn't that enough. Quote

Ummmm, they're slow and inefficient as opposed to cable/DSL.


Isn't that enough.

If you use a DVI(-I) videocard, can you ALWAYS use a VGA converter?I don't know about always, but I've PERSONALLY USED a converter about half a dozen times and never had a problem.Thanks.

Do you think all MODERN (Sapphire) videocards come with a converter ?

If not, I'll order one extra to be on the safe side.I doubt it. But I'm checking on that. Let me get back to you.Much obliged.

I'll have to ask the company that before I place my order, just in case.

I am currently using a 1.1 GHz computer with 256mb of RAM. I am using windows 98 operating system.

I have been running a DVD Rom as a Secondary master and CDROM as a secondary Slave.

I recently purchased a DVD Rewriter and replaced my old DVD Rom. The unit has set-up correctly and was using Master DVD5 to play DVDs and Nero to burn.

However when I open or close the tray in either the DVD or CDROM it now crashes the computer or restarts it!

I have tried un-installing the software and drivers and re-installing however this does not solve the problem. If there is a disc in the machine when I start up then I can see the contents.

I have tried removing the DVD and just running the CDROM but this does not MAKE any DIFFERENCE. I have also tried changing the properties of the driver but this does not help.

Any help would be appreciated. DVD RW set as master and PLACE at the end of the ribbon cable on IDE2...
Other optical drive set as slave and cabled to the middle of the ribbon cable on IDE2.

You could also try a brand NEW cable on this setup as well.

Let us know.
patio.  Tried the CDROMs in an older machine with various cables and they work fine! I've tried older CDROMs in the new machine and it has the same problem.

Suspect the power supply. I have tried connecting a seperate Power Supply to the CDROMs but it still causes computer to crash or re-start so don't think it can be PSU.

May try up-grading to Windows XP but not very keen on XP!

Try as patio suggests, put both CRROMs on the same cable.The CDROMs have always been on the same cable and it still causes the problem.

I've upgraded my system to XP and it appears to have solved the problem. Thanks for your SUGGESTIONS!I have always been running the CDROMs on the same cable. Did try running DVD on primary cable as a slave but did not make any difference.

Have upgraded to XP and this seems to have cured the problem!

Thanks for your help!You should always download the latest updates for Windows XP.

Hi, I'm having trouble with a keyboard not being detected on an older pc...it just happened one day, didn't do anything WRONG with it...

I don't know what to do, so far I've tested a few working keyboard, they all gave me the same error...
I'm guessing it's hardware related, but not very sure...
Any suggestions?

Thx in advance....Koen:

Is it a PS/2 keyboard (with a small, round connector with six pins) or a USB keyboard (with a rectangular connector)?

What operating system is being used?

DocIt's an OLD round connector, used on an old pc, not the newer ones or the usb connectors...
And Windows95 is installed...
Koen:

The keyboard controller is dead.  You will most likely have to replace the motherboard, or buy an upgrade to WINDOWS 98 on Amazon.com or eBay.com and purchase a USB expansion card and a USB keyboard.

It may be worthwhile to purchase a used computer with Windows 98 already installed (just be sure you get the Windows 98 CD with the purchase). Check with a local computer repair shop.  Make sure they back up the purchase with some kind of warranty.

Ask the computer shop about installing your current hard drive as a slave in the new computer so you may still get to all your My Documents files, etc.

BTW: Never unplug or plug in the keyboard while the computer is on (unless, of course, it is a USB keyboard).

Best regards,
DocOk, thank you very much, I'll just use another motherboard, I've still got some lying around here, and will use all the rest and throw the motherboard away...

Thank you very much, now I at least know what the exact problem is...

Thanks...Koen:

I probably don't have to tell you this, but you will have to reinstall Windows after replacing the motherboard.

Blessings to you,
Doc

I have a Samsung X15 laptop and can play music cd's with no problem but when I try to play any DVD I get the picture ok but no sound.
It's DRIVING me nuts
Can anyone help pleasearchjan,

there are a lot of possible causes depending on your laptop's configuration

without any details on your system, you can try these:

- make sure your DVD sound isn't muted in your player or your sound system

- make sure you have the PROPER sound driver(s) installed for your player

- try another player (i.e. - if you are USING a windows media player try something different such as Roxio's DVD Player, etc.)

Dell

formatted compaq pc for friend,started up with 3.5 win98 se LOADS oak technology driver then it says no device found .so i tried another one then another,on some high SPEED cdroms it says no system found.on reg mitsumis it doesnt detect them either or genica tried LOADING drivers to dos or ram partition.nothing is working plz helpDid you add another CDROM of some sort? Are all cable seated FIRMLY? What other WORK did you do on this machine?

Every time I turn on the MACHINE "found new hardware PCI gameport controller" comes up it searches but finds nothing so I get the "other" with the yellow question mark.  I uninstall it but it keeps coming up when the machine is turned on.I have looked all over this computer and nothing is plugged in especially a game controller, mind ya I can't get sound and I have headphones into the soundcard at the back.    I have downloaded Everest and this is what it says.  Under Multimedia. windows AUDIO (nothing is there) under PCI /pnp audio Fortemedia FM 801 audio controller

Direct sound-device description Primary sound driver and everything else under it is either none o/o or not supported

Direct music device type-user mode synthesizer
audio channels-2
midi channels-1600
voices-1000
avail mem-system memory
features-DS, DL1 and DL2 sample collections, and reverb effect are supported

Under PCI devices both Fortemedia FM801 audio and Fortemedia FM801 joystick controllers are there. In device description fast back to back transactions are supported but disabled and 66 MHz operation is not supported.

I am using windows xp pro version 2002 sp2
AMD k6 3d processor 501 MHz 256 MB of ram
How can I stop this "new hardware found" and how canI get my sound to work.  Install the proper soundcard drivers or disable the gameport from the device manager.

If the MIDI port is onboard, disable it from the BIOS.How do I find out if midi is onboard and I am sure I have  disabled but when the machine comes back on New hardware found" PCI gameport controller"Is your soundcard onboard or expansion?This I don't know as at the back it seems to be a soundcard with the three ports plus game port and it does say under PCI devices and pci pnp audio
I can't take it apart at this time to see but is there a way I can tell by looking in the bios?Are the connectors turned 90 degrees or can they be found between the other expansion cards such as, but not limited to, the videocard and network card.

If you install the drivers that came with the soundcard (Or motherboard, if the soundcard is onboard) the proper NAMES will be displayed in the device manager.If it's a tower and the ports are vertical, it's onboard; if horizontal, it's a separate video card (installed in an expansion slot).OK it is an expansion card and in system info nothing is under sound device and under problem devices "PCI gameport controller" because it  is disabled.Remove the expansion card to try and identify it.Thanks but I can't take it apart right now and Raptor I want to thank you too as I must be a pain in the *censored* eh!!!  BUT.....it is the only way to learn though!You most likely did not install the CORRECT drivers for your soundcard.

Do you have sound at all?No I have no sound but when I can take it apart and find out my soundcard make then I will try installing the drivers.You can try that, but can't Everest Home Edition tell you the name? That should work, even without drivers installed.OK under computer summary/Multimedia (as I see no sound catagory) Audio ADAPTOR ForteMedia FM801 Audio controller   Now that's not my soundcard is it?  Yes it is.

Just kidding.

Say, if I buy a 64bit processor, do I need a 64bit operating system?

Will a 64bit 1.7Ghz processor be faster or slower than a 32bit 2.1 Ghz processor?

Will a 64bit processor RUN hotter or colder than a 32bit processor?

Quote

Just kidding.

Say, if I buy a 64bit processor, do I need a 64bit operating system?

Will a 64bit 1.7Ghz processor be faster or slower than a 32bit 2.1 Ghz processor?

Will a 64bit processor run hotter or colder than a 32bit processor?

If it's a 80W or 100W, does it make any difference?

All you mentioned are very good.  PCI-E seems to be the way to go.  AGP will be history, soon.

Cooling a high end beast is becoming increasingly difficult and many fans are loud and annoying.

Some kind of dual core.  Any dual core cpu interests me

AMD XP Athlon +2800 (2.1Ghz)
ATI/Radeon 9800Pro AGP (8X) 128mb
Gigabyte 7N400Pro (Northbridge fan stops working when an AGP card is installed? Fun..)

How do you feel about Asrock?

I guess no more Gigabyte mobos for you?

I know nothing about it.

Sapphire ATI Xpress 200P, Socket-939,ATX SATA, LAN, AC97, USB2.0, PCI-Ex16

EPoX EP-9NPA7I, nForce4-4x, Socket-939 ATX, 4xS-ATA, LAN, Sound, PCI-Ex16

AMD Athlon 64 3200+ 2.0GHz Socket 939, 512KB, BOXED m/koeler

Is there a WAY to convert RAM to VRAM?

Thanks,
        SilvI'd say not by the look of this....

Short for VIDEO RAM, and pronounced vee-ram. VRAM is special-purpose memory used by video adapters. Unlike conventional RAM, VRAM can be accessed by two different devices SIMULTANEOUSLY. This enables the RAMDAC to access the VRAM for screen updates at the same time that the video processor provides new DATA. VRAM yields better graphics performance but is more EXPENSIVE than normal RAM.

need alittle help  here I am working on a friends pc he has a amd 800 mhz cpu I am not sure of the mobo runs windows xp pro, 128 mb of ram ati 7000 vpu
he was using it when it started to beep so he took the cpu and heat sink out and cleaned the heatsink now in order for it to keep RUNNING you have to apply pressure to the heatsink down on cpu or else it will shut off a few seconds after you turn it on, I TRIED bending the latch a little so it would draw it tighter but that wont work , any IDEAS or suggestionsYou have to apply thermal paste between the heatsink and the PROCESSOR to prevent the processor from overheating. If the processor is overheating the sensor may be detecting this and shutting it down.

Do a Google search for the proper WAY to apply the paste, and don't power up the PC again until you've done so.

When I put a new cd into my drive, I get this dialog box that says:  "d: is not accessible."  Then I go to properties and it tells me that the disc, which is brand new, is 100% full.  Total used space is 100%.  Help.More info is needed.
What OS?
When did this start HAPPENING?
Have you added any new hardware and or software lately ?

patio.  OS=windows xp

no new hardware or software lately.  i did just have the computer defragged, but this is the first time i have TRIED to SAVE to the d: since.  the problem has been going on for a LITTLE while but i had hoped that the defragging would help.Are we talking a dvd or cdrom here, You havnt given alot of DETAILS. Is the drive jumpered correctly and are you sure your clicking on the right drive. The more info you give the more help you can get. Does the drive show up in device manager and if so are there any question marks or does it show up as running ok. What is your drive connected to. Primary slave, secondary master, secondary slave.

My floppy has started a louder chatter than normal. It almost always gives the message, "The disk in drive A is not formatted. Do you WANT to FORMAT it now?"

When I select yes, I receive one of the following messages, "WINDOWS was UNABLE to complete the format" or "Windows cannot format this drive. Quit any disk utilities or other programs that are using this drive, and make sure that no window is displaying the contents of the drive. Then try formatting again."

I think the stepper MOTOR or worm screw is shot. Can anyone corrobotate this for me? Quote

...I think the stepper motor or worm screw is shot. Can anyone corrobotate this for me?

Howdy, all,

I've got a bit of a problem that's got me stumped.

I have a computer with 160 mb RAM, 1 32 mb chip in the front slot and 1 128 mb chip in the back slot - only 2 RAM slots total.  We want to put another 128 chip in the place of that 32 mb.  Now here's the fun PART - whenever we replace the chip, the computer will not power up...the monitor cycles from yellow standby light, to green light, then back to yellow again and that's all it does, but as soon as you replace the RAM chips to the original configuration, all is well again.

As for the particulars, the computer is a Dell OptiPlex GX110, one of the older white Dell systems.  It is running WIN98 SE and has DirectX 9.0 c.
CPU - Intel Pentium IIIE, 933 MHz
Chipset - Intel Whitney i810E
BIOS - Phoenix
Video Adapter - Intel 82810E Graphics Controller
3D Accelerator - Intel i752
Monitor - Dell D1025TM 17-in.

When I first got this computer, I reformatted it and reinstalled new drivers and suchlike, or at least all drivers that I could locate.  I am pretty sure the thing is upgradable...at least it should be, but I am baffled as to why it won't accept this new chip.  The thing seems attached to that 32 mb chip for some reason.

Hope someone out there knows something about this issue...I wonder if it isn't some glitch inherent in either Dell or Intel that requires that 32 mb chip to be in that slot, regardless of whatever other chip is in there with it, but that doesn't much make sense.  Or is there something special that needs to be done with this sort of system when you upgrade the hardware in this manner?  

Thanks, ya'llI am the Dell master here. You have incompatible RAM, probably a new make than what that needs, or the wrong type.

Do you know for sure about the 128 meg  chip you are putting in?

SDRAM, PC100 • CL=2 • Unbuffered • Non-parity • 100MHz • 3.3V • 16Meg x 64

These are the characteristics you need.


http://www.crucial.com/store/listparts.asp?Mfr%2BProductline=Dell%2BOptiPlex&mfr=Dell&tabid=AM&model=OptiPlex+GX110+Series&submit=Go

Shows what you need. If you get it at crucial it is guaranteed to work!

I love old Optiplexes, and have way too many. They are durable, RELIABLE, and heck, look at my name!

I'm pretty sure it's an SDRAM chip, and I think the same goes for the 128 chip that's currently in it, but I'll have to check to be sure.

Sorry, I forgot to include that...brain fart, since I reckon you do need to know that...DUH! SDRAM is the minimum requirement. Where did you get this chip? Check the other characteristics carefully.The particulars match...don't know why it won't work right...we installed the 128 already in it ourselves, in the second slot and they are the same chips.

My husband got the chips in a swap from a friend he works with.Try running with just the new chip and see what happens. Did you read on the crucial site this part:

<&GT;

I'll bet this a new manufacture chip that may not be compatible. That is definitely a problem with older Optiplexes, like mine - only one genration behind. Did you have a label showing the particulars?

CL=2 • Unbuffered • Non-parity • 100MHz • 3.3V • 16Meg x 64  

The 32 meg chip being present is absolutely NOT required for the system to function.

Pls. somebody help, P4 3GHZ proc. is just running at the speed of 2ghz, I dont know how I'm going to change the settings. they say to do that in BIOS but idont know which ONE will I'm going to change. Have you CHECKED it with Everest?Set the FSB to the appropriate size.

Hello,

I am trying to find some enlightenment, so I am hoping this community can help me out.  I have an ATI  Radeon 9000 series 128MB video card and a new 19" Norwood LCD monitor.  They both have a DVI-I connector and I have the cable as it came with the monitor.  With the standard VGA cable, I am getting a lot of trails and shadows with motion on my monitor and from reading VARIOUS FORUMS I am understanding that using the DVI interface may eliminate some or all of this motion blur.  That being said, I cannot get a SIGNAL on the monitor with just the DVI cable hooked up.  If I hook both the DVI cable and the VGA cable I get a signal, but it has the same characteristics, so I am assuming it is using the VGA.  Plus, it is acting like I have two monitors hooked up when both cables are plugged in.

Is there some trick that I am missing?  I would assume I could hook nothing but the DVI cable up and get a signal (this port has never been used by the way, so I don't think it is bad, but who knows).  I am hoping I don't have to buy a new video card, but I have a feeling that is the answer I am going to get.  If you have any solutions at all I would appreciate them.

I have some old 5.25" FLOPPIES that I need to GET files off of, but I don't have a computer with a 5.25" floppy drive.  Are these drives still being manufactured and sold, or are they COMPLETELY extinct?  If they are still being sold, where can I buy one, and would I be able to HOOK it up to my computer (Win XP)?  DOUBLE Post


Please see other reply.

When I TURN my computer on it begins its startup up but only gets to the point where the logo for the motherboard is displayed on the monitor and stops there, there are no error messages and the logo screen remains on the monitor. I have no keyboard  or mouse functions. I have placed cd's in drives and those drives appear to operate normally but no changes occur on the monitor screen. I strongly suspect that my hard drive has died, but would like some verification. One other thing, when I do first start up the computer their is a noice that I would BEST describe as a high speed grinding noise, which eventually stops after about a minute. I had been hearing this noise for a little while, but did not pay it much mind since it stopped after a short time and the computer seemed to be operating fine. My system has several cooling fans so I thought it might have been one of those. Any advice or help that can be provided would be greatly appreciated. ThanksThe grinding noise sounds bad. We just have to GUESS since you didn't list your computer specs, but:

If you haven't DONE anything physically to the computer
The noise has been present for a while
It suddenly got worse and you couldn't boot

It sounds like dead hard drive.

You could try booting with a live LInux CD and see if it can read your drive. If it is some other hardware error, you may be able to pick that up as well.A functioning hard drive is NOT required for a Live CD.

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

Download and burn the ISO to a blank CDR at a low speed. Put it in the CDROM drive and restart computer.


gazskiman:

YEAH, grinding noise = hard drive grinding to a halt.

To recover files from the drive, don't try to boot to it any longer, but remove it from the computer and put it in a sealed plastic bag in the freezer over night.

Install a new hard drive in the computer and install Windows on it.

Take the hard drive out of the freezer and connect it as a slave on the same IDE cable with the new hard drive.

Boot to Windows and browse to the other hard drive to move your files to the new hard drive before the old hard drive grinds to a halt again.


Let us know how it works out,
Doc
It sounds like dead hard drive.

You could try booting with a live LInux CD and see if it can read your drive. If it is some other hardware error, you may be able to pick that up as well.A functioning hard drive is NOT required for a Live CD.

***********
Thanks for the advice and link. I'll try it and see what happens. It just seems weird thatthere's no error message occuring and that the logo for the motherboard comes up and then nothing else happens. It almost seems to me like the system is waiting for instructions but isn't getting them.It is waiting for something to boot from. There is no floppy or CDROM and the hard drive is not available.

Let us know how the LIVE CD goes.As we are having a guessing competition I'll have a go:D

The noise is a fan and unrelated. Stick some plastic tubing in your ear & see if you can find where it's coming from.

Shut completely down & pull out it's battery for 10 minutes, re-insert & re-boot.Your Hard drive might be bad, but the grinding noise might be your psu fan.

Disconnect your hard drive, now do you hear any grinding and do you get any error messages onscreen. Quote

As we are having a guessing competition I'll have a go:D

The noise is a fan and unrelated. ...

I am having A LOT of problems with my COMPUTER.

Okay, so I just updated my computer with a new video CARD (MSI NX6600GT), hard drive (Hitachi 150gig SATA2 drive), stick of DDR-RAM (512mb worth), new processor (AMD 64 3200+ Winchester), and a new motherboard (Chaintech VNF4 Zenith VE). This is coming from an old ABIT motherboard, ATI Radeon 9800SE AGP card (new one is PCI-Express), and Dual 512mb (256x2) memory.

Right now, my SCREEN is covered in glitches, artifacts, flickers...you name it, my screen has it. Here's a picture:



Do you guys know what the problem might be? My computer continues to flash black and back to the back screen again every few seconds, which is bugging the *censored* out of me. I did use Driver Cleaner to see if it was because I switched from ATI to nVidia, but that didn't seem to solve it. This has been happening ever since I had all the parts together (got the video card yesterday), and the artifacts appear even during booting up the system.

Any help at all would be great. Thank you.Can you test another Graphics card, to see if is is the card you have in that is conflicting.

Also make sure you have the right driver for that card and that the card is properly seated.Sad to say, it's the only PCI Express card that I have. The only other ones I have are AGP.

I don't truly know if that video card is the problem or not, because I didn't have any drivers or even installed the card when I first booted up, and the glitches were already there during that portion.Are you sure the card is compatible with your system in every way?

[glb]Flame[/glb]Video Card Requirements:
-INTEL Pentium 4/III/II/Celeron, or AMD K6/Athlon or compatible with PCI Express slot (my motherboard has a x16 PCI Express slot, and my processor is AMD Athlon 64)
-128mb of system memory (I have 768)
-Installation software requires CD-ROM drive (I have a DVD-ROM and DVD Burner drive)
-DVD Playback requires DVD drive (met)
-Interactive program Guide requires Internet connection (got it obviously)
-Operation System Support: Windows XP / 2000 (I have Windows XP Pro)

So, basically, I do BELIEVE my computer meets the requirements.
-Power supply of 350 (I have a new 520W power supply).
Quote

Sad I don't truly know if that video card is the problem or not, because I didn't have any drivers or even installed the card when I first booted up, and the glitches were already there during that portion.

Hi everyone,
Thanks for taking time to read this, and help
I'll try to be short and I'll do my best to explain my problem as simple as I can.

First of all let me show you my system specs:
Dell 8400
Pentium 4, 3.6 mhz
2 GB RAM
256 MB Graphic card
Windows XP Media Center Edition

I have an issue with my hard drive "Maxtor 7Y250M0" 250GB Serial ATA (7200RPM) that came with my Dell purchase.

It worked perfectly fine for almost a year now, until 2 days ago when it got infected with a virus that affects (I think and hope) only the Operating System (Windows XP).

McAfee antivirus found it and cleaned it. I had to restart the PC. When I tried to restart it, it didn’t work. It gets to the Windows logo and stays there…

I tried to restart it from “Last known good configuration” and again the same.

I tried to restart it in Safe Mode, it STARTS to ‘scan’ some drivers (black screen, white letters) and it stops, the screen freezes.

I tried everything for several times and nothing.

So in order to keep the data I bought a second Hard Drive. The new Hard Drive is "Maxtor 6L200S0" 200GB Serial ATA (7200RPM)

I installed Windows XP media center there and I was hoping I would be able to copy the files from the old Drive to the New one.

But all I can do is START the PC with the new one. When I configure the Setup to see both drives, then the PC wont Start. All I get is the Windows logo and a black screen after it. Just like before.

When I configure the Setup to see only the New Drive, the PC starts normally, but I can't view the older Drive... The older one has C, D, E partitions...

The old drive works fine, its just the virus that is not letting the system boot, or be seen by the other drive.

I know it may be confusing, but I hope you understand.

So what are my OPTIONS and CHANCES for saving my files?

Thank you in advance.
jingo
Have you jumpered the original drive as the Slave? Quote

The old drive works fine, its just the virus that is not letting the system boot, or be seen by the other drive.