Posts by dcc

goldeagles' suggestion about using spybot s&d and adaware are on the mark, I would also download ewido security suite and run it, it too is free.

http://www.download.com/Ewido-Security-Suite/3000-8022_4-10326287.html

If the max that will be recognized in each socket is 256 MB, then that's all that will be recognized out of the 512MB. If the 512MB module is compatable with the other modules, yes you can use, but it will only show as 256MB.

This has some useful information, also note the menu on the left side.

http://www.computermemoryupgrade.net/

Well put Catweazle!

Over the last couple of months I've had to replace my FDD, CD-ROM, and HDD. I had hoped that the new HDD would solve some problems I've had, but they're back, so I guess it's time to get rid of this old slot A mobo. What I'm thinking about using is this:

BIOSTAR NF325-A7 Socket 754 NVIDIA nForce3 250 ATX AMD Motherboard

AMD Sempron 64 2500+ Palermo 800MHz FSB 256KB L2 Cache Socket 754

pqi POWER Series 512MB 184-Pin DDR SDRAM Unbuffered DDR 400 (PC 3200) System Memory

I'm on a tight budget at the moment, so at $156.00 this is appealing.

Any thoughts or ideas are welcome.

I do have one question, the power supply is a 300W Antec, is this enough for this system?

It definitley sounds like you have a problem, it sounds like you have a short. If it's still under warranty have it checked by a factory authorized repair service, if not...you still need to have this repaired before it causes more poblems. If you take a nine volt battery and place a coin across the two terminals it will heat up to the point where it will be too hot to handle comfortably in a very short period of time, that's what that short is doing to your computer.

If the PSU was set at 230V and you plugged it into 115V it shouldn't have harmed it, if it had been the reverse...that would have been bad news!

I would get in touch with the company that shipped your computer and file a claim for the damages it received in transit. If it was hit hard enough to dent it something could have been dislodged.

I don't know what part of the country they are in, so I can only guess on their grounding methods, almost all low voltage systems aren't subject to the National Electical Codes, it is possible the cable is sourced else where. But I seriously doubt that the ground on that receptacle is connected to a porper grounding device, water pipe, gas pipe, ground rod, UFER..., because if it were it would be tripping the breaker. Where I'm living the code requires either a UFER gound or a ground rod, and in addition to this it is required to bond the gas and water pipes to the other ground device from the main pannel, but older houses fall off the radar by "grandfather clauses" which means that nothing is required in the way of changes until there is work requirig a permit.. But the bottom line is this person has a short to ground someplace, and if they are reading voltages as is described, then the source of the short is on the other 110 Volt bus bar, that's about the only way that thses results could occur. Specifically, the middle diagram showing voltage reading from both the neutral and line sides of the receptacle. I think I'll go fishing and think of something other than work. :cheesy:

Catweazle...poor choice of words on my part, nothing derogatory was implied. ;)

The revresed polarity in most cases isn't a problem, as I stated earlier,
the reversed polarity isn't that big of a deal as it is AC voltage, and most electrical devices don't care in which order they receive the two potentials, GFCIs are one of the exceptions. In other words, no, the reversed polarity wasn't the problem, the problem is the short in the ground wire. Get those lazy arsed electricians back and make them trace that new recetacle back to where it was added to the circuit and repair it, and have them correct the polarity on all the reversed receptacles.

It too bad your not close by, as an electrician this is the type of mystery that I enjoy solving. By the way, the question regarding the type of meter you were using, DMMs have a tendency to "ghost", that is read voltages that don' exist when reading de-energized circuits.

You might also talk to you landlord about their wiring being responsible for frying your pc, what you did shouldn't have produced the results that you had.

This gets better by the minute...I definitely would want to see just what that ground is attached to, if it doesn't go back to the pannel then you could experience transient current. I'm curious about what you're finding when you meter this out, with the line and neutral reversed you still should only be able to see voltage between the ground and the line, and neutral and line, not from neutral to ground no mater what side the two potentials are on, there is only one potential present in that situation.

There are a couple of things I would want to check out, I would like to pull the receptacle out far enough that it is clear of the metal box and see if there is any voltage readings from the box to neutral or ground, if there is, look for a wire shorting to the box. While it's out check to see if any of the previous readings change.

I do agree with Catweazle on one count, if the wiring is that old you might consider a service upgrade, and if the original wire is copper romex and is in good shape, a electrician should be able to install a ground wire and replace the two slot receptacles. Personally, I would spend the extra money for new romex and just do it right.

If the PSU was unplugged the voltage didn't come from there, and the only other source that you have given is the coax cable, take a reading between the center conductor of the coax and ground, and test it for polarity...is it DC voltage? The ground could be sourced back through the monitor making a complete circuit if there is voltage in the coax. There isn't enough information to really undersatand what's happening here.

The reversed polarity isn't that big of a deal as it is AC voltage, and most electrical devices don't care in which order they receive the two potentials, GFCIs are one of the exceptions. What I would be concerned about is the lower voltage. Is that receptacle warm to touch? You could have a poor connection which would produce a resistive load, these can be dangerous...fire. One thing you could do is to find out which circuit the receptacale is on and test the voltage in other location in the same circuit, and if the voltages are normal in the other locations then the problem is confined to the one receptacle. If you feel comfortable with this, turn off the power to that receptacle and test the receptacle with a meter to make sure that it is off, pull the receptacle out and examine the connections. Look for any discoloring, burnt wires, or signs of arcing.

What kind of meter are you using, analogue or digital?

You've got me curious now, so let …

That most have the dread of future events, it was my hdd that died.

A DVD-RW also makes CDs. The answers are out there, and you can find them if you just look, and I gave a place to start already, and here's one last one.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1482114&Sku=N27-1878

If you took it apart and have lost parts... it is toast! Time to move on, you can buy a new CD-RW for $21.99.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16827106976

I just found out how to stop these guys, appearently these are prolific enough that M$ has a fix for them. :cheesy:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/security/learnmore/stopspam.mspx

I replaced my hdd and got back on line three days ago, and I keep getting these pop-up messages with a header which reads "Messenger Service", and proceeds to leave messages like "STOP! CRITICAL ERROR DETECTED, and want me to go to their web site (www.win-fix.com).
I have Zone Alarm, and Shoot the messenger, and they still keep coming! How can I stop this annoying invasion?

P.S. Yes, I am aware that all of these are sales hype.

Download Everest, it's free, and will tell you everything you can think of about your computer.

http://www.lavalys.hu/products/overview.php?pid=1&lang=en

You might also try googling this type of information for yourself, the exercise ain't gonna kill ya! :cool:

I"m a little curious why someone would respond to a thread that hasn't been active for four months, much less two new people espousing the virtues of Crucial. :-|

Zhaohe...I don't mind helping out, but I can't help but wonder why you didn't just google this yourself.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/default.mspx

If you are having trouble sleeping, try reading through this...it's the report on your error code.

http://search.microsoft.com/search/results.aspx?st=b&na=88&View=en-us&qu=%22ERROR+1402

My old hdd died last week and I found a good deal on a 200GB Maxtor. The broblem is that I'm using Windows 2k Pro which will normally only recognize 137GB, it came with software that will enable the OS to recognize the larger hdd as long as the W2k has SP3 or better. There's the rub...all I had was the CD to install the W2k, no service pac, so I split the drive into C and D partitions and installed the OS. The instructions had warned that installing this large of a hdd without the software provided could lead to lost data. The only problem that I see is that Everest only shows 127GB of the 200.

This seams like the old catch 22, can't install the sp4 ( what is current) until the system is up and running, and then the hdd is all ready partitioned and formatted and has w2k running, what's a guy suppose to do?

Hi MH275, and welcome to daniweb...Windows 2000 Pro doesn't support over 137GB hdds, but you can partion it into C and D drives and put something like 40GB in the C, and the remainder in the D. If you have service pac 3 or better, there should be a disk that came with your hdd which will allow you to install the whole 160GB. As for the CD-ROM, check your connections since you have been playing around in there, you might check your BIOS to see if it's still configured properly.

Hey Indienick...I appreciate the thought, but my motherboard died and with the new one and the fresh installation the problem is gone.

2- 512MB sticks will be faster.

I got to looking around and found a Western Digital 80 GB WD800 BB deliverd for $45.00, any thoughts?

Dnag!...ya really know how to hurt a guy when hes down! ;)

Thanks crunchie...the saga continues, the next day all heck broke loose. It would seem that there is something happening with my disk, there were 51 disk errors, 5 service control manager errors, and one rasman error, all occuring on 08/26/05 am. I'm guessing that the disk that is being mentioned is my hard drive from the way the computer was acting. The column titled Event is showing either a 7 or 51 whenever there was a disk error, is there a way to reference these numbers? Looking further back I see more scattered instances of the disk errors, and they are usually with a ATAPI error just before the disk error. Looking back further there seem to be a large amount of service control manage errors.

These are a list of the error sources and event numbers

Disk-7, 51, 52 (only one 52)

ATAPI-9

Service Control Manager-7000, 7001,7026, 7009

DCOM-10010

I've been copying everything that I don't have on a disk to CDs and expecting to loose the hdd at any moment. So far it looks like I can use it for three or four hours before everything slows to a stop. :sad:

Hi all...last night I had 51 disk errors in the event viewer, I think it's time to get another hdd, my question is which one and how big? I have a Maxtor 40GB now and still have 80% free, so I'm guessing that I could get by with a 80GB hdd.

I realize this is almost as bad as asking what kind of car would you buy, opinions will fly, but I sure could use some unbiassed advice.

THanks, dcc

P.S. Tiger Direct has a Maxtor Diamond Max Plus9 80BG for $66.98, this includes shipping.

Catweazle...After posting my last reply here last night my computer slowed to a crawl and eventually the cursor wouldn't respond at all, I tried rebooting and got as far as the page with the MS logo and then it stalled and eventually the computer shut down. I restarted it which took a very long time to do, and after a while the computer started speeding up to normal, this action was a first, its' never done any thing like this before. This morning it started up like normal and I went into the event viewer to see what had happened last night, and there were 51 disk errors with the number 7 in the event column, all of these occured last night. Looking back further there have been a large number of service control manager errors with the numbers 7000, 7001, 7026. Is there a way to refrence these event numbers?

I'm guessing that my hdd is on it's way south, the BIOS and everest both show the SMART to be bad. I'm going to start transfering files and downloaded programs to CDs this morning...I should have started this immediately after the last reformating. :rolleyes:

My computer started responding really slowly to night, when I click on anything it takes a very long time before it responds. At one point it just stalled and I hit Ctrl Alt Delete and the task manager came up and then started to reboot, it got to the windows is starting up part and stayed there for about two minutes and then the computer shut off. After restarting, it took about five minutes to get the desktop to come up, and every thing is very slow to respond. Would one of you please look at my log and see if this looks like there is an infection.

Logfile of HijackThis v1.99.1
Scan saved at 12:49:14 AM, on 8/26/2005
Platform: Windows 2000 SP4 (WinNT 5.00.2195)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP1 (6.00.2800.1106)

Running processes:
C:\WINNT\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINNT\system32\csrss.exe
C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINNT\system32\services.exe
C:\WINNT\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINNT\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINNT\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVGFRE~1\avgamsvr.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVGFRE~1\avgupsvc.exe
C:\WINNT\System32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\ewido\security suite\ewidoctrl.exe
C:\WINNT\system32\regsvc.exe
C:\WINNT\system32\MSTask.exe
C:\WINNT\system32\stisvc.exe
C:\WINNT\system32\ZoneLabs\vsmon.exe
C:\WINNT\Explorer.EXE
C:\WINNT\System32\WBEM\WinMgmt.exe
C:\WINNT\system32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\HP\hpcoretech\hpcmpmgr.exe
C:\WINNT\system32\spool\drivers\w32x86\3\hpztsb10.exe
C:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\HP Software Update\HPWuSchd2.exe
C:\Program Files\Zone Labs\ZoneAlarm\zlclient.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVGFRE~1\avgcc.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVGFRE~1\avgemc.exe
C:\WINNT\system32\carpserv.exe
C:\Program Files\FaxTalk Communicator\FTCtrl32.exe
C:\Program Files\FaxTalk NetOnHold\Ftnohmgr.exe
C:\Program Files\Spyware Doctor\swdoctor.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\PeoplePC\ISP6100\Browser\PPShared.exe
C:\Program Files\WinZip\WZQKPICK.EXE
C:\Program Files\Ulead Systems\Ulead PhotoImpact 4.2\ABMTSR.EXE
C:\Program Files\FaxTalk Communicator\FAPIEXE.EXE
C:\WINNT\system32\wuauclt.exe
C:\Program Files\PeoplePC\ISP6100\Browser\Bartshel.exe
C:\Program Files\PeoplePC\ISP6100\Browser\Bartshel.exe
C:\Program Files\PeoplePC Accelerated\PeoplePC.exe
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
C:\Program Files\HijackThis\HijackThis.exe

R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Bar =

I should have realized that, I didn't think it through. :o

Does this mean that my recent reformat has a problem?

Thanks Catweazle...I was in a rush to get out the door this morning and forgot to mention two important pieces of information, the BIOS is AMI, and I did replace the fdd and data cable. Replacing the fdd didn't correct the situation, but I do now have a fdd that works without growling loudly.

This last week I had a new problem which is beginning to make me think that there may be a problem with the BIOS, when the system gets to the last part of the startup I'm getting an error message regarding the driver for the software for my modem, I unistalled and reinstalled the software with no effect. I will do as you have suggested and see if what effect it has on this problem.

In the nine months that I've had this computer it seems that I've always been doing one thing or another to it, I suspect that if I ever get this machine running smoothly I'm always going to feel as if something is missing.

Hi Catweazle...this is a home brew a friend put together about six years ago:

MIS K7 Pro (MIS6195 ATX IR3) motherboard with a AMD Athlon Pluto K75 , OS W2K Pro

Because of a problems with a corrupted file,(or files) I reformatted my OS, after that the computer was running fine except for one of the original problems, the computer stops randomly in the POST, alway in the same place. I was able to identify the item by the LED display on the motherboard and the diagnostic chart provided for that, and it always stops at the same place, initializing the floppy drive controller. It seems that the general consensus is that the chip set on the motherboard containing the floppy drive controller is going south. I disabled the seek floopy drive in the BIOS, but the problem persist. At another web site it had been suggested that because of the age of my BIOS I should either upgrade or flash the BIOS. If the machine is dying of old age, I'm not adverse to learning something new if it isn't going to precipitate a quicker death. :D

Janine...I repeat, there are transistors, and there are capacitors, but there ain't no transistor capacitors usnless you're talking about the architecture of an IC. The only cutting edge technology that even uses similar nomiclature that I'm aware of can be reviewed with this link... ;)

http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/abs_free.jsp?arNumber=1012775

"I myself am still having problems, but I,ve noticed that one of the transistors ( or other name) on the board, the things with the + marks on them looks a bit bloated as the others are completely flat."

That sounds like a bad eletrolytic capacitor.

I still don't have a clear picture of how much tape there was, and where it was placed between the heatsink and the CPU, but what I'm fairly certain of is that the tape between the two disrupted the continuity beween the two components and the thermal compound stopping the heat generated by the CPU from reaching the heatsink to disispate it, thus allowing it to over heat. The purpose of the thermal paste is to provide as close to a molecular bond as possible between the two components to inhance thermal convection between the two. Even on a well machined and polished surface, what at first glass appears to be a smooth surface changes drasticaly when viewed under something like an optical flat with a monochromatic light source. What appeared as a smooth surface previously now looks very much like a topographic map, and it's these hills and valleys that the thermal compound is designed to help fill and provide greater continuity. I hope this helps you to understand a little better.

Good mornig Catweazle... you wrote "there are some other tools which may be able to allow you to display temps on the desktop or in the system tray", I would be intersted in reading more about these, would you please provide some more information.

"I'ma smack you lot. You're not really helping a helluva lot" If my suggestion isn't being helpful let me know and I'll gladly desist.

Just one item Janine...
Janine...there are capacitors, and there a transistors, but I've never heard of transistor caps.

There shouldn't be anything between the CPU and the heatsink except a small amount of thermal paste, and this includes double sided tape. If you must attach it to the heatsink, do so on the outside, you won't notice any difference in temperature.

About the only way to tell is to put your CPU and RAM into another board.
As for the chassis, I'm guessing that Janine is referring to the case, if this is true then don't worry about it, a metal case doesn't hold a static charge.
I'm probably suggesting the obvious here, but I would suggest that your friend get a good surge protector.

Janine...there are capacitors, and there a transistors, but I've never heard of transistor caps. ;)

Be nice Janine...We're suppost to help here.

belikemike...I think Janines point was that a lot of answers can be found by googling, but there are a lot of choices out there and it sure is nice when you can get a good recomendation to narrow down your choices. I like Everest Home Edition, it will provide you with temps and voltages and tell you just about anything you want to know about your machine. :cool:

http://www.lavalys.com/

The beauty of this is that you can minimize it and use another page to do something else and then go back to monitor your system without having to close anything or use a disk.

That's hard to say without knowing a little more about your setup, like how long did it take for the thermal protection to kick in, did the heatsink have a fan, was it running, and to what part of the heatsink did you attach the sensor to, and did this tape impede the thermal convection of the heatsink. As for the sensors' location, where was it located originally, and how was it attach, or was it free standing next to the CPU? :eek:

Hey...go for it, and best of luck! About condensation, yep...depending on the amount of humidity in your local, that one could be a problem, but there are ways to get around that also. A smaller refrigerator doesn't mean that it will be cheaper to run, smaller compressors actually can draw more. Post a picture of this when you get it going, and let us know how it works.

We all get great ideas that upon further review reveal themselves as not being practicle, welcome to the club. Your average refrigerater cost around ten dollars a month to operate, so in the long run investing in a more convetional cooling system such as a liquid cooling system would be justifiable, that is if you're serious.

I have admit, for a moment I had a vision of this compressor and all of its support equipment piled up and attached to cardboard ducting with gobs of duct tape holding eveything to the side of the computer case with all of its vents taped over...a vision Rube Goldberg would have been proud of!

I hope this is in time to help, please read this link before you start: http://compreviews.about.com/od/tutorials/ss/DIYCPU.htm
Please read and follow the instructions, and NO bouble sided tape!

error occured...see next post.

A hard and expensive leson indeed. Well...maybe the computer gods will be pleased with the burnt offering and smile on you in the future. :-|

Just a thought here, if your computer is three or four years old you might want to invest in a new motherboard and CPU combo. I don't know where you live, but here I have access to Tiger Direct who have some pretty reasonable prices for combos. Sorry aboutthe paper weight. ;)

Your case has openings for ventilation...thus it is open.

who forgot to add the chlorine to the gene pool?

It depends on what that message was, if it said it can't because it is in use, try deleting it in the safe mode, but as previously suggested you should be able to delete it in the conrol pannel under add and remove programs.