Posts by TallCool1

i am backing up some software. however some of it does not like being copied. what software will alow bit per bit copy of a cd. or software than will make a perfect image of software

I hate to sound like a broken record, but the Knoppix live Linux-on-CD can do this; it has a program called Partition Image that can create a drive image file and QTPartEd to manipulate partitions. It's free, of course.

Another tip: hard drive manufacturers often provide free cloning software so you can transfer data to your "new" drive. Check their web sites for downloads. I know that Maxtor and Western Digital have this.

I have windows 2000 installed on my compaq presario 700. Everthing works but the sound card. Where can I find the correct drivers?

The VIA site http://www.viaarena.com/?PageID=2 has the newest Hyperion drivers (formerly known as 4-in-1). These are probably much newer than your Compaq drivers and are dated 5/20/03. VIA drivers are universal, and will work fine with your KN133 chipset. The sound system is AC '97, in other words, integrated into the chipset. They also have support forums.

Let us know if this helps. You could also try a Knoppix CD as a cross-check...

I just installed winxp to try it out, and for some reason it hates my video card. the screen flickers and craps out. if i turn off hardware acceleration it works fine. i downloaded the new drivers for the card. it works great under win98, redhat 8, and slackware 7. so i feel it's safe to assume that the problem lies in xp. does any one know anything about this?

For starters, WinXP has a problem with vertical refresh rates -- it always defaults to 60 Hz. There are utilities and whole sites devoted to this problem. Check out "xp refresh" on Google and/or check the download section at http://www.Guru3D.com.

You should also bring up the desktop Properties menu and check the settings for buffering, etc. (I don't have this card, so I forget the details, but the settings are there).

Another handy utility is MultiRes, which is available from http://www.EntechTaiwan.com and is free for personal use -- it allows resolution/refresh-rate changes on-the-fly.

...and I forgot to mention that nVidia pulled the latest version of their drivers and put the prior version back up. Go back to the site and ensure that you have the right ones. If the site drivers are OLDER than yours, go for those. Guru3D is good for video drivers, too.

-- Michael Rudas

For some reason I get a toolbar at the bottom of my screen and my home page re-written every time I open my browser... What should I do?

It looks like a nasty browser hijacker, NOT a virus. Try SpyBot Search & Destroy instead of AdAware -- it works better. Download links are available from http://Security.Kolla.de, where you can also find an EXCELLENT forum where you can post this question.

As far as virus checkers go, I can't recommend Norton; it's too much of a resource hog. I use Grisoft AVG from http://www.Grisoft.com (free for personal use). AVG runs in the background like McAfee or Norton (but I like it better than either).

...the computer must be booted twice to get the monitor to turn on.

Go into the BIOS. Turn OFF everything related to ACPI or APM. It's a good start.

Another thing to try: set the resolution to 640x480@60 Hz and see if that helps. It's possible that the monitor is seeing an out-of-range signal on the first boot. If that works, set the rez back as you see fit once it's working.

I'm having an ongoing problem with my Samsung 955df monitor. When the monitor has been off, in standby or on screen saver for awhile and I start it up the picture is great.

Not good news, I'm afraid. You have a bad flyback (a/k/a integrated high-voltage transformer -- it runs hot) or a problem with the dynamic-focus circuitry. The focus voltages are derived from a resistor network integrated into the IHVT, then modulated for edge focus. If one of the plated connections becomes thermally intermittent, the voltages (hence focus) will drift.

The IHVT is the second-most expensive component in a monitor.

The monitor might still be under warranty.

Hi guys, I have an Acer 77c... As time went by, the switching on and off became MUCH more frequent...

Bad solder connections! No big deal. Older Acer monitors do this all the time -- cold solder joints at PC board pin connectors, due to thermal cycling and physical stress. If you (or a friend) are handy with a soldering iron, it's relatively easy, and worth a try.

Go for the pin connectors (where the connectors from other boards plugs in), especially around the power supply module. Use good solder.

...the screen is now a greenish color. Is there any way to fix it, maybe demagnetize the screen?

I'm a monitor technician (among other things). Is green the only color you see, or does it just predominate? Is the green tint uniform, or splotchy? What happens when you rap or slap the side of the case? How about a brand / model ID? How old is it?

I just bought myself a new PC and there is some problems. It seems that when my hard-drive go over some amount of rpm, I get interference on my screen. It almost looks the same as when you get a cell phone call and your phone is near the screen. I have moved my pc around, pluged in another screen and check every piece of hardware in the case. No use. Please Help!!!

This is nearly always a power supply problem. Depending upon the cost/age of the case, either the PS is too small for the load or the electrolytic capacitors are dried out due to heat (this causes the voltage to drop and ripple to increase, leading to interaction with the video). The second scenario is usually due to the PS fan seizing up over time. In your situation, it's probably the power supply pooping out due to marginal specs.

i run the computer club at my high school, i need help what should i do next in my computer club? we have made mp3 radio shows and until we get our own computers we cannot install "illegal" (aka downloaded off kazaa) on the school comps. we can use freeware and stuff but we cannot take the comps apart. so if you have any ideas on what we should do next please tell me thanks a lot

You can use those machines to check out Linux (a good idea for any student of computing) by using Knoppix -- it's a CD-bootable Linux distribution, so no installation is required. It includes Internet, graphics (The GIMP), office software (OpenOffice.org), games, and more. If you can access the BIOS to set it to boot from the CD, you're all set; if not, you can create a boot floppy and go from there. Although the hard drive icons appear on the desktop, the drives are not mounted until you either left-click on the icon or right-click and select Mount. Similarly, write-access is turned off by default, but can be turned on.

Knoppix is excellent for checking out Linux, but it can also be used as a rescue disk for Windows, as it has drive-imaging and partition-editing utilities. It's quite useful. I'm using it right now to post this message. The CD makes a good install-disc, as well.

It's free. The download links are available on the main site

My first question here is: where I should start from in Linux?

I recommend Knoppix, since there's no need to install. You can get your feet wet and garner a basic understanding of Linux BEFORE going through the process of installation. No matter which distribution you wind up going with, even a little Linux experience will make installing MUCH easier.

See the postings on this subject elsewhere in this forum.

I'm cross-posting this, as it's germane to this thread as well...

Knoppix is a CD-bootable Linux distribution, so no installation is required. It includes Internet, graphics (The GIMP), office software (OpenOffice.org), games, and more. If you can access the BIOS to set it to boot from the CD, you're all set; if not, you can create a boot floppy and go from there. Although the hard drive icons appear on the desktop, the drives are not mounted until you either left-click on the icon or right-click and select Mount. Similarly, write-access is turned off by default, but can be turned on.

Knoppix is excellent for checking out Linux, but it can also be used as a rescue disk for Windows, as it has drive-imaging and partition-editing utilities. It's quite useful. I'm using it right now to post this message. The CD makes a good install-disc, as well.

It's free. The download links are available on the main site http://www.Knoppix.com and the unofficial support site is at http://www.Knoppix.net, which I frequent as Loper.

Hey I know that this thread is old, but I want to know what Amiga is, and y it was so awsome. well thanks for the information.

I was there, so I guess I'll try to give more information...

* The Amiga was based on the Motorola MC68000 processor family, but it wasn't crippled like the Mac or Atari ST -- or massively overpriced like the IBM Model 9000, Sun, and Fortune Systems machines.

* It had 4096 colors at a time when the IBM PC had 64 (or less), the Atari ST had 512, and the Mac had 2.

* It had 2-channel sound when the PC had a beeping speaker (or a sound card based on the SID chip from the Commodore 64), the Mac was a bit better, and the Atari ST had a cheap sound chip.

* It could be expanded to 8 MB memory when the PC was limited to about 2 MB of paged, segmented memory -- and the Mac and ST were limited to about 1 MB or less.

* It had a true preemptively-multitasking operating system when the Mac and ST did not (and could not); the PC had MS-DOS (and Windows still does not preemptively multitask).

* Plug-and-Play was invented on the Amiga; Apple and IBM had to license it.

* It was natively compatible with NTSC video (the system clock was 2x the NTSC color clock), which is what made the NewTek Video …