Posts by Catweazle

Hate to tell you, but without the accompanying Windows CD-RON:

1. The existing installation of Windows is not legal
2. You'll now need to purchase a copy of Windows XP so that you can reinstall or repair the existing installation.

No way out of it, I'm afraid.

errmmmmm.....

It'd be helpful if you made it more clear what you want to know. Are you valuing the system to sell, for example, or are you wanting to know how much it would cost to build such a PC?

Also it'd help if you indicated your country of origin, as DaniWeb members come from all over the globe.

I'll download and read your motherboard manual later on when I have time available (if Microstar still make it available of course). I'll post more detailed comments then :D

Difficult to say without you giving me identification details for your system (if a name brand PC) or your motherboard (if not) . I'd need to read the motherboard manual for your PC to give specific information, because BIOS setup routines differ from system to system.

It's keyboard command, using arrow keys, enter, Page Up/Page down etc etc, and if the key presses were not working I'd have to suspect a faulty keyboard is the reason.

Lots of people use USB keyboards nowadays (which I personally hate) and I think the best way to access stuff at a system level is to use a cheap, standard plug-in keyboard.

Hiya and welcome. I hope you enjoy your time here :)

Reset CMOS. Try again. Instructions should be in your motherboard manual.

http://www.pcuser.com.au/pcuser/hs2.nsf/web/723171C3DD82D725CA256E6D003D7A2D

Go into BIOS Setup, check any section for 'Integrated peripherals or simesuch, and disable the LAN or Ethernet or whatever it's called there.

Always scroll back when you check additions to a thread, because the email link goes straight to the last post made in the thread, not to earlier ones you haven't yet read

The two 'superimposed TVs' will be your internet connection, the other will be a network connection that is not connected to anything.

Even your dial-up internet uses Windows' networking technology.

Drop it into a repair shop and see if the technicians there can repair it for you. The damage sounds quite serious and I'd strongly suggest you discontinue using the PC until it is repaired.

If the technician cannot repair the damage because the motherboard is beyond repair, then you will face the need to purchase replacement components or a replacement PC.

That is not damage I'd advise anyone to try fixing themselves!

Hi dcc,

I must have missed the last comment in your earlier comment here:
http://www.daniweb.com/techtalkforums/thread23382.html

If you do not use the LAN port in your PC then disable it. You've tried doing so in Windows and it hasn't resolved the matter so it's time to go a bit deeper. Check to see if the LAN port on your PC is an onboard one (socket near the main connectors for mouse, keyboard etc) or if it is on an add-in card (socket in one of the card slots at rear of PC)

If it's an add-in card remove the card from your PC. If it's onboard LAN then disable it in BIOS setup.

You won't get Network cable unplugged popups if there's no network card or onboard networking present :)

By the way, those messages do no harm and will not lead to further problems.

Please indicate which Windows version you are using, so that this question can be moved to the appropriate forum section. Introductions is for saying hello to the community here and being welcomed in to it, NOT for technical questions. The announcement at top of page clearly indicates this.

http://www.daniweb.com/techtalkforums/thread6632.html

The linked articles in that are a little out of date now, because they were written when windows XP was at Service Pack 1. Substitute Service Pack 2 for those references.

Also, the Introductions section is NOT for technical questions. Please read the 'stickied' topics in that section to get more information about participating in a forum such as Daniweb. I'll move this thread to the appropriate section in case there are further questions or discussion.

so how can i get 11 points????

Make polite, interesting, intelligent, helpful and well-typed posts. Wait in hope that someone will notice and award you rep points :D

I'm unsure about wireless jobbies cause I don't use them myself - you may need to install a driver for the wireless receiver. but try the mouse itself with standard Microsoft drivers rather than the provided ones. you can always install the proprietary ones later if need be.

Generic drivers operate better, in my view, and you don't get program conflicts with them.

I have several different optical mice here. One even has 5 buttons, and all are recognised and useful with standard Microsoft drivers in use. The mouse is about the only component for which I recommend not installing manufacturer drivers!

General fatal exception error troubleshooting
http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000223.htm#02

List of Microsoft KB articles related to specific fatal exception errors
http://www.helpwithwindows.com/techfiles/fatal-0e-errors.html

Take it to a technician and get it checked. It may be that it is already damaged beyond repair - are you sure the replacement power adapter was the correct one for your laptop?

A change to a simple wheelmouse will make the world of difference to you. The second feature you noeed to look for is to ensure you get an 'optical' mouse, so that you don't have a tracking ball to constantly clean. With those two features alone you have it 'made'!

Cordless is a bonus but also a nuisance all of its own, with battery changes etc to be addressed.

Remember - Optical Wheelmouse!

The rest of it is simply candy on the cake :D

I would strongly suggest that you download and install the V1.9 BIOS update from
http://www.asrock.com.tw/support/Download/dl_k7vm2.htm

I'm unsure if that contains a fix for the problem, as only details of the most recent two upgrades are provided, but that certainly sounds like a problem that only a BIOS update would fix. Instructions for installing the update are linked on that page.

Follow them very carefully. A failed BIOS update will render your motherboard useless. You must not lose power to the PC while the update is being installed.

The quickest and best way to fix the problem you have is to cease using Internet Explorer and install a tab-based browser instead. Firefox or Mozilla allow you to have different pages open in Window tabs, to save all tabs as a group, and to open groups of tabs with a single click. Internet explorer will NOT do what you ask.

You can attempt to repair this file by starting windows setup using the original setup cd-rom...

That doesn't mean you need to find some fancy and technical procedure to repair the file - it simply means pop the CD in the drive and run 'Setup' to install Windows again over the top of itself!

It's telling you to correct the situation by replaceing the Windows system files :D

This MS document describes the procedure thoroughly
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315341&Product=winxp

If you suspect there may be a risk of overheating there is a simple thing to do to ease your mind. Open the PC case by removing the side panel, turn it on and visually check that the fans are working.

I wouldn't rule anything out. but if the hard drive is indeed dying it would explain problems when in Windows, becuase accesses to the hard drive would often end up being misreads. Windows tries to access operating info, the read fails, windows gets confused and locks up.

I'd replace the drive and see. If the original drive eventually proves to be OK the worst you end up with is an extra drive to use, and that's never a bad thing :)

But eliminate the most likely suspect is the course of action I'd take, and hard drives are not expensive.

Edit: The 'check drive for consistency' messages are pretty telling ;)

Hiya Sabina.

It sounds very much like you need to replace the hard drive in your computer. the one you have seems to be failing. Unfortunately, that will mean you'll have to reload Windows and all your programs on a new hard drive.

If you have a CD or DVD burner, and get time to copy your important data files to CD or DVD before the system mucks up you should do so, otherwise you will lose them

I wrote an article in reply to someone who experienced similar problems a while back, and did so in the form of a 'Rap song'. Hopefully it will inform you about the problem in a light hearted way

http://www.pcuser.com.au/pcuser/hs2.nsf/web/3765E45E202B5145CA256E7D002AB9EC

Replace that hard drive as soon as possible would be my suggestion.

I wasn't trying to tell you what to do - merely stating my opinion. you might like to wait and hear the opinion of others :)

NEVER would I pay extra to get a card that's already been overclocked out of the factory! Those cards are most likely already at their tolerance levels when you get them. I'd much rather pay less, overclock them myself, and take my chances of getting a great performer at a much lower price.

Every cheap card I've ever purchased has overclocked well with a reasonable amount of care and caution involved in the process. paying extra for someone else to do it for you beforehand is a mug's game, in my view ;)

Even should the card not overclock well, reference design is great performance at a very reasonable cost.

Sparkle cards are made in Asia, commonly sold in Australia, and I dunno where you live or where you'd get them.

XFX are another 'cheapie' brand, and I'm unfamiliar with BFG

None of these cards are really any 'better' than any other in terms of performance. If they are reference design they all work the same way ;)

My preference is, and has always been for sparkle cards. Reference specifications and design, cheap because there are no bundled 'extras' to bump up the price, and reasonably good build quality.

I don't purchase for fancy features or brand name recognition, only for value! ;)

So try pulling your head out from where it's stuck and have a realistic attempt at doing just that, eh? regardless of your claims elsewhere, you posted a suggestion which implies that people should discontinue using AV software. If that was not your intent, then you should look carefully at the way you express yourself.

If education is the goal, ego gets in the way of it ;)

Your post was split off because it is a side issue which is a discussion topic and which does not directly provide assistance in response to the topic starter's question.

'Over my head' or not, you're pushing a personal barrow, dude, and I've given you a separate topic to push it in. Please continue your comments there, as further discussion of this topic hijack attempt will be deleted!

Edit: by the way, think yourself fortunate. I recently closed another topic because it was the tired old LINUX>WINOWS dross, and I allowed yours because it was a fresh approach ;)

Those tweaks work by disabling tabs from display properties by creating Registry keys and setting their value to '1'. If they are present, setting the value to '0' will enable the display Properties tabs again.

The relevent Ragistry key DWord for the Desktop tab is:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/CurrentVersion/Policies/NoDispBackgroundPage

Check this article of mine out, where I've described the procedures to disable features from the Display proiperties box. If the settings are present in the registry, setting them to a '0' value will enable them again

http://www.pcuser.com.au/pcuser/hs2.nsf/web/5C9BC92ADA7D6FEBCA256F62003707F8

Thanks, on behalf of all of the regulars here, for those comments. They make the time spent worthwhile ;)

See my answer to this topic:

http://www.daniweb.com/techtalkforums/thread24389.html

Romove all addin cards. Disconnect all drives, both power and data cables.

Power up and press the <Esc> key repeatedly as soon as you hear fans etc start to operate. The BIOS POST information is usually hidden in Compaq systems and pressing <Esc> during power up makes it visible.

Your system should display POST info until it reaches an error, and give you a hint to the source of problems. Removing all cards and components will allow POST to run to the point of detecting drives at least.

Add back the components one by one to ensure that they are recognised correctly in the BIOS POST info screens. Add your hard drive last, so that you are not constantly trying to boot into Windows and have Windows also detecting components.

There will be one or more internal components which are stopping the system from booting. An incorrectly attached power connector, a malfunctioning component....

With 512Mb of RAM installed in a 900MHz PC, it could even be a mismatched RAM module which is causing the problem. Ensure that initially you remove all but one RAM module.

The RAM modules are incompatible with your motherboard, I'm sorry to say. Not all PC133 RAM modules are identical technology. I do not believe that anything will make them detect correctly.

mightn't be what you want to hear, but it's the truth. I've come across quite a few older systems which exhibited the same behaviour, and short of purchasing a more expensive, alternate type of RAM module the limitation cannot be overcome. The earlier comment about single/double sided RAM is most likely the explanation, and 'double sided' RAM does not necessarily mean that the module has memory chips on both sides of the module - it's a memory configuration technology.

Set Security level in Internet Options to 'default'. Disable any and all ad-blocking software. Check Firewall and antivirus settings to ensure that Windows Update is not being blocked (disable these and try to see if they are the problem)

Panda Platinum, for example, by default blocks all VB and Java code from running.

What you've displayed here http://img289.echo.cx/img289/713/dell60pt.jpg is the sofware 'mixer' installed with the card. Check the Windows volume control and also any advanced 'options' in the mixer (the toolkit button) to see if you have any settings for 'mute' which are in conflict with each other, or which are in place when you don't want them to be.

Also check the diagrams in the user manual for your soundcard to ensure that speakers are correctly attached. I've seen even OEM SB Live! cards which have had the wrong colour coding used for the connectors ;)

Did you first properly uninstall the drivers for the previous card?

Then it will be for a reason such as I outlined.

ALL computers need regular internal cleaning. If you have a laptop, and are not sufficiently equipped with 'handyman' skills to periodically open it up and clean the internals, then you should periodically drop it in to a technician to be opened up and properly cleaned. I'd suggest that simply sucking out the dust from the ventilation holes is not adequate.

From the comments in this post, it seems rather obvious to me that cleaning every 6 months sounds sensible :)

I clean all my computers on a yearly basis, but they operate in a relatively dust free environment.

Yes, in many instances where two slots are on colour and the third slot another, it will be because two specific slots need to be used either for dual-channel configuration or for using modules of different sizes together.

Hmm, alright. The motherboard of course. Asus A8V-Deluxe. Why asked for that?

It might surprise you to see just how many people ask for advice about their proposed system, and it turns out that they've chosen a motherboard and processor which are actually incompatible. :D

Maybe you should uninstall all the monitoring tools and then reload and use them one at a time. Conflicts between them may be leading to incorrect readings.

belama, this fellow is intending to upgrade to a high powered graphics card. Have you ever used a generic power supply unit with a top of the line display card? The higher the demands placed upon the power unit, the more likelihood there will be of failure. Failure doesn't necessarily mean blowing up either - cheap power units are less stable with the voltage levels they produce, and in a high performance situation those tiny fluctuations in voltage levels have a much more dramatic impact on system stability.

I'd endorse the sentiment that 6800 Ultras will no longer be available in a year's time. By that stage you will be able to purchase a G70 or R520 based display card, which will give double the performance of a 6800 Ultra anyway. There is really no point to purchasing an SLI ready motherboard unless you plan to purchase two 'top of the line' display cards NOW!

And yes, the 6600GT is a better card to choose than an X700 Pro.

It wouldn't be too bad if you found a silly shopkeeper who's put the wrong price on it, but it's still not as good as a 6600GT. :)

Hi,

I've split this post off into its own topic, as it was not directly related to the topic in which it was posted.

Your contention is based upon flawed reasoning. That's understandable, because a lot of people follow the same flawed reasoning. They contend that Linux is 'safe' because malicious software can only effect the particular user's files and not the system root. That reasoning is unsound, as was explained quite a long time ago at linuxquestions.org

Here we go again :rolleyes: This very topic has been discussed to death and I'm sure you would find more than enough information to keep you reading for a long time, simply by using the forum search function.

Any way, the answer is that most operating systems are the same as far as security. The reason that Windows has a lot more viruses, worms, and malicious code in general is because it's a very popular OS run by a huge number of people as both a personal OS and on servers. This means that if you write a worm for Windows, it's very likely to infect a lot of hosts and get a lot of attention.

There are many times few Linux systems deployed than Windows systems, so right away it's a much less tempting target for malware writers, and add to that the fact that each Linux distro does things differently, some times very differently, and this makes it difficult to write malware that will …

Mid range - 6600GT
Performance - 6800GT
Cost no object - X850XT

Those are rebadged generic power supply units. I'd suggest sticking with the brands Coconut Monkey suggested ;)