Posts by Catweazle

There is no BIOS update listed for that PC either, which would enable the processor to be recognisd by it.

Unfortunately, Compaq PCs are usually very limited for upgrade potential. The BIOS is generally crippled somewhat, and does not accept substantial processor upgrades.

That said, it may be a motherboard chipset limitation. The motherboard may be able to accept an earlier Pentium 4 2.8GHz version, but not the latest model which runs at that clockspeed. If that is the case then nothing will help. But before you give up try removing the motherboard CMOS battery for several minutes at least, then replacing the battery, power cord and power and then booting it up.

That procedure 'resets' the system, ans it may then recognise the processor. Worth a try, anyway.

Ad/remove Programs is in Control Panel. You'll no doubt have a mouse driver of some sort listed there, and you should remove it as it is likely to be corrupted.

Sounds heat related to me. Best not to have it so close to the radiator, eh?

Door stop?

Right-click My Computer and choose 'Properties'. On Device Manager, locate the entry for your mouse. Right-click it and choose 'Uninstall'. Also locate any mouse driver entries which might appear in Add/Remove programs, and remove those too.

Reboot, and allow the mouse to be detected and installed with the inbuilt Windows mouse driver. See if it works OK then.

You should have a driver disl for the webcam, and should install the device using that.

Otherwise, you will need to visit the product manufacturer's website and download the driver for the model and Windows version you have there. What make/model of webcam is it, by the way?

If the EULA is missing it's because the file has been deleted or become corrupted. If the recovery CD gives you an option to reinstall software that process might correct the situation for you. If the entry in Add.Remove programs gives you a 'repair' option that might also correct the situation. Otherwise, a full reinstall might be necessary, given that you only have the software on the Recovery CD.

Best trick:

Press <Ctrl> + <Alt> + <Del> then choose 'End task' for everything except explorer and systray. Then run defrag ;)

Careful how you do it, by the way. Hold down <Ctrl> + <Alt> and then tap the <Del> key once. Holding it down or tapping it twice will cause a reset.

Take 3 old ones of these:

[img]http://www.dansdata.com/images/1394drive/quantum360.jpg[/img]

Remove the top cover of each so the innards are exposed like this:

[img]http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B00005OWE4.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg[/img]

Then stand them up, with the connector sockets pointing downward, and the innards pointing outward, and use a few cable ties through the screw holes to hold them together in a triangle, with the underneath of each drive facing inwards.

Then use it as an ornamental Pen tidy!

Then you have a PentiumM processor, which is part of the Centrino technology. They run colloer than other processors, and have power management to ensure that this is so, so the CPU fan should not be excessively noisy at all.

As I said, the hard drive is usually the noisiest component in such a system, and if that is being accesssed constantly then soething's wrong there with the software on your system. But if it's really a processor fan you need to have it looked at.

I have a Centrino laptop here as well, and can assure you I wish ALL my PCs were as quiet!

But they do make a slight level of noise. That's inevitable because the processor can't be run without a fan working at all. It'd die in a short space of time! Do other people around you also consider that it is noisy?

Those programs are to REMOVE such things from your PC. The blubster ads support is an instance of it, and those programs may have a chance of removing the remianing traces of it ;)

Install and run the latest versions of both AdAware and also Spybot Search & destroy. They may remove the remaining traces of that from your system.

I'm sorry, but I don't seem to share your sense of humour. I could find anything amusing there at all, no matter how hard I looked :confused:

That 'beep' sound will almost certainly be a warning signal from your equipment indicating that something is wrong with it. You will need to provide us with further information:

* What make/model is the PC?
What make/model is the motherboard?
* What is the frequency and duration of beeps? (e.g. continuous short beep; 3 beeps; long, short, long etc etc.......)
* When do they occur?

I've Just reformatted my computer, loaded the internet and Norton anti-virus on to it...........

Bloody big hard drive you must have there! :eek:

No, seriously, did you install the motherboard drivers?

Solution 1:

Replace the Thinkpad with a laptop which is quieter in operation.

Solution 2:

Open up the laptop, cut the wires running to the fan, then reassemble the unit. The next day, after the processor has died, replace the Thinkpad with a laptop which is quieter in operation.

No, sorry about that - I couldn't resist the comment!

Is it a PentiumM processor you have in that laptop? If so it should be rather quiet in operation, and the hard drive should be the noisiest component in there, not the processor fan. If it's loud you may want to get it checked out by a technician, because it shouldn't be!

That recommendation to use low latency RAM is a silly one in this situation. High performance (and very expensive) RAM modules are for enthusiasts and overclockers, and are a complete waste of money for general PC users!

I do agree that 1Gb of RAM is preferable to 512Mb nowadays, and I'd suggest that you purchase the budget or value lines from such manufacturers as Kingston, Geil, OCZ or Corsair. Avoid unbranded or rebadged 'generic' cheapies like the plague, as you have far more chance of incompatibilities with them. You will need PC3200 DDR RAM modules for your system.

Edit: By the way, even if you ARE such an enthusiast, paying a fortune for ultra-low latency RAM modules is a waste of money. Just purchase modules rated at a higher clockspeed, underclock them, and then tighten the timing settings. Cheaper and you get the same results ;)

Sounds to me like the motherboard drivers are not installed.

Your system is quite capable of running Windows XP. In your situation it would definitely be worthwhile to download all the necessary Windows XP device drivers, back up your data files, wipe your system clean and do a fresh clean install of Windows XP.

First thing you need to do is go into BIOS setup and locate the entries for system monitoring. It will be in a 'Health' or 'Overclocking' section ,ost likely, and you'll see information displayed there about temperatures, fan speeds and the like. You need to disable the function whereby the system monitors the chassis fan if you do not have one either installed or powered from the motherboard. If you have such a fan installed, powered from the motherboard, and not working corrctly you need to replace it of course.

Then you need to see if that -5 voltage error is still being displayed. If so it is probably an indication that your power supply unit is malfunctioning, and you'll probably need to replace that!

Those errors are indicating that it is your system itself which is not starting correctly, I believe. Windows is not even getting a chance to BEGIN loading!

Are you sure the motherboard chipset drivers are installed? If a 3D display card is in use, without the motherboard chipset drivers in place, 2D display will generally work OK but the system will 'crash' when a 3D function call is made.

Are you watching the screen when you power up, and pressing a key when requested in order to boot from the CD?

Most systems do not do so without user intervention, and prompt for it!

Simplest way is to open a Window, then open tabs with all the required tabs loaded. Then choose 'Bookmark this page' and ensure that the box is checked beside 'Bookmark all tabs in a folder'. Give it an appropraiate title an job's done! You can delete any other unwanted instances of the bookmarks afterwards ;)

huh?

Unlike Windows 9x, Windows XP does not sit on top of DOS and thus neither needs nor uses config.sys or autoexec.bat. If they are present, it will be for special purposes, unique to the needs of the end-user, and thus tailor-made for specific circumstances. There is no such thing as an 'ideal setup' for them!

Old hard drives make quite attractive 'Techie' desk accessories. Get 3 of them, remove the top plate to expose the internals, and use cable ties through the screwholes to join them in a triangle, standing on end.

They make very functional Pen tidies, which DON'T tip over when you use them!

Simple answer:

Be very friendly and helpful to newcomers :)

Make people feel welcomed and wanted, and more of them will return, eh?

:D

I would also suggest that you visit the 'Viruses and nasties' section of this forum, read the stickied topics thoroughly, and follow the instructions in those to rid your system of any spyware, trojans and other internet-borne intruders you may have. Such intruders are the prime reason for problems with Internet Explorer, and should be removed from your system whether you are using that browser or not.

Stick with Firefox, by the way, and have it set as your default browser. Your system is more secure if you do :)

All who have this problem, and do not have a floppy disc for the SATA drivers should inspect their motherboard driver CD. The necessary files should be on the CD and can be copied to a boot floppy.

Those who don't have it there, or who have lost their motherboard installation CD, should download the appropriate drivers from the support or downloads section of the motherboard manufacturer's website, rather than download general purpose drivers from elsewhere.

In both circumstances, if you are having trouble fitting them on to floppy it will be because somewhere in the appropriate folder or download there will be document files which are not needed, probably in .rtf format. See this article for hints about how to deal with the situation:

http://www.pcuser.com.au/pcuser/hs2.nsf/web/9B56AE3271E9E6FCCA256E7D004B29CD

Which web browser do you use please? this needs to be moved to the appropriate Technical section.

If you removed then replaced the heatsink you should have thoroughly cleaned both surfaces and then applied new, high quality thermal transfer paste or compound before refitting it.

You are obviously geting poor heat transfer, and with such a hot-running processor that could get to be a disastrous problem.

See here for some ideas and tiops:

http://www.arcticsilver.com/arctic_silver_instructions.htm

Artic Silver 5 is the best such paste by far, in my view.

Then my immediate suggestion would be to install Mozilla or Firefox and see if it works in that browser. Even if you don't plan to keep on using the other browser in the future, it will help to clarify the source of your problem.

Depends on your keyboard I guess.

I have a Compaq here which only requires the key to be pressed. I mainly use a Microsoft Office keyboard, for which I first have to press the Flock key, then use the Shift key in combinations with the Printscreen key.

Nice touch Dani. I like it a lot :)

Agreed. There ar no processors currently available for purchase which can extract the best from the top-end display cards!

By the way, there are also no procesors available which NEED water-cooling systems ;)

The best approach to take, goodtaste, is to only ever download and install what you need to use, or what you wish to learn to use. Don't download and install software simply because it's free!

Identify a task you want to use your PC for. There's software available for just about anything, although really specialised jobs usually require software which comes at a price. You can even, for example, find programs to help you plan out model train track layouts, or to convert pictures to cross-stitch patterns!

Use Google or another search engine to locate software titles for the job. Then search for reviews of those titles. Read PC magazines regularly, and address specialised question in forum topics to find out more.

When you decide on programs, always download them from theri official website, rather than through a 3rd party.

That's the most sensible and safe approach you can take!

It'd be silly of anyone to do so in my view. I don't understand your situation and outlook at all.

If the communication between your girlfriend and this fellow was indeed open and blatant nd encouraged by her, then you should discontinue the relationship and be well rid of it.

If, on the other hand it is merely innocent, if mildly flirtatious communication between two adult friends then you have no right to intrude on it in the way you have, girlfriend or not. You do not seem to base a relationship on trust, and in this scenario it would be you who is the problem. Guidance counselling can help that.

Sorry to be so blunt, but I'm bewildered by this whole topic!

Point one. Any assistance given with such activity via this forum would be in breach of the rules here.

Point two. I don't think your relationship is going to last very long.

No. Not to my knowledge. Have you looked for any potentially identifiable markings as requested?

So would I be, to tell the truth. I'd not be using an Epox board to start with actually. While some recent motherboards made by Epox have received favourable review, Epox has had a notoriety for poor quality in the past, and I'm yet to be convinced that their current products are meritorious. I suspect the favourable reviews are purely made on the basis of a handful of motherboards which benchtest well, and would like to see how user experience pans out over time.

Trolling for a reaction is mischief making.

Topic closed.

I suspect the trouble is certainly the connection between heatsink and processor.

Be careful when using a solvent such as methylated spirits or acetone. Don't just splatter it about willy-nilly. Solvents can also dissolve the gum which holds the 'pads' to the top of the processor, and if those are dislodged during heatsink instakllation you'll have even more problems than before! Give it several scrubs, allow it to dry in between, and be careful to ensure that it is dry and free of any dust, lint etc before applying the thermal paste. If using AS5, ensure that only the die core has paste applied to it. Don't neglect to thoroughly clean the underside of the heatsink also, if it has already been in use.

Setting the FSB speed in BIOS in the way you describe is one of the basic techniques of overclocking (or underclocking, as you've found out!) The only dofference in settings for a 3200+ as compared to a 2500+ is FSB speed. Bith chips use the same clock multiplier. My own system reports a 3200+, but the processor is actually a 2500+.

Was your processor purchased and fitted by yourself. If so, was it purchased as a 'Retail pack, complete with the stock heatsink and carrying an AMD logo on the packaging? There have been instances reported of unscrupulous poeple who've sold systems with the processor overclocked, and charged higher prices for them than were warranted. The part number of the 3200+ …

I was meaning that it may be a problem which, wuth your paticular configuration if hardware equipment, will need to be resolved with a future BIOS update. Such things do happen.

You've eliminated the sensible alternatives as possibilities. Those are:

*Try the drive in another PC
*Try another drive in your PC.

Uninstall/reinstall of the drive doesn't help. The repair tool reports no error. Not a lot left, is there?

Ultimate solution:

Format, and perform a clean, fresh install. If the drive is physically connected and jumpered correctly, enabled in BIOS, and it still doesn't work, then the drive is no good.

Borrow a drive from someone and try it out. If it works then you know that your own drive is stuffed.

Using Windows XP? Try this:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=c680a7b6-e8fa-45c4-a171-1b389cfacdad&DisplayLang=en

Moved to the correct section, by the way.

There is no 'simple' way.

The problem is happening because essential files have been moved or deleted. To get rid of the program now, all the program installation files need to be deleted, and then all the references to the program removed from Windows Registry.

Easiest way out of it is to delete the program's installation Directory, then use a 'Registry Cleaner program. Finally, use TweakUI or similar tools to remove the entry from Add/Remove Programs.

Buy good quality professional soundcard. Buy good quality professional micrphone. Disable and uninstall the audio on the PC, fit and install the good quality equipment instead.

If you want a good quality job done, don't try to do it with cheap tools. And don't rely on someone like Dell to tell you what is good quality. I'll leave it to others to recommend suitable alternatives, because there may be some audiophiles here more discerning than myself.

Is your PC a brand name one? If so what make and model please? Otherwise, what is the make and model of the motherboard.

Motherboard chipset drivers must be installed to allow the various components which comprise a motherboard to effectively communicate with each other. One of those components is the AGP bus, which the display card uses for information flow. If the system is using generic, inbuilt drivers to run the motherboard, basic functions will work but advanced ones will not.

It's a quite recent board, and perhaps this is a matter which might be resolved with a BIOS update, but apart from that I'm in agreement with you.