Posts by Catweazle

Personally, I think that overclocking a brand new system is silly if your only going to use it for gaming, but maybe thats just me.

Considering 3D games are about the most taxing task you can put your PC to work at, just what use WOULD you consider to be a worthwhile one to overclock for?

Best rule to follow:

If a component won't run stable without increasing voltages, you've overclocked further than it can handle!

Beyond that point, don't overclock unless you can afford to throw the component in the bin and replace it with a new one!

Hi GrimJack. That technician is pulling your leg. To change from BIOS version 1008 to BIOS version 1009 you need only download the BIOS update file from the motherboard manufacturer website, and use the recommended software tool to 'Flash' the BIOS.

BIOS flashing is conducted by overwriting the information on the BIOS chip with new code ;)

Your performance comparison there is an unfair one, szukalski. The 3400+ is a competitor to the 3.4GHz Pentium, not the 2.8Ghz model.

Resetting CMOS simply changes BIOS settings back to factory preset defaults. The BIOS settings are merely the settings which identify the various components in your PC and how they are set to operate, in order that they can 'see' and communicate with each other.

Resetting CMOS is a useful troubleshooting procedure for hardware problems.

the only way to do anything with it is drive-to-drive data copy.Is this all there is to it?

I'm not sure what you mean by this. What is it you are trying to do?

O000kkkayyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!

If you have standoffs like this, you don't need a washer:

[img]http://www.reality.net/case/photos/standoff-1.jpg[/img]

If you have ones like this, you definitely don't need a washer:

[img]http://www.tzmodfaq.com/pinpics/Flasher%20board%20standoff.JPG[/img]

But if you have this type, I'd advise you place a felt washer between standoff and motherboard:

[img]http://www.users.on.net/%7Eccsoladsl/whirlpool/standoff.jpg[/img]

Have you tried uninstalling all burning software, ythen uninstalling the drive?

Have you tried the rep[air tool?

Have you tried the registry tweaks which change the setting for the drive?

Those and others are techniques within the articles I linked earlier. There is a wealthof information there to work through. Your problem won't have a single unique cause. CD burner problems are common, and can result from a number of causes.

BIOS changes are easy. This article has instructions for accessing BIOS setup on just about any system. Most, however, simply require you to press <Delete> when you power up.

Different BIOSes have things in different places. Have a look through the menus and you'll find the entries for your IDE channels. The correct ones will offer a choice between 'Enabled' and 'Disabled'. Remember to save and Exit when you've made any necessary changes, and don't change any values you don't need to. Look, by all means, but ensure the settings are as before when you finish.

You should try doing a refresh install of Windows

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315341&Product=winxp

Reboot into 'Safe Mode'

You do that by pressing the <F8> key repaeatedly during startup, after the inital POST screens are displaying, and before the Windows Logo screen displays. Choose 'Sfae mode' with the arrow keys from the menu of start options, and then log in as Administrator
Let us know afterwards if you get a Start button etc from there.

Please stop creating multiple topics about this. I know it is a stressful situation for you, but multiple topics being answered will lessen the benefit of assistance given. Keep it all in one place.

Are you 'adding up' the file sizes or the folder sizes?

Not if Control Panel has been set to Classic View and the Task pane has been disabled it won't ;)

Try my way.

You havew created a mess, and shouild not have installed a new version of Windows to a different folder. New (additional) installations of Windows should be located on a new partition.

Back up your data to removable media or a different drive, get your drivers and software CDs ready, format and install Windows again cleanly. Then set your system up and reinstall all your software again.

The mess you have is definitely not worth the effort of fiddling with!

Start > Help and support > Undo changes with System Restore

Quite a simple one to avoid. Simply put, Firefox/Mozilla users should not accept update code being installed unless it comes from update.mozilla.org

This thing can only get in if you OK the install ;)

Switching is a really good idea, I believe.

But then, I have a severe dislike for Norton products :D

By the way, please do not cross post topics.

helloimtim, the people disagreeing with you aren't trying to suggest that alternative browsers are completely free of any form of security holes. they are simply challenging your assumption that, because a security hole has been found, an alternative browser is not a better choice. That assumption is simply not true. At this point in time, people's PCs are far safer when an alternative browser is used than they are when IE is used.

That situation may, and probably will, change at some point in the future. We're dealing with people's problems in the here and now!

You are reading far too much into the reports you're hearing, I'm afraid.

In the most recent report I've seen, Secunia found a 'hole' in Firefox which allowed dodgy urls to be 'spoofed' in the address bar. But hey, hey! It's got nix to do with Firefox itself, and everything to do with the way International Domain names work. Some International characters, it seems, can be substituted for commonly used characters, and trick the user into thinking he or she was on a trusted site.

errr..... uummmmm.......

I'm no security expert, but couldn't that self-same situation exist for ALL browsers?

You shouldn't jump to conclusions merely because you've heard the term 'security hole' mentioned. The reality is, IE is riddled with the things, and the drongoes out there are still only just getting started chasing holes in the tools that the more …

In the order you have put them, the answers to your questions are:

Yes

Yes

Yes

Complete, including integration with MS Outlook

Very high quality product, losing marks only because there are some quite rare virus variants it misses, and because it on occassions produces false reports. In that, it is only marginally less capable than the best available 8.5/10

By the way, because of its many problems, I'd rate Norton as about 5/10, even though it is very accurate at its task.

Thank you. I really wanted to get this out of the 'Tips and Tweaks' section.

mikeandike's got the right approach, by the way. You can't make hard drive space work in the same way as RAM, but if you have limited RAM available you can increase the available amount of Virtual memory by changing the settings for the Paging File.

I think double the amount of RAM is excessive, by the way. For systems with small amounts of RAM 1.5 times the amount of physical RAM is about as far as you should go to gain performance.

You should really have a second line enabled for your phone service. Most cabling already includes wiring for a second line, and the rental on a second line is only a small monthly charge in most places. Trying to use telephone, fax and DSL all on the one line is not really a very good way to do things ;)

What I said was that I consider the second email was incorrect. That was my opinion. It is possible that I'm incorrect. :D

I don't think I am though. To set the drive as Slave, change the jumper setting on the frive to the 'Slave' position. There should be a diagram on the drive's label, and you'll find the jumpers between the power cable socket and the data cable socket. Attach the drive to the middle connector on the drive data cable. The main drive should have its jumper set to 'master' and be attached to the end connector on the data cable.

In BIOS setup, both IDE channels should be enabled.

The Software mentioned is downloadable from Western Digital's website. Get Data Lifeguard Tools fron here:
http://support.wdc.com/download/index.asp?cxml=n&pid=4&swid=1

Read this topic, if you are considering using Firefox

http://www.daniweb.com/techtalkforums/thread17906.html

Internet Explorer is necessary for Windows Updates.

I use Firefox instead of Internet Explorer. NEVER have problems like you describe.

Yes, that too :)

They're an image. Use 'Save picture as'

If they only save as bitmap files, look on the 'General' tab in Internet Options and use the 'Delete Files' button to clear out your temporary internet files. They'll save as normal after that, although you may need to close down and restart IE before they do.

I'm afraid I don't know. That exhausted the only solution to your problem I was able to locate. Does it work if you right-click on an image and choose 'Save picture as.....'?

On the Tools menu in Internet Explorer, choose Internet Options > Content. You have the Content Advisor turned on and you need to go into the Settings section and disable it. 'Save Target As..' will not work if the Content Advisor is enabled.

Don't be assuming that. Add the new drive as 'Slave', and if the full capacity isn't recognised, then use the installation software to set it up.

I consider that second email message you received to be complete and utter bullshit!

Remember, you're looking for a 2GHz+ system (2000+ or better if it's got an AMD processor) You could get by with 1.5GHz (1600+) but I'd not consider anything less powerful than that. You need to ensure it has DDR RAM and not SD-RAM, and that it has an AGP graphics card slot.

If you can only purchase a system box with your funds, but can get a reasonably decent one, do so and keep using your old monitor until you can get something better.

That's a very old soundcard, and the onboard audio on any recent motherboard would be as good as it, if not better ;)

Right. your CD-ROM is a 52x CD reader, and will be reusable. The hard drive in your system will possibly be suitable for use as extra storage, but not as a main drive for a more modern system. You've already mentioned that you want to replace the monitor, and I'm afraid it's highly unlikely that any other component in that PC is reusable. It's simply too old, and quite possibly even the keyboard and mouse use outdated connection methods.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I'm afraid your best move is to hunt high and low to see if you can get hold of a secondhand system from somewhere, with at least 256Mb of DDR RAM, a processor of 2GHz or better, and an AGP slot for an add-in Graphics card. You may be able to find one within your budget. O'm afraid your available funds are too low to consider other courses of action.

I may be wrong, of course. I have to judge by pricing and availability here in Australia, but taking currency conversion rates into consideration those don't seem to be too different to the situation in the US or Great Britain.

In Add/Remove programs, remove any display drivers listed.

In System proerties > Device manager, select any display card listed and choose uninstall.

reboot, cancel out of any hardware recognition dialogue which is presented to you, and then run the driver file you've downloaded from nVidia. (You DID download the latest driver from www.nvidia.com if it's a new graphics card, didn't you?)

Moved to Viruses and Nasties section. hijackThis logs are not to be posted elsewhere on the forum :)

Okay, is there a model number or other model identification printed on that Gateway PC somewhere? I'd like to accurately determine if your components are actually reusable.

So far, my suspicion is that the best way to use your budgetted funds is to search for the best secondhand PC you can get with it.

On that old system you have there, right-click on 'My Computer' and choose Properties. On the 'General' tab you should have information about 'Computer'. Please tell us what it says.

Then click on 'Device Manager, click on the plus sign beside CD-ROM and tell us what the listed devices there are.

If your system is a '166' then I'm afraid you are looking at a complete new system. The components in that old system would not be reusable in any modern PC.

We now need to know your budget before further advice is given, really. It's no use having advice about components to use if you simply aren't going to be able to afford them. Give an indication of how much money can be spent on the system, and people can advise what sort of components you could use to buil the best possible system within that budget :)

Games is big! New PC games are about the most demanding job you can ask of your PC. They require that you focus most of your attention on the display card you choose. Trying to save on the display card means you'll end up with a PC which is less suited to games.

1Gb of RAM is also a benefit to modern games, although 512 Mb will do if you need to keep costs down.

Totally agree. The very first thing you should do is to sit down and answer the question:

"What things do I actually want to DO with this computer?"

Then read this topic:

http://www.daniweb.com/techtalkforums/thread13632.html

Better purchase because it should run cooler, I'd consider. 67 watts as compared to 89 watts ;)

If you get that IDE hard drive, simply install it internally. If the full 120Gb is not recognised by BIOS, you can use the utility software available from Western Digital's website to install it, and thus use the full drive capacity.

Edit: I'm buggered if I understand why I didn't suggest that to start with. Sorry about that. I must be far too busy lately :sad:

Hi,

I can't specifically state why your files did not successfully back up and restore. You may have had file encryption or other protective measures taken to sfaeguard them, which should have been removed before backing them up, and they are no longer accessible because of that factor. There may be a different reason.

The important point is, you should stop using the original hard drive IMMEDIATELY!

There is a high likelihood that your original files are still on the drive. They will not have been overwritten unless you have already stored lots and lots of new data on the drive. They will simply have had their 'signposts' removed so that Windows can no longer find them.

A professional Data Recovery Service will be able to recover any of your files which still remian intact, and such parts of other as remian there. If the data is crucially important for a court case, then I'm afraid that the rather high cost of such a service is the best and most sensible course of action available to you.

STOP! DO NOT PROCEED UNTIL YOPU THINK THIS THROUGH!

Is there important and vital information on that drive. If so, you need to recover it before going ahead. there are several ways to do so:

* You could obtain a CD installation of Windows and use it to repair the Windows installation on the drive, so that the necessary data can be moved to a different PC.
* You could obtain and use a bootable CD with tools which will allow you to export the necessary data.
*You could temporarily remove the drive from the machine, and install it to a different PC to copy the data there.

Proceeding with the Recovery CD method will destroy the user created partitions and all the data on them.

I've moved your topic to the 'Viruses and other Nasties' section. Please read the stickied topics in that section, because they will most likely contain all the information you need to help you clean your system of nasty intruders.

You'll also get assistance with any remaining problems you have, I'm sure :D

Did you follow the suggestions in the article about Windows updates i linked in my earlier post?

I strongly advise you to format and start over, Jini.

If you'd like to avoid the problems you had the last time, check the relevent link in my sig about Installing Windows. You'll find two articles there. One is a detailed guide to preparing for the install, the other is a detailed guide to performing it.

Is it an Apple Mac or a Windows PC please? If it is Windows, which Windows version? As indicated, do you know how to locate the file where the names are stored?