Posts by Catweazle

The usage level of Internet Explorer has dropped below 90% for the first time in ages, and the combined usage of Mozilla or Firefox has climbed to nearly 8% recently.

Keep the trend up, people. A browser without ActiveX means a much cleaner and safer system!

Actually, Nemesis indicated that restoring a drive image from a previous date corrected the problem, so it must have been a software cause. It's impossible, of course, to say what specifically would have caused it but I'd suspect that it would have been malware of some variety, and most likely one which included a 'keylogger' component. Improve the internet security software installed on the system would be my advice.

DMR, you need to practice up on your Windozing skills, I suspect. I've not had to use a '3-fingered salute' for ages! :p Or perhaps I could be excused for suggesting you need this keyboard?

http://www2.corepower.com:8080/~dlehn/images/keyboard.jpg

****Warning : that link is not for the overly prudish members of our community! *****

Actually I think Catweazle is wrong! I've just checked Disk Cleanup on a multi-user machine and it most certainly detects different things for different user accounts.

I was merely suggesting it because I can't see the point in using an additional tool when you already have a perfectly good one!

joshuu, plain and simple a Windows 95 PC should NOT be used for an internet connection!

Windows 95 quite simply lacks the level of security necessary to combat internet-borne 'nasties', and protection/removal tools do not really support Windows 95. If that PC is to be connected to the internet, then it should have Windows 98SE loaded onto it, at least.

Sorry if that's not what you wanted to hear, but it's the truth!

There is a high likelihood that the problems you describe have resulted from infestation by an intruder from the internet, and even should you be successful in cleaning it out and restoring your system's functionality, you'll almost certainly contract another such problem before too long.

I think the pertinent point here is that people should be advised from the outset not to fiddle around with services simply for the sake of doing so. If there is a specific reason to disable a service, then fine. But it should only ever really be done as part of a procedure to address a particular problem.

Some people like to trim down Windows Services as part of an attempt to wrest extra performance from their system. I personally NEVER do so. In my view, if you don't have enough performance then you don't have enough computing power ;)

I've heard speculation that NForce4 chipset will be made available for Socket 754, but I have no definite knowledge to that effect.

I've already said, mate, that dual-channel for Athlon XP is not worth considering. It's only benefit to onboard NVidia graphics. If you think you've had better performance from dual-channel on an Athlon XP system you've been conned ;)

Forget about it. More RAM is much better.

(By the way, that Sempron 2400+ is basically an Athlon XP with different settings and less cache. Only the Sempron 3100+ on Socket 754 motherboards has a new architecture. Your one uses a modified Thoroughbred core.

Expected in retail by Christmas was the last I heard. Apparently most initial releases have two PCIE display card slots for SLI configuration, so could be expected to be rather expensive. Epox has announced one with a single PCIE display card slot, which would be expected to be less expensive:

http://theinquirer.net/?article=19821

Sorry, I haven't looked any harder than that yet.

I think the choice should depend upon the user's level of proficiency. If a person is learning to configure their system, then msconfig is certainly the appropriate tool to use. Changes made can be easily reversed.

Once a user is well into the level where you could claim them to be an 'intermediate' user, or beginning to be an 'advanced' user, then using other tools is definitely more appropriate. But before using tools such as you describe, a user needs to be able to distinguish what actually is a 'service' and what is not.

I'm quite sure the advice that instructor gave was aimed at advanced users ;)

Please post ONLY verified tips and tricks for making better use of a Windows PC. This means only those procedures which have been tested and verified.

Please do NOT post tips that a 'friend' has told you about, unless you are absolutely certain that they are correct.

Please do NOT add your questions to topics in this Forum section, or post new topics which are problems you want resolved. Use the appropriate Forum sections for your questions.

Why not just use 'Disk Cleanup' from Accessories -> System in the programs menu? It does the same job, and will work on all drives that you tell it to clean.

Hello all,
I am in desperate need for help. I have search both Microsoft and Apples web sites for help and have not found anything. My problem is I no longer can play Quicktime movies in a web browser or just play them period. All I get is a nice blank white screen, I can hear the audio, but thats it. I have tried download/updating the quicktime software. I have tried deleting the software and reinstalling it. Any PC wiz out there, please help.

Notes: I am using windows XP, I am on the most recent XP service pack, I added all the updates Microsoft had.

Hi Willa.

That bit marked in bold text is the bit which worries me. do you mean you used Add/Remove programs to uninstall the software, or do you mean you really found the program folder and deleted it?

If the latter, then you most likely need to use a Registry Cleaner to sort the resultant mess out, because programs should never be removed by deleting files and folders.

Also, try looking through Add/Remove Programs for EVERY reference to Quicktime you can find. Sometimes you can end up with multiple versions of it installed, and it can create a mess!

If you haven't yet encountered a PC which has SP2 on a fresh, clean install, then I'd suggest you go right ahead, install the thing, and surprise yourself! Most of the so-called 'problems' with SP2 relate to systems which already had problems, or software which really needs updating ;)

Windows XP with SP2 is a 'must', in my opinion.

No definite release date yet, and don't be surprised if there are delays. Mickeysoft is trying to fast track the release as much as possible, but it's better to be stable than it is to be early :D

There's no rush anyway, because you'd need to have 64-bit applications to take benefit from it, and they're not readily available anyway.

AMD 32/64 bit processors, and the upcoming Intel processors which will use the same OS, work really well with 32-bit Windows anyway, so no need to get too eager :D

The site is currently undergoing routine maintenance. Try again later please.

P.S. That means I also can't currently access my work console :lol:

Base your decision on the chipset included. For Socket 754, the best available chipset is the NForce3 250 chipset, and in my view that's the suitable 'budget' path to take. Pick a motherboard with the chipset implemented, and with the features and price which suits you, and you can't really go wrong.

If I was considering Socket 939 I'd be waiting for the upcoming NForce4 PCIE chipset motherboards, and making the move to the new slot format at the same time. PCIE display cards are most certainly the path to take for future upgradability, and they are already available at cheaper prices than their AGP equivalents, across much of the display card range.

There's your dilemma. Both platforms will perform just as well as each other with currently available products and software. Socket 939 doesn't have PCIE just yet, but it will very soon.

Hi,

Grab that extra RAM mate. Dual channel memory configuration brings stuff-all benefit for that processor platform unless you are using onboard video, and with your rendering I'm sure you're not doing THAT!.

The extra RAM will bring you more benefit than any other change you've mentioned.

I wouldn't be so confident that the XP2500+ would hit 2.2GHz. 2500+ chips manufactured recently have had the clock multiplier 'super-locked', and have not necessarily overclocked as easily as earlier examples. I've come across quite a few that struggle to run with stability at more than 100MHz above stock settings. If your Sempron is comfortably running at the settings you mention, then I'd suggest you simply add the extra RAM and be happy with it until you can afford a better upgrade later on.

I'm curious here, Zachary. The only real way to test is to benchmark the system with AGP set to AGP 8X, then change the setting in BIOS to AGP 4X, reboot and benchmark again. I've never seen a motherboard produce appreciable difference when tested that way.

Just gave this a good read through, and it seems to me that the most helpful piece of advice of all hasn't been posted in the topic!

Service Pack 2 should be taken seriously. It's virtually an OS upgrade, after all. The service pack replaces just about all of your Windows installation core files.

If your system has problems before you install it, it's most likely they'll be magnified afterwards, not fixed. That's the case with any Windows upgrade, and it holds true for problems and corruptions in your Windows install that you haven't even noticed the symptoms of yet. There's no point to blaming the Service Pack if that happens, because the problem was there to start with.

The best way of all to approach updating to the Service Pack is to format, install fresh, and start over with SP2 installed and working. And if you find conflicts when you reinstall some software program or other, then you know where the blame lies, don't you?

That's definitely all you need to do. Make sure you choose to install XP to the new partition, and the dual-boot menu will be created for you.

Try this:

Uninstall it from Windows. Then unplug it and reboot. Reinstall the drivers, then plug it in.

USB devices usually have to have the driver installed BEFORE you connect them up.

hahahaaa

My Athlon XP beast boots in about 15 seconds as well! Have you by any chance got network devices installed but not connected. If it's taking several minutes to boot, that could be the cause.

That sounds like the source of the problem to me as well. When you change the motherboard, you need to format and install Windows XP cleanly again.

These google results will help get you started.

Best value high performance card available at present is the NVidia 6800GT. The ATi X800 Pro is another good performer. Better cards are far too high priced to be considered economically worthwhile purchases.

Stepping down a peg price wise, the NVidia 6600GT is perhaps the best vale card in the mid-price range. It's available for PCIE slots now, and should be available for AGP slots in the near future. A similar situation will exist for the ATi X700 Pro card. The ATi X600 series is a waste of money.

You've not mentioned which Windows version, but for Windows XP I use the OS itself for Zip files, and WinRAR for all other archive types. Works for me, and it's a pretty clean way to deal with things.

Moved to the 'Windows Software' section, by the way.

Considering that card is only a GeForce 4 MX card, and not really up to the task of running modern PC games, i don't think any benefit would be even visible.

I'd also like to add that running an AGP 8X display card in a system which only has AGP 4X capability will most certainly NOT result in any appreciable loss of performance. Cards with AGP 8X capability are not powerfu; enough for the feature to really make a worthwhile difference, and now that we've moved on to the PCIE display card standard, they never will be!

Thinking that AGP 8X makes a difference is a nonsense!

Option one:

Get a new keyboard.

Option two:

Hire someone else to do your typing.

Depending upon whether or not your keyboard is borked, one of those options would be the suitable one to follow.

Remove the heatsink unit from the processor before attempting to remove the fan itself, in such a circumstance. You might need to apply sharp force to get the scres out, and you do NOT want to risk damaging the processor while you are doing the job!

Sit the heatsink on a padded surface, so that you don't damage the underside face of the heatsink and get someone else to hold the unit steady for you if necessary. Make sure you use the correct shape and size of screwdriver. Ensure the scredriver is lined up with any remaining traces of the slot in the screw, and tap it gently with a hammer to further define the screwslots. That should give you enough grip to be able to loosen the screw.

If that doesn't work, use an impact driver or even drill the screw out with a suitably sized drill bit.

Agreed, the only upgrade possible to that machine is the addition of a PCI display card, and that upgrade is a waste of money, in my opinion.

The system is not really suitable for playing modern PC games, unfortunately.

The clockspeed is 200MHz. Data is 'quad-pumped' making that an effective 800MHz bus. Data flows in two directions concurrently making that an effective 1600MHz dataflow. It's already at that rate, so you don't have to do anything to get it there ;)

In response to the original question, the error message indicates that the display adapter in the PC is not of a standard required for the game. Sims 2 requires a 'Hardware Transform & Lighting' capable display card. Either the PC does not have one, or the correct display drivers are not installed. What are the technical specifications of the PC please, or the manufacturer make and model of it?

Edit: Beaten to it! Check that the display card is correctly installed in Windows before you go spending more money though ;)

Please do not try to use DaniWeb for assistance with downloaded or otherwise pirated software.

This topic is in relation to a legitimate copy of the game, which has been installed, rather than an illegally downloaded copy. Please, people, don't confuse the terms.

Rueful Rogue, Belarc Advisor is a reporting tool I was in the habit of recommending BEFORE I came across Everest. It is still a useful one to have for some specific purposes, such as reporting on program install codes and enabling quick acces to program install directories, but as a system reporting tool Everest leaves Belarc a long, long way behind in it's dust cloud!

Onya, Coco. Let's obfuscate matters, eh? :lol:

What motherboard do you have, please, and what processor?

m

Antec :)

huh?????

Cases, yes! Case fans, yes! Power supplies, yes!

But CPU coolers? I don't think so! They're a bit-player at best!

Have a look at some of the options on offer here:
http://www.pccasegear.com.au/category23_1.htm
to get started on generating some ideas of what you want, then check online stores in your local area to find availability and pricing. What processor do you have in your system, because the type will effect what you need.

The Antec is definitely a higher quality unit, but if funds are restrictive then the Thermaltake could be considered adequate. Thermaltake PSUs are not low quality, that's for sure. they're just not as good as the Antec ones. Reliability and stable performance comes at a cost, I'm afraid, and the higher the cost the more you can expect to be able to rely on them.

Agreed, Coconut Monkey.

AGP aperture size is an older setting which doesn't have much relevence nowadays. It's a carry-over from the time when graphics cards only had a few megabytes of video RAM on them, and needed to use system RAM to calulate textures and such. With even lesser and older video cards having 64Mb or more of Video RAM on them, the 'AGP aperture' isn't really needed.

If a game really does need to access and use system RAM (which as you say is much slower and would be detrimental on performance) then perhaps the card isn't good enough for the game being played. Any half-decent video card suited to gaming now has 128Mb or more of Video RAM on the card, and that should be plenty enough!

Definitely replace it, in my view. there would be a good likelihood that the old unit would comply to the AT standard rather than the current ATX standard, in any event, and would be unsuitable. But regardless, I'd not advise reusing a power supply unit ahat old.

Then that laptop can't be provided legally to your niece with that installation of windows on it. It's only licenced for use by a person authorised to use it by that Corporation. The Corporate license is for Corporate use.

But it won't require activation, so I guess it's a matter for your conscience, eh?

But it ain't legal!

Yep! It will operate for 30 days, and then it will start but the user will be unable to log on. Unless it is activated before that, of course.

Start -> Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> Activate Windows

Then follow the prompts from the Wizard. If you intend to activate online, ensure it's connected to the internet first. You can also activate it via a Telephone call to Microsoft, and the Wizard will provide the number to call for you if the Regional settings are correct for the Windows Installation.

You don't need to use the CD key again once Windows is installed. The Activation Wizard will provide a further code number for you to use, which is different to the CD key.

You're going to have to decide that after you have the thing running for a while, and monitor it closely. Every chip is different, despite what other people may suggest. Chips from different productions runs are better or worse than others. Within a single production run chips can vary. Even chips from the same silicone wafer vary in quality. Chips from the centre of a wafer, for example, are usually 'better' than chips from near the edge of the wafer.

Try it out, assess the thing, then make your decisions.

I mean see how it runs before cutting holes in your case, and most definitely see how it runs before installing a water cooling setup.

And I'd also suggest that you DON'T increase core voltage for that processor at all. Not initially anyway. Although a lot of overclocking sites suggest that increasing voltage is something you do from the outset, I believe that's rather stupid advice!

Increasing core voltage is the most risky part of overclocking, and the step which is most likely to raise component temperatures. If you can get a stable overclock WITHOUT raising voltage levels, then that's the way to go. Increasing voltage is a LAST resort, not an initial move ;)

When you increase voltage levels, you also increase component failure risk. Keeping it cool with extreme cooling options won't guarantee you protection against that possibility. Only push a processor hard if you accept from the outset that you might have to throw it in the bin someday soon! May not happen, of course, but it CAN.

My own current 'beast' is an Athlon XP system. A 2500+ processor running at 3200+. No voltage increase, not temperature increase. With an AeroJet 7+ fitted to it, the thing idles at around 30C through most of the year, and only reaches the low 40s in the hottest of summer days. It will run at 2400MHz (3400+) without much heat increase, and with only a tiny amount of voltage increase. The chip is a proven …

See how it runs before deciding on changes to be made is my suggestion.

What you have planned sounds a lot like overkill to me, unless you're gonna operate that PC in a very hot environment ;)

You'd have to add an OEM Windows XP to the cost, rogue-monkey. The Windows installation on the old Pavilion isn't transferable.

That sounds like an OK system to me.

I wouldn't be planning on a watercooling setup straight off though. I'd be seeing how it goes before making that move.

In my opinion, if a processor won't do a couple of hundred magahurtz above specifications without either increasing core voltage or experiencing any appreciable rise in core temperature, then that processor isn't suitable for running overclocked on a long term basis.

It's a myth to consider that all instances of a particular processor have similar poential for overclocking. Every chip has its own unique potential. And the 'worthy' ones, in my view, should take a bit of a bump straight out of the box, without noticing the difference much at all!

The process of adding a side panel fan is basically identical to that of addind a top panel exhaust. Just attach the fan the other way around, to ensure it is blowing air IN rather than drawing it out. (Still on the inside of the panel, of course, and simply reversed!)

I would not recommend watercooling units to newcomers. The benefits of watercooling kits are minimal, in my view, and some of them even provide less extra cooling potential than high-end, 3rd party heatsink/fan replacement units!

Might I ask what your system specifications are, and what temperature levels it currently runs at for processor and internal case temp?

That looks to be thoughtful and sage advice to me, Rueful Rogue, and that's coming from a fella who makes a living masquerading as a 'computer expert'. I was planning to offer some advice about a modest upgrade of the PC using secondhand parts, should the budget be extremely restrictive, but the lack of even an AGP slot makes upgrading it rather a waste of time, in my view.

The monitor and keyboard/mouse, if still in good condition, can be retained. The 10Gb hard drive could also be recycled to use as a second drive for data storage or backup. The DVD burner is also a useful purchase.

mookie, you should investigate the purchase of purchasing a 'system upgrade unit', which is basically a replacement for the 'core' of your PC. They can be obtained quite inexpensively.

Alternatively, you could obtain an entry level new PC at relatively low cost, and even the most basic of PCs would be far better than the outdated system you have. You will need to factor in the cost of a new copy of Windows, but if an OEM edition is purchased along with the haedware that cost is quite low as well.

You should start by ensuring that ALL case fan mounting points have clean holes for best airflow. If your case has mounting points which are a 'grille' or have numerous small holes for the air to blow through, cut the whole centre of it out to allow full airflow.

Adding extra fanholes is rather easily done too. The best additions to make, in order of preference, are a side panel mounting point to fit an intake fan which blows air directly onto the processor/display card area, and a top panel exhaust 'blowhole'.

Here's a guide:

http://www.moddershq.net/guides.asp?guideid=1