Computer Help.

[thejoshman]

Hey there, I am a Professional Computer/Laptop/Server Tech/Admin and if you guys have any questions about anything thats wrong with your computer, or anything you need to know just about computers, networking, servers ect. feel free to PM or reply to this thread, id be glad to help you!!

-The Josh Man

[Canon]

my laptop wont connect to the internet. period

its running windows xp, and ive had a few problems but ive always been able to connect it to the internet. now it just wont connected, by cable or wirelessly

[thecoalition]

have you done the following:
check for adware/spyware/malware/viruses?
checked to see if its your hardware and not software?
reset tcp/ip settings?

[Canon]

yes, no and yes. i think its the hardware.

[thecoalition]

you can always buy a pcmcia or pcx nic card and try it. if it works then its probably your most affordable fix.

[thejoshman]

fursure to build off what coalition said, check for malware, check your IP settings, and check if your stuff is broken. also, check your firewalls and your anti-virus software, if you have any installed.
also, check the device manager (right click my computer and go to manage, then open up device manager) and see if theres any yellow exclaimation mark icons on anything, like the net controllers and stuff.
lemme know what happens.

[Stealth]

Also, since its a laptop make sure you just didnt accidently dissable it with your Fn key.

[Cybersist]

I know that electrical currents will fry your Ethernet cards if your not behind a good surge protector. I've lost two network cards to lightning....

[entrailsgalore]

have you done the following:
check for adware/spyware/malware/viruses?
checked to see if its your hardware and not software?
reset tcp/ip settings?

I love it when people ask that question. When my fiends ask me to fix their computers now, I always just tell them " just check your TCP/IP settings and youll be good" they of course dont know what Im talking about, but it seems to get them to stop bothering me.

[mj_b90]

I've got one for ya.

I woke up to find my computer shut down the other day. I tried to boot and its dead. So I figure its the PSU, replace that.

It will start, for maybe 30sec - 1 min, then either freezes or shuts down. I boot into bios, go to the mobo health options and check if its overheating, it shows low temps for a few secs then freezes.

I might run out and get some thermal paste and a new heatsink soon. But if that doesn't work I'm stumped. Any ideas?

If you need system specs I can get them tomorrow, I'm not home right now.

Thanks for any help you can give,
Matt

[.cOLt.45.]

Ok. Here's the thread i made

http://www.hookahforum.com/index.php?showtopic=16198

thanks

[PhishPhood]

I currently have windows xp 32bit installed on my comp (64 bit processor). I'm trying to reformat to Vista ultimate 64 bit but it wont run from inside windows because its not a 32bit application (the installer) and my comp also wont boot from a CD to install from that.

Any ideas?

[Bulldog_916]

I currently have windows xp 32bit installed on my comp (64 bit processor). I'm trying to reformat to Vista ultimate 64 bit but it wont run from inside windows because its not a 32bit application (the installer) and my comp also wont boot from a CD to install from that.

Any ideas?

Your BIOS is not set to boot from CD. When your computer starts up initially you'll see a flash screen telling you to "Press (either DEL or F3) or something similar to get to "Setup ( or BIOS or Settings)." When you get into the BIOS, go to the tab that says "Boot." Find the Boot Order and change that to CD first, hard drive drive second, floppy disk (if any) third. Accept the changes and restart. That should have you booting from the CD.

I wouldnt touch Vista though unless you're dual booting it. I hate that operating system.

[Hexa]

okay my usb ports and my memory card reader (on my laptop) have this problem.
I plug in a usb device like a mouse and it works for 4 seconds then stops. As in the mouse moves for a few moments then beomces unresponsive/. (not with all usb devices but a good number)
With my memory card reader which is built in to the laptop it reads the memory card and i can open the folder and view pics but only for a moment then it says no folder is there.

[Bulldog_916]

okay my usb ports and my memory card reader (on my laptop) have this problem.
I plug in a usb device like a mouse and it works for 4 seconds then stops. As in the mouse moves for a few moments then beomces unresponsive/. (not with all usb devices but a good number)
With my memory card reader which is built in to the laptop it reads the memory card and i can open the folder and view pics but only for a moment then it says no folder is there.

Are the card readers and usb ports on the same component? As in, are they both right next to eachother and seemingly encased together or on seperate sides of the laptop?

[thecoalition]

I currently have windows xp 32bit installed on my comp (64 bit processor). I'm trying to reformat to Vista ultimate 64 bit but it wont run from inside windows because its not a 32bit application (the installer) and my comp also wont boot from a CD to install from that.

Any ideas?

I wouldnt touch Vista though unless you're dual booting it. I hate that operating system.

I hear that line everyday at work and I can honestly say after using every windows ever made since 1992 including 64 bit xp and currently vista ultimate..90% of the time the people who say that either
1. are trying to load old ass programs that are not compatible and its not microsofts fault so suck it
2. are not as smart as they hope they were with pcs
3. are old mac users who just like to hate (even though ive had people bring in a mac and ask me to install windows over their stupid cat named os)
4. dont have a pc that can actually run it properly

yes it does have its downfalls. primary example it takes way more ram to run it properly than it should. easy fix---msconfig--
second downfall, microsoft tried to make it pretty. personally i dont give a shit about gadgets widgets or anything like that. can it open programs? yes! good all i need. biggest downfall is that it tends to stop responding occassionally....jeez didnt xp do that alot as well? yes!

for all the xp whores out there...you guys need to remember that xp had huge problems in its first year of release and it was worse than vista. there is a cure though. microsoft should be releasing the first service pack in feb.

i tell people who come to bitch at me for their stupidity this. if you want simplicity go for a mac. if you want supreme operation go with linux. if you want something that 95% of america uses go with windows. now stop yelling at me because you cant use a computer properly and get out of my store.


i use vista ultimate on my laptop and have xp pro on my desktop until next week when i rebuild my new pc. then ill be putting vista premium on it for the dx 10 support.

[Bulldog_916]

WOAH WOAH WOAH Coalition:

I've been using computers, specifically Windows based computers as long as you have. Windows has been plagued with problems from day one, but that's true with anything new. Vista was really exciting until everyone actually used it. If they had the hardware to support it, it ran FANTASTICALLY. Key words there my friend. IF they had the hardware to support it. About 90 percent of the computers that have XP on them wont support Vista as fluidly as they do XP, if at all. Even corporations that are accustomed to upgrading operating systems and hardware every 4-6 years arent touching Vista in great numbers because Microsoft has XP down so pat. It runs basically flawlessly after everything is stabilized, updated and you have a worth while virus scanner that doesnt take a chunk of RAM to operate. Practically all hardware drivers are compatible with XP (even legacy hardware, trust me, I tested it) and some havent been updated for Vista's kernel. Vista's legacy support for old hardware is CRAP. I'm not an XP "whore," I just know the damn thing works like a juggernaut on my system.

I installed Vista on my system only to end up hating it. I'm not a huge fan of having to click "Yes, I would like to run this program." every god damn time I open a new one. The kill switch is still there, I dont care what Microsoft says. I run XP and Linux back to back because it is the PERFECT combination in my opinion of stability on the server side and stability on the client side. I dont need to be answering the illiterates' questions about Vista now, that's why I keep recommending that my clients find a vendor that sells OEM machines with XP pre-installed so that I dont have to answer those questions. My advice is to wait till SP1 AT LEAST to upgrade to Vista, that way you know you have some stability and a more fluidly running operating system.

I like you fella, but you need to cool your jets and quit slingin' mud.

[PhishPhood]

I currently have windows xp 32bit installed on my comp (64 bit processor). I'm trying to reformat to Vista ultimate 64 bit but it wont run from inside windows because its not a 32bit application (the installer) and my comp also wont boot from a CD to install from that.

Any ideas?

Your BIOS is not set to boot from CD. When your computer starts up initially you'll see a flash screen telling you to "Press (either DEL or F3) or something similar to get to "Setup ( or BIOS or Settings)." When you get into the BIOS, go to the tab that says "Boot." Find the Boot Order and change that to CD first, hard drive drive second, floppy disk (if any) third. Accept the changes and restart. That should have you booting from the CD.

I wouldnt touch Vista though unless you're dual booting it. I hate that operating system.

I am set to boot CD USB then HD. I know 100% it is what its set at cus I chagned it yesterday before trying to boot from CD. =\

[Hexa]

okay my usb ports and my memory card reader (on my laptop) have this problem.
I plug in a usb device like a mouse and it works for 4 seconds then stops. As in the mouse moves for a few moments then beomces unresponsive/. (not with all usb devices but a good number)
With my memory card reader which is built in to the laptop it reads the memory card and i can open the folder and view pics but only for a moment then it says no folder is there.

Are the card readers and usb ports on the same component? As in, are they both right next to eachother and seemingly encased together or on seperate sides of the laptop?

seperate sides but the memory card reader behaves a lot like a usb device

[thecoalition]

WOAH WOAH WOAH Coalition:

I've been using computers, specifically Windows based computers as long as you have. Windows has been plagued with problems from day one, but that's true with anything new. Vista was really exciting until everyone actually used it. If they had the hardware to support it, it ran FANTASTICALLY. Key words there my friend. IF they had the hardware to support it. About 90 percent of the computers that have XP on them wont support Vista as fluidly as they do XP, if at all. Even corporations that are accustomed to upgrading operating systems and hardware every 4-6 years arent touching Vista in great numbers because Microsoft has XP down so pat. It runs basically flawlessly after everything is stabilized, updated and you have a worth while virus scanner that doesnt take a chunk of RAM to operate. Practically all hardware drivers are compatible with XP (even legacy hardware, trust me, I tested it) and some havent been updated for Vista's kernel. Vista's legacy support for old hardware is CRAP. I'm not an XP "whore," I just know the damn thing works like a juggernaut on my system.

I installed Vista on my system only to end up hating it. I'm not a huge fan of having to click "Yes, I would like to run this program." every god damn time I open a new one. The kill switch is still there, I dont care what Microsoft says. I run XP and Linux back to back because it is the PERFECT combination in my opinion of stability on the server side and stability on the client side. I dont need to be answering the illiterates' questions about Vista now, that's why I keep recommending that my clients find a vendor that sells OEM machines with XP pre-installed so that I dont have to answer those questions. My advice is to wait till SP1 AT LEAST to upgrade to Vista, that way you know you have some stability and a more fluidly running operating system.

I like you fella, but you need to cool your jets and quit slingin' mud.

wasnt directing straight at you more of the people who throw that vista is garbage stuff around. like i said vista is fine if you can run it which both my pcs can. and they run it flawlessly. my xp pro machine has a 14 second boot time. my vista ultimate machine is 25 secs. im simply saying that every os has had problems and microsoft has always fixed them. like it or not microsoft has even said that they will not go back to xp. they are pushing vista like crack.

besides if you dont want to click cancel or allow each time....turn of user account control in the control panel

dont worry buddy i wasnt trying to come off stand-offish i had just gotten off of working 9 hours and thats all i heard from people returning computers. so yea i was a little irritated.

[Bulldog_916]

Forgiven. I cant stay mad at you, look at that face!

I like having control over the systems so turning off account control is usually not an option unless the computer is basically going to be a dumb client (I LOVE DUMB CLIENT/TERMINAL NETWORKS, very little upkeep). I gotta say, Microsoft Home Server is looking like a possible buy for me. But if it comes out when I'm going to school I'll probably be able to get it for free through MSDN student membership.

I can definitely see where you're coming from being irritated by customers bringing back computers that dont have any problems. One little thing our shop did was when the mobile technicians would deliver and set up the new Vista machines at the customer's location, they would stay with the customer about an hour to show them where everything was and how to access their programs. Granted, it was a long time, but it saved us shop techs hours of sitting on the phone with them or them bringing the computers in complaining. Might want to slip that suggestion to the managers who run your mobile services. It's definitely gonna save you some stress. Even if you have to add an additional 50 bucks onto the cost of the machine, it will go a long way to keep satisfaction high.

[entrailsgalore]

I currently have windows xp 32bit installed on my comp (64 bit processor). I'm trying to reformat to Vista ultimate 64 bit but it wont run from inside windows because its not a 32bit application (the installer) and my comp also wont boot from a CD to install from that.

Any ideas?

Your BIOS is not set to boot from CD. When your computer starts up initially you'll see a flash screen telling you to "Press (either DEL or F3) or something similar to get to "Setup ( or BIOS or Settings)." When you get into the BIOS, go to the tab that says "Boot." Find the Boot Order and change that to CD first, hard drive drive second, floppy disk (if any) third. Accept the changes and restart. That should have you booting from the CD.

I wouldnt touch Vista though unless you're dual booting it. I hate that operating system.

I was just about to say the same thing. Unless you are going to dual boot, just don't even bother with vista. There is nothing Vista has at this moment that that XP doesn't. Vista has newer features that XP doesn't have but the benefit doesn't outweigh all the bugs. Plus if you're like me and you're a hardcore PC gamer, DX 10 drivers have a flaw with their rendering path. until they fix it, I will be using 9.0c. At least until AoC comes out ( as of right now it will be DX10 only, unless they decide to stop being pricks and make it 9.0c). Anyways, stick with XP, if you want 64 bit get X64. Unified Shaders and stream processors work fine with XP. Unless you ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO HAVE MORE than 32x AA...