***** This thread is now closed, please CLICK HERE to go to Volume 125 *****
In this thread you may ask any computer related question for which you need help, advice, suggestions or whatever.
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There is a wealth of knowledge in here, much of which is not motoring related, but most of which is useful.
This is Volume 124. Previous Volumes will not be deleted.
A list of previous volumes can be found here:-
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Good Evening to all.
Has anyone expeienced this before please?
Having used computer ( XP Home Edition ) without problem earier in the day, switched on in evening to find black start up screen with "Boot from CD ", " Boot from CD " followed by " Invalid system disk " message.
Checked " Boot priority " which had not changed.
Fitted 1st reserve hard drive and got same result
Fitted 2nd reserve hard drive with same result.
Fitted 3rd reserve hard drive ( loaded with W98 ) This went as far as the W98 splash screen but would go no further.
Took 2nd reserve HD, wrote zero's to entire drive ( Low level format ) as I have done many times without any problems, then proceeded to load XP Home.
Setup ran as usual until the blue screen stating " Setup is starting Windows " appeared, then would go no further.
Two HD's state " Invalid system disk " and two fail to start Windows.
Four individual drives refuse to work, do I have Motherboard problem?
Any input would be much appreciated. Thank you.
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You could have a bad IDE connector on the motherboard. Try a hard drive on the IDE connector that currently supports your optical drive. If this works then I suppose the answer is "yes".
Hope this helps
Culmhead
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As mentioned, if you haven't unplugged the IDE connectors on the motherboard, now is the time to do so, and replace to give the contacts a 'clean'.
Also might be worth checking the voltages from the power supply. You should find at least the stated voltages at each rail. Have the computer turned on for this. Although a few decivolts out shouldn't be a problem either way.
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Mike Farrow
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Checks to make
Your hard drives should have +12v (11.8v min) and +5v(4.8 volts min) at the 4 pin plug to work.
Go into your BIos and see if the drives auto detect and detect the right number of cylinders/heads
Your CD drive uses the same electronics in the same way that a hard drive would, and the fact you can boot off
a cd means it can read ok, however its entirely possible that the mboard electronics have lost the ability to write
properly.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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It would'nt get as far as it has without the 5v from the PSU, could try taking out the CMOS battery then, with it off at the wall, holding the on button in so the BIOS defaults and trying again.
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UPDATE.
My thanks to all who replied to my OP on this question.
The problem was created by the failure ( acrid smell of component failure when removed for unit ) of the primary use hard drive, which sent the whole system into confusion. The three other drives are now recognised and the computer is back " UP " I used Cheddar's suggestion of pulling the CMOS battery but after so much trial and error I cannot confirm if this contributed to the repair or not. Special thanks to Cheddar in any case.
Thanks again to all, Pete.
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As title switch on PC and it beeps one long beep about 4 seconds then a 1 second break then a 4 second beep etc etc nothing else happens have tried searching on bios beep code sites but dont seem to be getting anywhere anybody know what bios these machies use...Cheers...Keo
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Nearest I've found to your beeps code is:
www.bioscentral.com/beepcodes/compaqbeep.htm
which relates to an AGP card on a Compaq Deskpro system.
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Just an update took the beeping machine to our local computer god who performed some ritual on it and installed a new processor. It seems to be ok now. ...Cheers...Keo.
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Just got a new machine preloaded with Vista. I have noticed that Outlook Express is not available with Vista and has been replaced with something called Windows Mail. Now I thought that I would transfer all my old Outlook Express e-mails from the old machine onto the new machine. Not quite as easy as I thought. Windows Mail does not recognise the Outlook Express format. The only way of doing it seems to be to transfer the old mails into Outlook on the Vista machine( not Outlook Express) and then into Windows Mail. Seems to be a long way of going about things. Anyone found a quicker way.
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Do you have to use Outlook Express, or do you just want a free, simple email package? If the latter, then you could download Thunderbird, which is from the same stable as Firefox.
www.mozilla.com/en-US/thunderbird/
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The old PC runs on Outlook Express and that is currently where all the old e-mails are. I just want to transfer them onto the new PC
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Thunderbird will import/export quite happily from/to Outlook Express.
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I understand that you can import from Outlook Express to Windows Mail though cannot advise as to how. Why not use Outlook however, you obviously have it on the machine already?
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search the web, there is a tool to do this, cant remember its name.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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See:
www.oehelp.com/backup.aspx
www.freebits.co.uk/backoutlook.html
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Geoff
I don't suppose you have an install disk? I've just installed Vista in the last few days on a partition, where I must admit it will probably quietly sit and rust, at least until ZoneAlarm come up with a Vista compatible version, but one of the options was "migrate". I think. There were only 2 but I was focussed on "install". That might help you out.
JH
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Not feeling very flush, well lift the lid on free broadband!
www.google.com/tisp/
"including 24-hour, on-site technical support in the event of backup problems, brownouts and data wipes."
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Not feeling very flush, well lift the lid on free broadband! ...
yesterday's old news about a bog standard service. does not have the same impact the next day, does it?
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yesterday's old news about a bog standard service. does not have the same impact the next day, does it?
Did you post this yesterday morning then D? If so, then so sorry I missed it.
Otherwise I find that I can have a laugh at anytime, my sense of humour is pretty consistent 24/365 and is not hightened excessivley at midnight on 31st March falling flat 12 hours later, how about yourself?
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Did you post this yesterday morning then D?
i am sure i did as i thought some people would appreciate toilet humour. but i suppose someone thought the story was crap and trashed it.
anyway, for anyone else who missed it, the press release is here:
www.google.com/tisp/press.html
and full description of how to install the free broadband service:
www.google.com/tisp/install.html
other offers by google
mail.google.com/mail/help/paper/more.html
www.google.com/mentalplex/
www.google.com/romance/
www.google.com/googlegulp/
www.google.com/jobs/lunar_job.html
www.google.com/technology/pigeonrank.html
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google's_hoaxes
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Hello,
I have three PCs and a printer connected wirelessly to the router and one PC wired to the router, today my Core 2 Duo Centrino laptop appeared to lose its connection, signal strength was fine, no errors, it said it was connected though it wasnt, couldnt even log on to the router's IP.
One of the other wireless PC's was connected fine as was the printer, I clicked "Repair", Windows flicked through the usual, updating the IP, checking DHCP etc and all was well afterwards, from a purest point of view it would be quite nice to know why it dropped out though.
Any thoughts?
Regards.
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As you can see from my signature, I live in Spain, (not very sunny at present!).
Whenever I search via Google it defaults to Google.es, presumably by recognising that my I.P. address is in Spain.
I know that in preferences I can set the language preference to English, but what I want and cannot find instructions for, is to use Google.co.uk as the search site of choice.
Is there an answer to this?
Roger. (Costa del Sol, España)
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>>Is there an answer to this?>>
Anyone in the UK who uses google.com as the URL is automatically switched to google.co.uk, so I presume that in Spain the default is google.com
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PS
I suspect it's to do with advertising content.
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>>Is there an answer to this?>> Anyone in the UK who uses google.com as the URL is automatically switched to google.co.uk,
Not me. I can use google.com or google.co.uk and it stays from whatever I use.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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which browser do you use?
I know firefox has addons to change the search engines used in the search box top right. the redirection only happens from google.com I think
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I use Firefox and have just tried google.com in the search box.
It brings up google.co.uk...:-)
It's not the first time the point has been brought up as many people find it frustrating.
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mycroft.mozdev.org/
is where to find the search engines you can install.
As I said google.com redirects - the others national domains dont.
mycroft.mozdev.org/download.html?name=google+uk&sh...h
will give you the google.co.uk options either with the web or uk preselected
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I have Google as the default search in the IE7 toolbar, it searches globally though gives the option to search UK only after the first results, otherwise I have link to Google. com on favourites so I can search UK specificllay in the first instance when i need to.
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Roger
you could clik that link on the google page where it says "go to google.com"?
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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Roger
use www.google.com/ncr as your home page or favourite.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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cannot find instructions for, is to use Google.co.uk as the search site of choice.
he asked a similar question here:
Google - malteser Mon 7 Feb 05 15:51
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=29160&...f
note malteser wants to set " co.uk " as the search page (and not " .com " , nor his default " .es " ).
so this solution here is of no use to him:
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=37561&...e
Google - Blank Page - Dalglish Thu 29 Dec 05 21:13
if you really want google.com and not .co.uk : try entering www.google.com/ncr
as your home page
so how about trying this:
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=32339&...e
Misbehaving Google - Dalglish Wed 8 Jun 05 18:47
set www.google.com.ph/language_tools?hl=en
as your home page and from there at the bottom of that page, select the google.co.uk or any other country you wish.
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Thanks to all for your suggestions. I can only plead advancing years for forgetting my 2005 posting regarding this subject!
The solution I found, with your help, was to \use the Google Toolbar add-on for Firefox. In it you can specify the site you want and for good measure your location by town and/or postcode. So - now I live in London (God forbid!).
Works OK now!
Ta ever jolly so: )
Roger. (Costa del Sol, España)
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I am unable to download certain items ie electronic birthday cards.
I get the message "Upgrade Flash Player" but when I click on the link, a window opens, I select 'download now', but for all practical purposes nothing happens.
Your suggestions would be appreciated.
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There are two versions of Flash Player, one for IE and the other for Firefox etc.
You can download either (or both if you use more than one browser) from:
www.filehippo.com/software/browsers/
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Thanks for that prompt reply Stuartli.
I downloaded as suggested, saved it and then attemted to install it. A window opened which said 'Flash Player 9 Installer Setup Completed'.
The progress bar shows completed but stays on screen - freezes on effectively.
But it hasn't installed.
Any ideas please?
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Not much I'm afraid. It seems to indicate something amiss elsewhere with your system.
Have you checked Control Panel for Adobe Flash Player?
If it's listed, try Removing it and reinstalling the latest version(s).
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Thank you. Sound advice as usual.
That's exactly what I did and this time it worked.
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Glad it's sorted..:-)
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Help pse People ... while on this site, I occasionally receive this message "Internet Explorer has encountered a problem with an add-on and needs to close." Another message urges me to tell Microsoft. Then iIt indeed closes down and I have to reopen Explorer to return to site. Odd thing is that it's very occasional, say every 2-3 months. Yesterday, it happened 4 times and I gave up until today ...and no probs today (so far). Seems only to happen on this site. Any thoughts?
ta ever so
EH
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damn - just happened again!
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Try disabling Shockwave Flash Object. See tinyurl.com/yv4b23
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L'escargot.
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Get Firefox !
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Get Firefox !
El Hacko,
What is happening is that an Add-on is causing your browser, Internet Explorer, to crash. What Pugugly is telling you (in a cryptic way) is that his browser, Firefox, does not suffer from this affliction.
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L'escargot.
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Try disabling Shockwave Flash Object.
If that doesn't work, disable all the add-ons via Tools>Manage Add-ons>Enable or Disable Add-ons and then enable them one by one until you find the culprit. Rightly or wrongly, I only have "Diagnose Connection Problems" enabled.
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L'escargot.
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didn't mean to be cryptic, just economising of words ! :-)
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Yes I too had to disable the flash plug-in, though this was on a brand new works' laptop.
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Mike Farrow
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Some time ago, in a misguided moment, I made Microsoft Outlook my default email programme.
How do I now undo this action?
Thanks in anticipation.
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>>How do I now undo this action?>>
Go to Start>Set Program Access and Defaults.
Configure as required. May have to be done once or twice again as Windows seeks to overcome the Defaults...:-)
PS
In Outlook Express it can also be done from Tools>Options>Make (or otherwise) OE the Default Mail Handler.
Outlook may have a similar sequence.
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Hello to all again.
Backroomers will recall my post at the start of this volume ( Volume 124 ) as to the Windows loading problem with my computer, caused by the failure of my primary use hard drive. My thanks again to those who responded. I have had a look in the forum search but have not found this question addressed specifically.
Drive in question is a Western Digital " Caviar " WD800 ( not the JD version ) which had an acrid smell of component failure, strong enough to be noticed in the room at the time. One poster makes reference to having heard " bad things " about these drives, others say they would not use any other brand.
I took a Google and found a surprising number of posts in the USA, claiming that these drives seem to last for only two years before failing. This is most interesting because my drive failed on 24th March 2007 and the date on the label on the front of the drive states 19th March 2005. This would tally with the Americans experience.
Secondly, now that my computer is running normally, if I try to use the WD drive, the system demands the XP disk and then states that it cannot find a hard drive in the system. On Ebay at this time is a similar WD drive ( not identical ) in which the seller states that:- " the drive appears to run but is not recognised by XP system "
Is there anyone who has experience of these drives, who could confirm if this is a common problem and advise if the cause is a single electronic component on the PCB or perhaps a failure of the drives motor unit?
Many thanks.
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Guys and Gals,
Got a small home network. 2 comps running xp and one 98se. The machine connected to the printer is 98se. All was fine until we security enabled the network. Now we cannot connect windows 98 comp to the network cos we cannot find where/how to configure the security key on that machine. HELP!!
MD
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Assume it is a wireless network if so you should be able to set a WEP or WPA key in the wireless network device on the 98SE machine.
I have two XP Pro machines along with a wireless printer, a 98SE and an ME machine on a wireless network both of the latter two using Belkin USB adaptors with a WEP key, all work fine.
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We appear to have just sorted it thanks although now we don't seem to have a printer driver. We will press on and will return if unsuccessful. Thanks.
vbr MD
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Because my computer often powers up of it's own accord when left on Standby I've started leaving it on Hibernate instead. Which is kinder to the computer, Standby or Hibernate?
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There used to be discussions on starting/stopping hard disks and potential damage, but I'd always go for hibernate. You can leave it as long as you like and the computer is doing nothing so surely not wearing itself out.
A vote for hibernation from me.
-- He\'s a cheeky wind-up scamster and he\'s on the radio....
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A computer system left in Hibernate state saves all your current work etc before going into Hibernation.
If left in Standby this doesn't happen and if you have a power cut or other mishap then your unsaved work is lost.
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If left in Standby this doesn't happen and if you have a power cut or other mishap then your unsaved work is lost.
I understand that, Stuartli, but I just wondered which was kinder. There must be a reason for having both options. However, since Standby seems to be so unreliable (on my computer at least) I suppose I might just as well stick to Hibernate and risk any adverse effects.
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Think the main advantage of standby over hibernate is speed of getting back to work when it's switched on again. The disadvantage Stuart indicates makes it worth waiting the extra half minute for hibernate methinks
-- He\'s a cheeky wind-up scamster and he\'s on the radio....
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There really is no concept of "kinder" to a computer. The days of keeping hard drives spinning for years on end because you didnt know if they would start again is long gone.
Hibernate. Its still very quick compared to a cold boot.
HOWEVER
There is a concept of memory leaks. Each time a programe is started then stopped, does not return all the memory back to windows. OVer a period of days and weeks of use you start to get memory holes that eventually become really rather troublesome. So regularly boot windows from scratch dont rely exclusively on hibernate or standby
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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If you want to save time after booting up and use Firefox as your browser, you can resume from where you left off by not closing it down before shutting down.
When you reboot and select Firefox a Resume Session menu will appear. Clicking on the left hand button will reinstate all the browser windows and tabs that were previously open.
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If the PC is setup for power saving then when you're using the PC hard disk drives that are not needed are powered down. And if you standby a system the hard drives are powered down. Apart from some power to the processor (much reduced), memory and system board most components are off anyway so no different to hibernate. Never measured the power draw in standby but will be a lot lower than when on.
But if you hibernate (or switch off) a modern PC it still takes some power although small. Otherwise the "soft" switch at the front or the ability to wake on LAN would not work.
Personally I hibernate unless I know I'm away for say an hour or so and therefore might standby.
I start by saying about power saving modes... on modern AMD and Intel CPU's on desktop PCs you do all realise you need to use the laptop power save scheme to allow the CPU to enter lower power states.... I feel a separate thread coming on.
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I feel a separate thread coming on.
you mean that thing I disabled becuase the machine is unusable and slow on battery?
Its Screen backlighting and Hardrives that consume laptop battery power the most
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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TVM
If you have an Intel Pentium 4 derivative, AMD Athlon 64, Intel Core Solo/Core Duo/Core2 Duo then to enable the power saving states in the processor you need to choose laptop. The CPU in these cannot enter lower power states any other way. Try a google or something similar. You can still stop hard disks spinning down by modifying the power profile but the CPU will run at full speed otherwise. This WILL prolong processor life and safe a lot of electricity. And the bonus is fans spin slower and therefore a quieter machine if not too busy.
Oh and for AMD you probably need a driver update for ACPI.
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I have modified the power profile to disable lower cpu power states. The only way the cpu saves power is to throw away threads and cycles. I prefer mine at full song thanks. The fans spin slow on my IBM laptop anyway as it has a very good heat soakaway and all other stuff is powered down when not in use. (like bluetooth, wireless, hard drives, ethernet port) I am not worried about CPU life, the rest of the laptop will fall apart long before the CPU fails. Screen and backlighting are the major users of power in a laptop.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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In lower power modes, the CPU runs at lower Volts and clock speed hence lower power consumption. In a clock cycle (so like 2GHz) it is all back to full speed so no loss of speed.
This has turned out as a CO2 power consumption part of the thread so it ends here.... but kind of motoring related :-)
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"so like 2GHz"
So what I should have said is one clock cycle of a 2GHz+ processor, so something like 1/ 10^9 seconds? Or 0.5 micro seconds.
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My old Acer / AMD Mobile Athlon 2400+ using PowerNow always seemed to lag unless on set to be on full power all of the time. i.e. the CPU never seemed to get up to full speed quickly when needed, no such issues with the previous Dell / Intel PIII 1Ghz using SpeedStep or current Acer / Intel Core 2 Duo Centrino.
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I have modified the power profile to disable lower cpu power states. The only way the cpu saves power is to throw away threads and cycles. I prefer mine at full song thanks.
You know, you really do need to try a Mac laptop. Power management is superb. Battery life excellent. Performance excellent. Absolutely no faffing about. User-definable presets for different tasks (if you care to do it). Awake to sleep to wake in a couple of seconds. Fans hardly ever spin at all. It's a different world, honestly*. If only IBM/Lenovo used its own OS.
*This observational message comes to you in the utmost sincerity and with no OS-wars implications at all. Well, not many anyway. Oh go on then, do your worst.
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>You know, you really do need to try a Mac laptop.
>Power management is superb.
tick lenovo/ibm with windows
>Battery life excellent.
tick lenovo/ibm with windows
>Performance excellent.
tick lenovo/ibm with windows
>Absolutely no faffing about.
tick lenovo/ibm with windows
>User-definable presets for different tasks (if you care to do it).
tick lenovo/ibm with windows
>Awake to sleep to wake in a couple of seconds
tick lenovo/ibm with windows
>Fans hardly ever spin at all.
tick lenovo/ibm with windows
>It's a different world, honestly
No its not.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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>You know, you really do need to try a Mac laptop. >It's a different world, honestly
>>No its not.
Yes it is, MACs are carp, PC's rule!
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Why is it then that when I go on a long-distance train I sit with people using (Windows) laptops who boot them from cold and shut them down afterwards? I observed this only last week. Is this user ignorance or the memory leak thing you mentioned above? If the former, why doesn't somebody tell them it's ok?
I never had much luck with power management on Windows laptops (2 HPs and and--briefly--an IBM). I even lost work once and never tried just shutting the lid again, but admittedly that was a few years back.
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pmfji
but my mbp c2d isn't great on battery, lucky to get three hours. SWMBO's macbook gets four and a half to five, easy peasy. I know my screen is bigger and it all more powerful, but the battery on mine is the most disappointing feature.
That said, Apple standby mode is great, much better than the equivalent on a PC, in my humble etc
Macs rock, so do PCs
-- He\'s a cheeky wind-up scamster and he\'s on the radio....
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Is it OK to switch off when the pc is hibernated?
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>>Is it OK to switch off when the pc is hibernated?>>
Not advisable. It is effectively switched off. You will need to switch the monitor off if you wish to minimise the risk to "global warming".
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>>Is it OK to switch off when the pc is hibernated?>> Not advisable.
Assuming by "hibernated" he means "suspended to disk," and not "suspended to RAM" why would this be inadvisable?
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>>why would this be inadvisable?>>
I often leave my system in Hibernation state - for all intents and purposes it is switched off. I've never considered switching it off at the mains as well as it would be pointless.
If the query is to switch it off using the case switch, then the system would come out of hibernation.
Perhaps holding the off button in for about four seconds might work, but I wouldn't been too keen about discovering whether it was still in hibernation afterwards when switching it back on..:-)
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>>why would this be inadvisable?>> I often leave my system in Hibernation state - for all intents and purposes it is switched off. I've never considered switching it off at the mains as well as it would be pointless. If the query is to switch it off using the case switch, ...........
I meant switching it off at the mains, which (with my multi-socket extension cable) also switches off the monitor. I only do this if I'm going out or going to bed.
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There is no problem by turning of a hibernated machine. In fact when i hibernate my laptop it turns off all by itslef.
Hibernate means carefull placing the contents of ram onto disk, and altering the next boot characteristics so it kicks in a bootstrap program and relays memory back from disk in the order it found it (memory leaks, trojans, virii, dead threads - everything exactly the way it last was.)
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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I want to register a .com and .co.uk domain name. As well as registering the domain names I want them to be registered as "private" domains i.e. my personal details don't appear directly on the domain database to guard against ID theft and junk mail. I've scoured the internet to find out who the good guys are but I've had no luck so far. What I have found out is that there are quite a few "Cowboys" out there. I should also mention I need a registrar capable of providing me with email forwarding. Any suggestions from the HJ collective will be greatfully received.
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A .co.uk domain will be private by definition. The only way you can make a .com private is by using a registration agent such as an ISP - they will put their contact info in the fields - though you can put in false info, and use a web-based email address just for that registration. The Feds won't come and get you!
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A .co.uk domain will be private by definition. The only way you can make a .com private is by using a registration agent such as an ISP - they will put their contact info in the fields - though you can put in false info, and use a web-based email address just for that registration. The Feds won't come and get you!
.co.uk WONT be private by definition. Use Namesco for registration. I have and they seem really OK. Just talk to them first. I have no other dealings with them other than as a satisfied customer.
Very best regards................MD
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I have quite a few domains registered/parked with www.domainmonster.com cheap to register the domain and the tools they offer are very good, including email forwarding and various different options on the domain forwarding - I have always found them to be reliable as well.
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My apologies on the .co.uk info - incorrect I now see.
Bear in mind that ID theft can only work where the thief has your home address, as that is confirmed by the electoral roll entry. So if you use a friend's address, ideally in another town, then no linkage can be made.
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Hi , I have just bought a new laptop a Toshiba P100-160, 1024 MB RAM . Things were going fine until I tried editing some camera raw images and it was then I discovered that it was stalling after using all the ram during post processing. Even before I do anything the operating system uses over half of the 1024MG RAM.
Question is, what are my options, can I add more ram, would it be cost effective? or should I cut my losses and trade it in for another more powerful unit.
Mal.
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ram is probably the most cost effective upgrade of any machine.
I think you can have up to 4gb of memory in that machine. try the online retailers for the best prices.
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Partly depends on how the current memory is configured, it is probably 2 x 512Mb PC4200 (or 5300) 200pin SODIMMs, if so you can buy 2 x 1024Mb replacements for around £80 - £100, and sell the 512s for around £30 - £40 on e-Bay, on the otherhand if the machine has one 1024Mb SODIMM then all you need is another of the same spec for around £45 ish.
This:
www.crucial.com/uk/
Tells me it is DDR2 PC 4200.
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This is where I bought it so is the same spec www.dixons.co.uk/product.php?sku=368553
Sorry I do not know that much about computers,
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Against my better judgement* I have recently been helping a family member who was sold a PC running Vista Home Premium with 512MB of RAM. It boots Vista, in crippled mode, with much hard drive whirring, but running anything besides that is hopeless. Slower than the nine year-old PC it replaced. The Worcestershire-based PC builder should be ashamed of itself.
You need more RAM--2GB seems to be the minimum for a decent experience, though image processing might need more than that.
*I said I wouldn't help her if she bought Vista and she's on her own with the driver issues and the endless error messages.
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Not to mention al the compatibility problems I have been having...............I had the chance of the same machine with XP installed at a reduced price in Dixons .............if only!!.
Now getting back to the upgrades, are they easy to install or is it a back to dealer job?.
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Should be easy, just needs care, look around the Crucial site I posted abovbe for advise.
Reckon the machine should perform OK with 1024Mb memory, as it is not the first port of call should be to take it back to where you bought it and let them advise.
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Oh dear. YOu have two issues here. Vista and Photo processing.
Vista needs 1gb (1024mb) of memory ro run properly on its own. Manipulating all those pixels in photos eats memory as well. You need 2gb MINIMUM as discussed above.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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member who was sold a PC running Vista Home Premium with 512MB of RAM. The Worcestershire-based PC builder should be ashamed of itself.
Indeed it should -
This is the microsoft MINIMUM requirements for vista home premium
1 GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
1 GB of system memory
I would take it back and tell them that you will be reporting them to Microsoft UK with a view to removing their manufacture marketing support unless they provide a free memory upgrade. Under the terms of thier OEM license they are not allowed to ship pre loads that dont meet minimum requirement.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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Thanks Cheddar and others for the input , checked with my son and I am going to order 2x 1gig ram for £79 + postage from Crucial and with a bit of luck will get £30 for the 2x512 making it a cheap upgrade for £50...............son will fit them for me :-)
Cheer Mal
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I would take it back and tell them that you will be reporting them to Microsoft UK with a view to removing their manufacture marketing support unless they provide a free memory upgrade. Under the terms of thier OEM license they are not allowed to ship pre loads that dont meet minimum requirement.
Quite. Thanks for that. The PC is in London and I'm not, but more RAM has been demanded and we will pursue it hard. The relative who bought it is a 74 year-old woman so they probably thought she was a soft touch. It was only when we visited and I was curious to try out Vista that I discovered how bad it was, and why. As it happens the main user is a working author with a deadline, so the impact is pretty bad.
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When I was looking for a laptopsin one of the out of town majors they were selling 512 laptops with vista installed! I did not now much at the time but I did know that you could not run vista on only 512. ram alone!
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The way I read it, information at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB#Power_supply indicates that to be USB 2.0 compliant, not all USB ports on a computer have to be capable of delivering design voltage (4.35-5.25Vdc) at maximum current draw (500mA). In case correct and I have no corner to argue from, I would appreciate informed BR comment on the following scenario, please, before I contact my PC manufacturer.
In essence, I have an external HDD that I use as one of several backup mechanisms. Because it is used for backup, then whisked away to another location for safe keeping before next being used again, for convenience I want to use either the USB 2.0 port on the PC front panel or either of the two on the top panel. Unfortunately, neither work as the voltage appears to be too low or current draw too high; the HDD click-whirrs repeatedly, but never spins up. Pull the PC out from it's usual location and plug in to any of the rear USB 2.0 ports (a nuisance despite the PC being on rails) and it spins up and works fine.
Note I have not tried unplugging every USB device from the rear gang of four ports, and then trying the externall HDD in one of the three offending ports, since this is impractical.
I am confident that the three affected ports really are USB 2.0 and not 1.1 as they allow download from our Sony HDD camcorder at full tilt, never give "this device would perform faster if..." messages, and appear as "Enhanced" in a USB query utility I have referred to before.
Ideally I don't want to use a powered hub as it's more spaghetti in the usage scenario I have painted as well as going against my purist ideals.
What I want is to solve the problem, though I suspect (back to where I came in) I may not be able to and will end up with a powered hub connected to one of the rear ports.
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Why not get a USB extension cable (not a hub) and leave it plugged into one of the back ports, we have one about a metre long and use it in such a way on one of the kid's PCs that does not have front or top USB ports.
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Why not get a USB extension cable (not a hub) and leave it plugged into one of the back ports,
I have six such cables, but all back ports are in use so to use one for the external HDD, I need to buy a hub.
Sure, dead cheap, but you know I am a purist; I want the front or top panel ports to work if they possibly can but need to be sure of my facts before I contact the PC manufacturer; I am sure the reply will be "use a powered hub" as it is the soft option, but if the ports are not working to spec, I would prefer that this be solved.
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... to be sure of my facts before I contact the PC manufacturer ...
may be worth asking the question at:
forums.hexus.net/forumdisplay.php?f=109
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OK, well the front panel ports are in effect a hub and probably an unpowered hub so are using the same power supply as the back ports, trying unplugging all from the back and seeing if the HDD works on the front will prove this, if so then perhaps contact the PC manufacturer (Mesh?) and see if there is a way of powering the front ports independently. Do you have a multimedia card reader on the front panel? If so this will be connected to an internal USB ports, disconnecting this might enable more current to the front ports or even disabling its port in device manager thus allowing it to be re-enabled to use it, On that note you could try disabling the rear ports making sure you do not disable mouse and/or keyboard.
Re a USB extention, why not plug one of you normal back port devices (i.e. printer) into an extention and tuck the cable out of the way where you can easily access the connector so as to change the normal device periodically for the HDD.
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Just a small point with regard to the Bios. Does your Bios have the facility to Enable all the available USB2.0 ports and is it set for USB2.0 use?
I can vary the number of available ports (USB2.0) up to eight maximum.
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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External hard drives (those with motors and spinning things) should NEVER be powered by just 1 usb port. USB 2 or not. Your external drive certainly draws more than 500ma on start and heavy seek.
USB external drives should be a: powered externaly or b: connected and powered by TWO usb ports.
you are screwing your drive and possibly burning out your USB ports.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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