Archived CalgaryPuck Computer Help Thread

[photon]

Hm, I can't remember where this stuff is in 98. Basically there's a tab where you can select default playback audio device, and there will be a dropdown with the installed audio devices. Though I can't see why it would have changed.

PCI means add-in card and I thought the CMI8738 was the chip used on the addin card.

You could go in and basically remove everything with a ? or ! in the device manager and reboot. Make sure the BIOS soundcard is disabled, and see what comes up asking for drivers.

Other than that I dunno, I thought we had it but obviously not.

Word to the wise; if your parents ask you what computer to get, tell them to get a Mac! One they'll probably have fewer of these kinds of problems and two if they do have problems you'll have no idea how to fix it (unless you're a Mac expert I guess).

[Bingo]

Got it ...

ripped the new sound card out of the box, reinstalled it, rebuilt the driver set and I think we're done.

Man ...

enough!

Thanks for hanging in with me though.

[arsenal]

Good job Bingo! And with plenty of time to spare before the draft!

[Bend it like Bourgeois]

Originally posted by Buff+Jun 17 2005, 01:50 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Buff @ Jun 17 2005, 01:50 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-Bend it like Bourgeois@Jun 17 2005, 10:15 AM
A question for the techies:

I have 2 systems: a Dell box at the office and a Dell box at home.

The Office box is a P4 2.5 or so running XP pro with integrated sound and video.

The Home box is a p4 1.6 or so running XP home with seperate sound and video.

Other than the occasional game of NHL 2004 I pretty much use the two computers for the same stuff, and the office box is noticable faster.

I'm 'retiring' for a few months and want the best of both worlds. Can I do something with the hardware/software to make 1 better computer out of both?

Assuming you have the expansion room in the business computer, you should be able to move the video card and sound card from the home computer over to the business computer.

If the RAM is the same type you could maybe add more ram if you have open slots or switching a stick or two(assuming it adds up to more RAM)

You could even increase your HDD space by putting in the HDD with XP Home and making it a slave drive, and the existing HDD with XP Pro the master drive. You won't have two operating systems to boot from... although you could have it set up to do so if you wished. (but if you got XP Pro why use XP Home?)

You can even add another optical drive from the home computer into the business computer (assuming there is room)

So in a nutshell, if there is room you should be able to strip your home computer of all its parts and put them in the business computer as additions and/or replacements. [/b][/quote]
So I finally got around to doing this - almost. I actually bought a new video card and DVD RW so I can one of the cool kids.

Unfortunately it seems the business computer does not have an AGP slot for the video card.

So now I just have more parts.

Can I simply swap hard-drives or will that cause a meltdown in Windows?

Would it be just as easy to buy a new system minus the hard drive, video card and dvd drive? I think I'd almost be a parts store at that point.

[arsenal]

Swapping HD's could cause a problem. Every time I have tried swapping HD's from seperate machines, it seems to cause an issue.

Actually, you are pretty much home. Probably the easiest thing to do would be to back up all the important stuff on the machine (using your fancy new DVD RW), and whipe the hard drive.

But before you do that, buy a motherboard that will accept the P4 2.5 processor, will fit in your case and has an AGP slot. Make sure the AGP slot on the motherboard, will accept your video card. AGP cards are either 2x, 4x, or 8x. So, just make sure the AGP slot is compatible with your vid card.

Steps would be:
1) Buy a new motherboard that works for you
2) Before installing the new motherboard, back up all your important stuff on to DVD using the current work pc.
3) Open case up, swap in the new mother board, that means putting in the CPU, Memory, DVDRW, hard drive you want to use, Vid card, sound card, etc.
4) Close everything back up, turn pc on, put in Win XP CD, boot from CD, and re-install windows.
5) Re-install everything else.

I know it sounds like a huge pain, but it will keep you from having headaches in the future.

At least thats what I would do.
Others might have a better idea.

But HTH anyway.

edited for clarity

[Bend it like Bourgeois]

Originally posted by arsenal@Jul 30 2005, 10:13 PM
Swapping HD's could cause a problem. Every time I have tried swapping HD's from seperate machines, it seems to cause an issue.

Actually, you are pretty much home. Probably the easiest thing to do would be to back up all the important stuff on the machine (using your fancy new DVD RW), and whipe the hard drive.

But before you do that, buy a motherboard that will accept the P4 2.5 processor, will fit in your case and has an AGP slot. Make sure the AGP slot on the motherboard, will accept your video card. AGP cards are either 2x, 4x, or 8x. So, just make sure the AGP slot is compatible with your vid card.

Steps would be:
1) Buy a new motherboard that works for you
2) Before installing the new motherboard, back up all your important stuff on to DVD using the current work pc.
3) Open case up, swap in the new mother board, that means putting in the CPU, Memory, DVDRW, hard drive you want to use, Vid card, sound card, etc.
4) Close everything back up, turn pc on, put in Win XP CD, boot from CD, and re-install windows.
5) Re-install everything else.

I know it sounds like a huge pain, but it will keep you from having headaches in the future.

At least thats what I would do.
Others might have a better idea.

But HTH anyway.

edited for clarity

That definitely helped. Well I kinda got halfway there.

It Turns out the motherboards were really similar. So I swapped the chips, added the DVD, the new video card (& some extra ram for good meaure).

Now I've other hard drive in as a slave drive. Quickest way to get the files back and forth I figured.

So now what?

[CMPunk]

I just downloaded FireFox and it's a definite improvement over IE, However alot of times when i click on a bookmark, it takes me to a Winfixer screen. I have to page back to get to the page I want and it's getting really annoying. Is this common or just me?

[Bean]

***New Question****

I've been ripping a lot of DVD's lately with my 16X LG DVD-RW. Starting a few days ago, the unit is unable to detect DVD discs, but can still read CD media. Does that mean that I somehow burnt out the laser for DVD use?

[HelloHockeyFans]

Okay, so I never had problems with this before, but I think it started yesterday or two days ago, and it only happens on CP.

Each time I navigate around the site, a pop up attempts to come through. the complete address of the site is:

http://isg16.casalemedia.com/V2/47291/56377/

I have a google pop-up blocker installed and most of the time it stops them, but the process of stopping the pop-ups slows down my surfing A LOT. Also, sometimes, the pop-up blocker doesn't catch the pop-up and it gets through. The pop-up has no information on it however. Just a blank window.

This only happens on CP. Anyone else have this?

Help!

[photon]

Originally posted by HelloHockeyFans@Aug 11 2005, 10:29 PM
Okay, so I never had problems with this before, but I think it started yesterday or two days ago, and it only happens on CP.

Each time I navigate around the site, a pop up attempts to come through. the complete address of the site is:

You should check out this thread:

http://forum.calgarypuck.com/index.php?showtopic=14632

[photon]

Originally posted by Bean@Aug 11 2005, 09:10 PM
***New Question****

I've been ripping a lot of DVD's lately with my 16X LG DVD-RW. Starting a few days ago, the unit is unable to detect DVD discs, but can still read CD media. Does that mean that I somehow burnt out the laser for DVD use?

Almost sounds like it. I doubt you did anything to burn out the laser, but it is possible that it failed.

[InTheSlot]

I'd just like to point out that it would probably speed up the troubleshooting process for any tech support specialists here if the person experiencing the problem would do the following:

Start > Run > type "dxdiag" (without the quotes) > Click "Save All Information", and then upload the .txt file here so that the person helping you can have a better idea of the specs of your computer.

[Ro]

I have an easy Mozilla Firefox question.

Just switched over, things are pretty much all good. Easy conversion.

One quick thing- under the "Tools" option at the top, when I click the "read mail" tab it opens up a new window using Internet Explorer, not Firefox. I can't find the setting to change this so that it uses Firefox instead of IE.

Should I just completely uninstall IE? Can I even do that? Is there a way to fix this? THX...

[Resolute 14]

If you go to Tools --> options, is Firefox set as your default browser?

Do you mean you are opening an internet explorer window, or Outlook Express? When I go to check mail, it opens up my email client.

[Ro]

Yeah, Firefox is set as my default browser.

I use Hotmail, and use the "Read Mail" option. That's the one that brings up IE and automatically goes to my Hotmail account. The "New Message" option opens up Outlook, but I don't use that program.

???

[photon]

I think Windows has something in it to force Windows to use IE as the Hotmail client.

I have a similar thing with my IM messenger program Trillian, when I click the MSN notification to tell me I have new Hotmail mail it launches in IE every time even though Firefox is my default browser.

There's probably a way to change it, bit it'll be some deep setting with Windows; I don't think it's a Firefox thing.

[Ro]

Originally posted by photon@Aug 18 2005, 07:23 PM
There's probably a way to change it, bit it'll be some deep setting with Windows; I don't think it's a Firefox thing.

Yeah, thought maybe. The Hotmail, MSN, Microsoft connection.

Thanks for the help and replies. I can certainly live with using IE when I click that shortcut.

[Regulator75]

Calgary Puck Gear

This link is not working.

[Shawnski]

OK, need some advise here folks. Any you have would be appreciated.

My harddrive is going to depart soon, I am sure. In many situations before at work, (or my prior work) I could have a machine "imaged". New machine, all files kept intact. Pretty much the same set up all around, just a new machine.

Can that be done readily with just a harddrive that is on its last legs? I am sure it isn't just a "Plug and Play" afterwards, but there have to be some realistic and simple options out there....

Any suggestions?

[photon]

Are you replacing just the hard disk drive itself, or a whole new computer?

If it's a whole new machine there's no really easy way. There's a Files and Settings transfer wizard which tries to do it for you, but it only looks in specific locations and stuff.