[Q&A] SBF IT Q&A Thread (Ask your IT questions here!)

[redbeacon]

this is a really fun place to get my brain busy. no more questions already uh? hehheh.

Thanks for contributing to assist others just like most have done! Thumbs up

Edited February 14, 2010 by redbeacon

[crazydj]

this is a really fun place to get my brain busy. no more questions already uh? hehheh.

 

Then let me post you questions then!

 

Okay, i got a IBM Thinkpad R31. I've installed Windows ME and i want to do the following.

 

1) Enable the internet through LAN by by a LAN cable to my router.

2) Enable my PCMCIA card to connect to my router wirelessly.

 

You guys got any ideas? I tried everything i can in my power but i am unable to.

 

Secondly, i tried to install XUBUNTU 9.10 on my laptop but the screen keep flickering at the setup screen. I have tried 2 different cds with 2 different .iso source file from different servers.

 

How do i come about to solve this issue?

 

You see, the problem i am facing is that my Windows XP is very very slow. Installing ubuntu or Win ME makes it blazing fast. I know there may be a problem with my HDD or XP OS, but the problem is that i lost my the CDs for my IBM laptop. Do you know a foolproof way i can "ghost" my old partition onto a newer harddisk of a larger size?

 

UPDATE: I used gparted to format the HDD in my laptop to reinstall my Win ME. However, after i put in my Win ME cd, they said that i cannot format my HDD because its due to some memory allocation error.

Edited February 14, 2010 by crazydj

[crazydj]

Okay. I went to the IBM website and hey presto! I installed the ethernet drivers.

 

The problem is now that my wireless PCMCIA card drivers would not work on my R31. Any ideas?

 

The cards are"

 

D-Link DWL-G630 &

Compex iwaveport WL11A+

[crazydj]

Okay.

 

I have tried to use Clonezilla but it keeps failing. Its like a free linux based Norton Ghost. Everytime i do it, 3 hours later, there is an error of somesort. I plugged in the new HDD and the files are there but many are corrupted. It happens all the time. What could be wrong here?

 

The original HDD is a 12GB IBM HDD in my laptop while my target is a 80GB segate HDD connected through USB. May i know how do i solve this problem? I know there are 101 problems that could be associated with the disk cloning failure but at least point me in the right direction. Thanks bros!

[redbeacon]

Okay.

 

I have tried to use Clonezilla but it keeps failing. Its like a free linux based Norton Ghost. Everytime i do it, 3 hours later, there is an error of somesort. I plugged in the new HDD and the files are there but many are corrupted. It happens all the time. What could be wrong here?

 

The original HDD is a 12GB IBM HDD in my laptop while my target is a 80GB segate HDD connected through USB. May i know how do i solve this problem? I know there are 101 problems that could be associated with the disk cloning failure but at least point me in the right direction. Thanks bros!

You tried another partition cloning brand yet to see if it works

 

Me thinks many disk cloning tools in the market can clone a hard drive (and boot record) structure byte by byte, and therefore there shouldn't be an issue.

 

Just my 2 cents.

[crazydj]

You tried another partition cloning brand yet to see if it works

 

Me thinks many disk cloning tools in the market can clone a hard drive (and boot record) structure byte by byte, and therefore there shouldn't be an issue.

 

Just my 2 cents.

 

Okay. I used Macrium Reflect. The problem is that whenever i boot up my laptop with the new HDD, i get a "NTLDR is missing" error. I tried everything. I came upon my only solution which was the NTLDR boot disk. Here

 

The problem is that i ALWAYS need the CD to boot up my laptop to windows. Any ideas how to solve this error?

[xXxRatedxXx]

Dear computer gurus of SBF.

 

What are the signs and symptoms of a dying video card?

 

How can problems on a faulty VC be rectified?

[crazydj]

Dear computer gurus of SBF.

 

What are the signs and symptoms of a dying video card?

 

How can problems on a faulty VC be rectified?

 

Greetings brother!

 

A sign of a dying video card would be when you see artifacts on your screen. They are purple/green/yellow boxes or lines appearing on your screen. Your screen may even be only in one colour.

 

Another sign would be that your PC suddenly crashes to desktop when you are playing a game that would normally run fine.

 

Always remember to perform regular maintenance on your graphics card. That would be removing the heatsink and fan and cleaning the various surfaces and removing the dust that have accumulated.

 

Use isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) which can be bought at almost any pharmacy to clean your GPU(Graphics Processing Unit) and your heatsink. When you are ready to place back your heatisnk onto your GPU and RAM Chips, remember to apply TIM(Thermal Interface Material), or heatsink paste onto the surfaces.

 

Generally, when you know that your graphics card is going to spoil, it most likely will. The question is how long more will it last. This would be an excellent time to do your research and go graphics card shopping.

 

Graphics cards do not last very long and they tend to spoil right after their warranty is over. Compared to other PC components like CPUs(which very rarely goes faulty during normal operation), graphics cards are really sensitive components in your PC. The other components that will easily go faulty is your RAM. Trust me. I know. In my lifetime, i have killed more graphics cards and RAMs that the average person does.

 

Please note that many graphics related problem are caused by unstable or outdated drivers. Drivers are software that commands that hardware, in this case, the graphics card to work properly. It is the set of instructions that makes your $500 graphics card worth its moola. A graphics card without drivers is an almost useless card.

 

Edited February 18, 2010 by crazydj

[xXxRatedxXx]

Interesting... then it is indeed dying. Thank you for your time to craft such a detailed answer.... i knew you were the right person to ask about this...

[redbeacon]

Okay. I used Macrium Reflect. The problem is that whenever i boot up my laptop with the new HDD, i get a "NTLDR is missing" error. I tried everything. I came upon my only solution which was the NTLDR boot disk. Here

 

The problem is that i ALWAYS need the CD to boot up my laptop to windows. Any ideas how to solve this error?

Hmm, this is a question that is related to the inner workings of Hard Drive technology.

 

NTLDR is what helps your computer start up Windows XP.

If you get the message "NTLDR is missing" but you are able to use the Windows XP (and thus the NTLDR inside it) to start up Windows XP, suspect that the one on your cloned hard drive is corrupt.

 

Try getting a replacement copy of NTLDR off of the XP CD (do a file search on it), or from your friend's XP computer - it should be in the root of the C:\ drive. Then, replace the one on the cloned hard drive.

 

All these are assuming your BIOS supports booting an OS off of portable USB drives!!

 

Hope this helps.

[crazydj]

Hmm, this is a question that is related to the inner workings of Hard Drive technology.

 

NTLDR is what helps your computer start up Windows XP.

If you get the message "NTLDR is missing" but you are able to use the Windows XP (and thus the NTLDR inside it) to start up Windows XP, suspect that the one on your cloned hard drive is corrupt.

 

Try getting a replacement copy of NTLDR off of the XP CD (do a file search on it), or from your friend's XP computer - it should be in the root of the C:\ drive. Then, replace the one on the cloned hard drive.

 

All these are assuming your BIOS supports booting an OS off of portable USB drives!!

 

Hope this helps.

 

Bro, the Win XP boot disk cannot work in my case. I have to use a custom boot disk (NTLDR Boot Disk) to enter Windows. Copied all the relevant files to C:\ but still, the same thing happens. I can only go to windows with that custom boot disk.

 

Any other ideas?

[syihabuddin]

Okay. I used Macrium Reflect. The problem is that whenever i boot up my laptop with the new HDD, i get a "NTLDR is missing" error. I tried everything. I came upon my only solution which was the NTLDR boot disk. Here

 

The problem is that i ALWAYS need the CD to boot up my laptop to windows. Any ideas how to solve this error?

 

ok. so you've managed to clone your 12gb harddisk right? my guess is that considering that it's a 12gb harddisk, it must be pretty old and might be tipping on the edge of hardware failure. but anyways, since you've gotten it cloned and you mentioned that ntldr is missing, it's just a problem with the boot record or your mbr. if you've gotten all your necessary files over to the newer harddisk, you can simply write a new boot record onto the newer harddisk using a variety of tools.

 

assuming that you're running winxp, your easiest bet is to run your winxp cd and run the fixmbr command from recovery console. alternatively, if you are having the drive as a slave off another computer or running it from an external enclosure, you can use tools like Mbrfix to write the new bootloader onto your harddisk.

 

hope this helps! goodluck.

[crazydj]

ok. so you've managed to clone your 12gb harddisk right? my guess is that considering that it's a 12gb harddisk, it must be pretty old and might be tipping on the edge of hardware failure. but anyways, since you've gotten it cloned and you mentioned that ntldr is missing, it's just a problem with the boot record or your mbr. if you've gotten all your necessary files over to the newer harddisk, you can simply write a new boot record onto the newer harddisk using a variety of tools.

 

assuming that you're running winxp, your easiest bet is to run your winxp cd and run the fixmbr command from recovery console. alternatively, if you are having the drive as a slave off another computer or running it from an external enclosure, you can use tools like Mbrfix to write the new bootloader onto your harddisk.

 

hope this helps! goodluck.

 

Okay. I have ran the recovery console and still the same problems. Use it to write a new boot loader, etc. Tried everything from the recovery console. Still nothing.

 

The new HDD is the only HDD in the laptop. I have tried and used MBR Fix and it doesnt work, at all.

Edited February 21, 2010 by crazydj

[Mark C.]

Dear all, need advise.

 

My laptop will freeze or hang after using awhile.

i hold the 'power' button to restart, not proper re-start.

but it seem ok.

 

when i do a proper re start, it will freeze again.

 

any idea what went wrong?

i hv scan for virus, and found none.

Thanks in advance for the pointer.

[crazydj]

Dear all, need advise.

 

My laptop will freeze or hang after using awhile.

i hold the 'power' button to restart, not proper re-start.

but it seem ok.

 

when i do a proper re start, it will freeze again.

 

any idea what went wrong?

i hv scan for virus, and found none.

Thanks in advance for the pointer.

 

Well, to be frank with you, there are many possibilities to why your computer is hanging. Let me list them down for you.

 

1) Driver problems

2) Hardware problems

3) Software problems

 

If you have updated any video drivers or any others lately, roll back to the previous drivers. Drivers are the set of instructions that tell your hardware what to do. Problematic drivers can cause your computer to hang, freeze or crash. I advise you to update all your drivers for your components accordingly. Video, sound, wi-fi card etc. In my personal experience, freezing is always due to problematic drivers.

 

Hardware problems such a a dying video card or RAM can cause your system to hang. Other components like CPUs very rarely spoil. It can also be due to a dying hard disk, as in my case. Google "SeaTools for Windows" to run scans on your hard drive.

 

Lastly, if you every have downloaded and updated any Windows patches, it is a good time to uninstall the patches. Try to recall what programs that you have installed before experiencing a freezing laptop and try to uninstall those programs to see whether it works.

 

If i were you, i would analyse "What i did before this happened" then from there, work backwards and try to analyse the problem.

 

Good luck bro!

[Mark C.]

Well, to be frank with you, there are many possibilities to why your computer is hanging. Let me list them down for you.

 

1) Driver problems

2) Hardware problems

3) Software problems

 

If you have updated any video drivers or any others lately, roll back to the previous drivers. Drivers are the set of instructions that tell your hardware what to do. Problematic drivers can cause your computer to hang, freeze or crash. I advise you to update all your drivers for your components accordingly. Video, sound, wi-fi card etc. In my personal experience, freezing is always due to problematic drivers.

 

Hardware problems such a a dying video card or RAM can cause your system to hang. Other components like CPUs very rarely spoil. It can also be due to a dying hard disk, as in my case. Google "SeaTools for Windows" to run scans on your hard drive.

 

Lastly, if you every have downloaded and updated any Windows patches, it is a good time to uninstall the patches. Try to recall what programs that you have installed before experiencing a freezing laptop and try to uninstall those programs to see whether it works.

 

If i were you, i would analyse "What i did before this happened" then from there, work backwards and try to analyse the problem.

 

Good luck bro!

 

Really a big thank you. :thumb:

[redbeacon]

Really a big thank you. :thumb:

 

(+) one more to crazydj's advise.

 

CPU overheat protection. It happened to my notebook as well. If possible seek professional advice from a tech

 

EDIT: CPU overheat protection - when this kicks in, it shuts down a computer, not makes it hang.

Edited February 23, 2010 by redbeacon

[crazydj]

(+) one more to crazydj's advise.

 

CPU overheat protection. It happened to my notebook as well. If possible seek professional advice from a tech

 

I didn't know CPU overheat protection will hang your com. In my own experience, it will auto-shutdown your computer.

 

One day, I was just testing a system to see whether it could run at all. The stock heatsink fan was gone then i put a standard 80mm fan above the heatsink. Then when i was in windows, the screen turned with GREE squares then the whole screen turned GREEn then it turned off by itself. Before it turned itself off, i looked at the fan and wires got stuck in it. And the heatsink was BURNING.

[Mark C.]

(+) one more to crazydj's advise.

 

CPU overheat protection. It happened to my notebook as well. If possible seek professional advice from a tech

Noted with thks, brother.

[redbeacon]

I didn't know CPU overheat protection will hang your com. In my own experience, it will auto-shutdown your computer.

 

One day, I was just testing a system to see whether it could run at all. The stock heatsink fan was gone then i put a standard 80mm fan above the heatsink. Then when i was in windows, the screen turned with GREE squares then the whole screen turned GREEn then it turned off by itself. Before it turned itself off, i looked at the fan and wires got stuck in it. And the heatsink was BURNING.

Oh damn...I didn't see that he meant his computer hung, not a case of shutdown without warning. Thanks for pointing out the mistake bro!

 

Anyways, crazydj has just started an interesting topic altogether - I've got an interesting video here. Shows what happens when you remove the heatsink (the fan and the metal fins that cools the computer's processor) from an Intel branded processor, versus an AMD branded one.

 

[yt]

[/yt]

 

 

P.S.: I don't vouch the relevance of the video in this year 2010, cuz it's made back in 2001. Who knows, both micro-processor companies probably already have improved in their design of their processors

Edited February 23, 2010 by redbeacon

[crazydj]

Bro redbeacon,

 

By looking at one sockets in the video, its is an AMD, Socket 462, or more commonly known at Socket A. I have this type of CPU running in my computer this very moment!

 

Firstly, for my rig, the PC cannot even be turned on if there is no weight of the heatsink and the clip bearing its weight on the CPU. Secondly, if i removed the heatsink from the CPU during operation, the PC will automaically turn off.

 

I suspect that perhaps the BIOS settings in the motherboard has turned off "auto-shutdown when temperature reaches critical".

 

From what i understand now, almost all CPUs/Motherboards have this safety feature to turn off the PC to protect it from burning itself out. I am not too sure about the Pentium IIIs though.

 

Anyway, that game that was running in the background was Quake III Arena! Gosh i love that game. Good old times.

[KK 53]

Dear Bros,

My dell xps with win 7 like to hung, don't know why, its new lappy, b.t.w how to check cpu temp ?

thanks

[redbeacon]

Dear Bros,

My dell xps with win 7 like to hung, don't know why, its new lappy, b.t.w how to check cpu temp ?

thanks

Got a few questions and tips for you:

 

1. Where does it hang?

(example: before the Windows logo appears, or after you click your user account to enter your Desktop, etc...)

 

2. If you're curious to know about your CPU temperature, try SpeedFan.

(Warning: Do not use SpeedFan to "automatically" choose your fan speed unless you know what you're doing is good for the CPU)

 

That's all for now dude, awaiting your reply so that all of us here can help troubleshoot.

[KK 53]

Oh , Hang sometime after logged and using for may be an hour. I can feel the heat from below of d lappy, I am using at non-aircon room.

[crazydj]

Have you ever considered using a laptop cooler? Get those with a full aluminum plate below or branded ones like Coolermaster.

 

My IBM ThinkPad R31 HDD runs at 50C+ but with a cooler, it runs in the higher 30sC to lower 40sC, depending on load and within the safe HDD operating temps.

 

Do remember to regularly clean and dust your laptop. Don't let it sit on the bed, only on a flat surface.

 

With a dell XPS, heat is sure gonna be a problem.