Official Computer Questions Thread
 

I decided I liked the police officer thread and thought Id start this one...If you have computer problems/questions I'll do my best to answer...

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

I will as well, I am A+ certified and know lots more than that test says ;)

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

Ok, I'll start...

Why do I get a funny noise that sounds like an air bubble going through my computer's water pump? Is it time to change the antifreeze?

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

you are fully welcome to put anti-freeze in your computers watercooling system...however, it hampers the heat transfer quality....water-wetter works awesome in a water cooled system...





and yes, i know you were "only joking"

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

lol did you hear A+ redid there test to make it more challenging now.
I gotta study for my security+ next week :help: :D

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

The A+ exam will change in 2007 to reflect the new Microsoft operating system and other various items.

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

:OUCH: I've just got whatever comes from Koolance, it's 50% antifreeze of some sort, and 50% water, premixed. It's been in there for over a year now and it says you are supposed to change it once a year (dont know why). But about once a day I hear a big air bubble go through the system? Never happened before the last few weeks.

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

From another site:

The coolant recipe is very important, because it has the effect to either maintain a good performance over time, or completely destroy your system. If for example you would be using plain tap water in a water cooling loop, the entire cooling surface of both waterblock and radiator will be covered in oxidation within a week, greatly hindering performance. Tap water will also cause mineral deposits inside the pump overtime, as well as letting fungus and algae grow inside the components. For optimal results, distilled water should be used, which means that it consists purely of H2O. You should then add a minimal quantity of coolant additive, such as RedLine Water Wetter which is sold right here, on directron.com. 2 ounces in a water cooling loop should keep the system free of any unwanted formations for at least 6 months, after which every component should be cleaned with alcohol, and refilled with a new batch of water/additive.

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

When answering tech support calls...and the question "Are you using Word?" is answered with "Yes. Words and numbers." Is it appropriate to inform the caller that they are a dumb@$$ or is it better to go with the accidental disconnect? :smack:

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

I work for Netstreams as a Tech... http://www.netstreams.com

you would not believe how many times I have to ask these douches that call me, if they're devices are plugged in, or connected to the switch or turned on... :smack: :headbang:

And i completely agree with you CANXLR8... Stupidy SHOULD hurt...

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

Ever gotten someone who calls to say copy / paste isn't working? So as you're walking them thru it they do the copy and when you tell them to paste it they say "hold on, I have to go to the other computer" :wtf: Ummmm yeah...doesn't *quite* work that way, but maybe Bill Gates can work on the wireless copy / paste function for his next OS.

I know how it is with the plugged in / turned on and oh by the way is the POWER out - because if it is, NO I can't fix your computer calls. Tis why I changed jobs. Unfortuneately...word of my past "help desk" experience got out and it's now my unofficial job on top of my regular job that is not even remotely IT related, but I still finished my masters in CIS anyway...just in case LOL

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

Oh yeah...this wasn't a share your IT frustrations thread was it?

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

Well... luckily i don't have to do much actual PC tech support anymore.
With this job, i troubleshoot problems that installers have with my company's products...
Mainly DigiLinX, a completley IP based Multi-Room entertainment distribution system.

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

Its a shame quite questions like this have to be asked. I absolutely hate it when I call in. Usually before I ask someone my question I start, yes it is plugged in, yes the I have the switch on, yes it is connected and yes I do pay the light bill so house has power coming in.

I always feel like I am about to come through the phone and strangle this dumb*SS when the tech person says, okay now I have a few questions and goes back through exactly what I just told him.

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

what i REALLY hate, is that I live in Austin, TX...
Dell is based in Round Rock, TX... < 5 miles from here!!

Yet when i call they're tech line.. I get someone in Norther INDIA!! :wtf:

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

I understand that as well...when I have to call tech support (in another state) for work, they don't want to hear "look, I used to do this for a living, yes its plugged in, yes its turned on, yes i've checked all the NORMAL causes of the problem - that's why i'm calling" - and yes, they make me go thru it all again anyway.

Don't take it personally...it's just because you're the 50th call for the same thing in the last 5 hours.

Also - there are a lot of places where they hire people to work the help desk that can barely turn on a computer. All they're doing is searching a database for your problem and going thru the steps it says to take - they can't go off the cuff because they don't know how to fix any of it...

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

Yea thats the only reason I don't go off on the poeple. Most of time they are just following a script and can not or do not have the knowledge to go off of it.

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

Us mods are talking about making this a sticky for yooz tech guys....make it easier to see for everyone.

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

How do I repsot a pic on here?

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

not a tech question. but for you guys in the computer fields which one and why did you chose this as your job? im asking cause im trying to plan for college which is coming up for me one more year and i kno i want something to do in computers but theres too many to pick from.

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

not a comp guy but do build and fix my own pc's ...but i can answer any drywallfinishing question's that you have being a sub i have to answer to no 1 except the builder.And if you live in michigan I'll even shoot you a quote on home repair.:THUMBSUP:

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

I've written a lot of the documentation for the knowledge base used by our help desk. The simple questions have to be in there simply because they are the solution most of the time. Even though we have some knowledgeable people on our help desk, we insist that they follow our troubleshooting steps just to be thorough...I hate getting called in the middle of the night for a label that didn't print only to find out that the help desk didn't ask if the printer was out of label stock.

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

Work for a small law firm in downtown Phoenix. Assist in almost all aspects of keeping the office running, including the tech stuff (A+ certified and BS in Networking). Anyways, I too am always dealing with people's I D 10 T errors.

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

Yea I used premixed coolant which was 50% coolant and 50% distilled water or something, it's been fine for over a year, but I hope I dont have to have "every component cleaned with alcohol" cause I don't want to take the heatsink off the CPU...

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

I dont run Water Cooling, But from what it sounds like, Fungus and different types of "objects" grow on the components. If left in the system, it could lead to failures down the road.

But it might just be over the top to clean everything with alchohol.

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

i just run nice air cooling....my amd 64 3200+ is overclocked to 4500+ and it actually runs 5 degrees C cooler than running stock with the stock air cooler :D

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

How do you know that it's running at 4500+, does it tell you in the BIOS? I haven't really worked much with AMD yet, but I did build a 64-bit 3000 or 3200+ for one of my teachers and it seemed pretty fast just for normal use (internet and stuff). I squeezed all I could get out of my 3.0GHz Prescott (which suck, my 2.8GHz Northwood was faster) and got 3.6 before it become unstable. I need a bigger radiator for my water cooling :rolleyses

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

It will always say its a A64 3200, he just means that the Mhz total(but only 512cache) equates to what AMD would term a 4500.

I run an FX-55 chip at 3ghz on air, thats a fast single core!

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

I overclocked a 2800+ once and it actually said 3000+ and maybe 3200+ in the BIOS, I think I just had to change the multiplier or something. I think my next processor is going to be an AMD.

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

hehehe....you are CLOSE....a64 3200+ clawhammer came in 512k and 1mb versions....i use the 1mb version :D....

3200+ etc is just a pr rating....you divide 3200 by the current mhz then multiply by the overclock mhz and voila....4500+

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

I have a question for you computer gurus.

My son is going away to college next year and we want to get him a laptop. He will use it for schoolwork as well as connecting to the internet. The laptop will also be used extensively to play some of the new role playing games that require a lot of memory (I think).

Anyway could one of you guys run down some of the numbers (like processor types and SD RAM etc.,etc.), I should be aware of as I search for this computer? Also ballpark figure on how much I should expect to pay?


Also his desktop is having trouble keeping up w/ the games already. Are there any upgrades I could buy for that computer to speed it up? We bought the Dell about 3 years ago and it's a mid rangetype unit. If you need exact numbers I'll look it up.

Thanks

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

Don't bother getting a laptop for gaming if your son is going to also have the desktop at college, getting a laptop that is good for gaming is very expensive. Just get a cheaper one that has Microsoft Word and such. 512mb RAM is sufficient. Any processor over 2GHz (Intel) or 2400+ (AMD) is good enough for simple stuff. For Intel processors I recommend HT Technology (Hyper threading is like having 2 processors kinda, I think they are more stable) and atleast 30-40Gb of hard drive space.

For a desktop computer that will play games, nowadays a 3GHz processor is necessary, along with atleast 80gb of hard drive space and atleast 1024Mb (1Gb) to 2048Mb (2Gb) of DDR 400MHz RAM. Also a good 128Mb video card.

I have a 3GHz w/ 1Gb of RAM and a good 128Mb video card and it will still hardly play some of the new games with anything more than "medium" graphic settings. These specs are what you will want on the laptop if he won't have the desktop at college and wants to play games on the laptop.

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

what games specifically??? I have a laptop with 1gb ram and integrated intel graphics and I play World of Warcraft on it wonderfully....if I need to, i have my desktop with the overclocked 3200+, 1.5 gb ram, 400gb hard drive and a 512 mb ati x1600 pro graphics card...also have 3 monitors on the computer for super awesome gaming experiences....hehe....

so, it really depends on what hes gonna play....desktops really are only needed for first person shooters....many laptops will work great with all other games

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

He plays 3 games primarily: Never Winter Nights 2 (Most of the time); World of Warcraft; and Warriors of Might & Magic 5.

He has a Dell Dimension 8400 Pentium 4 CPU, 3.00GHz; 2.99 GHz; 1.00 GB RAM (from the My Computer section on his desktop.

Can I update this unit to run faster for him and get him an economical laptop for school? He will have the desktop at home but will be there on weekends.

Thanks again

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

Sounds like plenty, if he's complaining about it not playing games, the video card must not be so great, you can upgrade that.

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

I've got one for you....I'm trying to load the expansion to Dungeon Seige II and get the following error;

Error Code: -5009 : 0x80029c4a
Error Information:
>Kernel\CABFile.cpp (389)
>SetupDLL\SetupDLL.cpp (1541)
PAPP:Dungeon Siege 2 Broken World
PVENDOR:Gas Powered Games (http://www.gaspowered.com)
PGUID:A563C4F4-BE36-4956-BA0B-E02BDD9F70D5
$11.50.0.42618PAK
@Windows XP Service Pack 2 (2600) IE 6.0.2900.2180

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

that should just be a complete game uninstall and reinstall...

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

OffTopic

What is "Mustang Dual Weilder" above your avatar?

OnTopic

I tried to install a linksys wireless router to my laptop and screwed it up. Now my internal modem icon in the tray shows "local area connection 9, a network cable is unplugged". I tried 9 times to get the setup, got it once but then screwed something up, and took the router back. Everytime I retried the setup the connection number 2,3,4,5, etc rolled, I got the error even with the cable plugged in. I didn't try replacing the cable because it worked once.
I connect to the internet through my USB port, couldn't get the other port (RJ connector) to work (another problem?).

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

Thanks for the help.:THUMBSUP:

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

Don't know if you got any replies do your question, but there are many different areas to choose from when looking at computers as a career.
I personally am a software engineer specializing in web application design and development. I would say there are 3 broad areas in the computer field and each one involving their own expertise.
Software development(writing code, designing applications, web sites,etc)
Hardware (repair, replace,build), this could be PC or larger computers
Computer Communications(network management, security, etc)
There are also other areas too such as database administration, computer support.
The computer field is wide open and needs eager young minds. A lot of people say the good computer jobs are being filled by overseas people, however I believe most of them just do meaningless easy tasks, the harder more complicated tasks are being done here in the good ol USA.
Hope this helps a little, let me know if you want more info/detail.

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

My dad works at bank of america doing computer stuff and he has seen whole sections of poeple get layed off. He has been real lucky some others have not.

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

You can just go to network connections (in control panel) and right click to delete any LAN icons you are not using/needing. Or you can right click and select "rename" and call it anything you want. It won't affect functionality.

If all you want to do is get it out of your system tray (the annoying "network cable unplugged" icon), then simply right click it and select "disable". Should you plug in an ethernet cable later you can simply right click and enable it again.

FWIW, you should not need to add an additional network connection (LAN icon) to put a router between your computer and cable modem/DSL modem. Unless you have a hardware defect on your ethernet port, I suspect you have either got your network connection properties set wrong or the router options are the problem. First, get the ethernet jack to work with just the cable modem, then work out the router settings. Also, check your ethernet connection Properties (you guessed it, right click, select properties and click configure) and make sure the device is enabled and your drivers are up to date. If in doubt, go to the manufacturers web site and download and install the latest enet drivers for your system.

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

you can also go to that network cards properties and deselect "show icon in system tray"


as far as "mustang dual weilder"....in video games, when you carry two weapons, it is called dual weilding.....i have two mustangs, hence, mustang dual weilder....

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

there are 3 things you need for a good gaming laptop.Go with amd processor 256 or 512 video card memory and 512 pc3200 ram unless it comes with more.

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

I picked up a 512 mb pci express video card from circuit city today as a christmas gift for my son. The gal I checked out with recommended a 512 mb memory stick as well. She said the combo would really make a noticeable difference for my son's game "Warcraft". I almost went ahead and bought one but decided to ask first.

What's your opinion? It's only $47 and change after rebate but if it's not going to make any difference I'll just keep my $47.00.

Thanks

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

Thread made a sticky....great idea, 65fastback2+2

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

With 1gb of system ram already, I don't think a stick of 512 would make that much of a difference for gaming...the increased ram on the video card will be the noticeable difference for gaming.

I am concerned about the video card that you picked up...are you sure that computer has a pci-express slot? You may want to get the service tag number (should be on the back of the pc) and look up the specs on Dell's website just to make sure. You may need to take the card back and get one for an AGP slot.

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

faster ram would help more than more ram....cl2 or LL with 1gb would be alot better than cl2.5 and 1.5gb

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

Thanks, I already made sure it was the pci express slot. The sales rep told me how to pull the tower open and check. I would have purchased the video card yesterday but didn't know if it was AGP or PCI express. I went home and verified last night and went in this AM for the purchase.
Anyway, thanks for the info. I'll just save my money based on what you said.:THUMBSUP:

Re: Official Computer Questions Thread
 

Sorry, I don't follow. Could you suggest a product or link me to an example of faster RAM?
Thanks and sorry for not being very computer savvy.:teeth: