[John N]

Hey all, so I'm wondering how I can put an operating system on an external hard drive, and if i can boot it up on another computer. <-- in short.

Story:
My grandfather has a Vista computer (his Windows 98 fell to a flood in his house), and hates Vista. A lot of his programs that he needs won't work on Vista, and he doesn't want to re-buy the software for the prices. like Microsoft Office. So instead, I'm going to give him a "demo" of Windows XP. If he likes it, then I'll just re-format his Vista, and put XP on it. Or just swap hard drives. Is this possible?

[Tikarma Vodicka-McPherson]

Hey all, so I'm wondering how I can put an operating system on an external hard drive, and if i can boot it up on another computer. <-- in short.

Almost all versions of Linux, BSD, and other free *nix OSes can do it. ReactOS can theoretically do it in the future once USB support is all worked out. However, a requirement is that the computer's BIOS can boot from USB, which many cannot, at least not without BIOS flashing to the latest version.

All versions of Windows since the 3.x line, and Mac OS X cannot do it, and actively prevent installing to removable media.

Story:
My grandfather has a Vista computer (his Windows 98 fell to a flood in his house), and hates Vista. A lot of his programs that he needs won't work on Vista, and he doesn't want to re-buy the software for the prices. like Microsoft Office. So instead, I'm going to give him a "demo" of Windows XP. If he likes it, then I'll just re-format his Vista, and put XP on it. Or just swap hard drives. Is this possible?

The only way to get a "demo" of Windows is through http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/, but he won't be able to test out compatibility with applications as you cannot install applications in BartPE. Basically: far more hassle than it is worth. The only other option is to abuse Microsoft's http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=21EABB90-958F-4B64-B5F1-73D0A413C8EF&displaylang=en, though that "demo" too may prove too cumbersome.

Better solution: make Vista look like 98 through classic mode and use free alternatives for his applications (like OpenOffice.org). If he is retired, I can't see him having need for something like Access or the highest echelon of Excel macros

[Kelvin]

So, my search for a laptop goes on!

I ordered a G73JH-TY134V, the model that has an i7 and 8G of RAM, no Blue Ray. Thing is it was about 4000sek or 500 USD cheaper than the model with 6G RAM and a Blue Ray.
Today I got a mail from the store saying ASUS no longer makes these computers and so I won't get one, although I think it's actually a case of not wanting to admit setting the wrong price.

So, first off. Does anyone know for sure weather this model is still made? (again, TY134V).

Second. If I can't claim the computer I must look towards something else of the same price. And I've found none with the same level GUP and CPU for the same price.
So I've gone back to looking at the Acer. Earlier I linked to the http://www.komplett.se/k/ki.aspx?sku=598467. A computer with the same CPU but a lesser GPU.
Now I've also found the http://www.komplett.se/k/ki.aspx?sku=598483. It has a greater GPU than the other Acer (5650 vs 5850) but only a i7 dual core compared to the i7 quad core.

I want to use the computer for some gaming, but I'll be satisfied if I can only run games as requiring as Company Of Heroes and Team Fortress 2.
But, I intend to start learning some 3D modeling (Blender, and maybe later something more professional) and Photoshop (model texturing) on the laptop as well. Now which of these two would be better suited for these requirements?
If I get the cheaper 7745G, I might be able to get a GTX460 for the stationary as well, so I have that in consideration.

[Suzy Santana]

Again, this isn't exactly tech-related coming from me, but I can find absolutely no way to fix my problem with Rainbow Six Vegas 2. I have perfect frame rate in the game until about 5 minutes in, I get awful mouse lag and such. This happens every single time while playing online and it is so frustrating. It's unplayable when the lag kicks in. I can play any other game, and the problem doesn't occur. It only happens with R6V2. Does anyone else who plays R6V2 experience this??

[Melly Angelic]

Ever since about a week ago, my built-in webcam hasn't been working at all. When I try video chatting on MSN, Yahoo, Skype, etc it doesn't display that it doesn't detect my webcam but rather it just displays a blank box where my video should be.

I've tried reinstalling my webcam and repairing windows live essentials. I've also scanned for viruses and malware; though it hasn't detected anything wrong. But the webcam still isn't working.

[Skrapp Stephens]

Thinking about http://www.ebuyer.com/product/158382 monitor, you guys think it's any good?

Any alternative recommendations? I can stretch to ￡150.

[Hella Beast]

I just got a used laptop from a friend, seems kind of old (Celeron CPU, DDR1 RAM, IDK the rest). But it's not turning on, condition isn't the best, but it's battery is in it, and I have it plugged in. Could the battery be the problem? I doubt its RAM or hard drive, because it would still boot right?

edit: apparently, it will turn on if I hold the cord that plugs in, down. I mean the cord that gives it power. I have to push it downwards, and it will turn on. the screen has a few scratches, and cuts, I thought it would be ok, but I can't see ANYTHING on it. Anybody know how hard it is to replace a laptop's screen?

So I just plugged in my monitor to the laptop, but the monitor didnt show what the laptop should have seen. Just said it wasnt plugged in. Does that mean the VGA port doesnt work either, or would i have to do something with the laptop for it to recognize the monitor?

Final edit: Just found out, its a Dell Inspiron 1200 (says on the front :facepalm: ) Now i'm wondering, if I buy the body of another Dell Inspiron (from ebay, just buy a non-working one), would it be possible to just switch the hardware? meaning, take the working hardware from my dell with no screen, and put it in the other one, that has a screen?

[Jason Wolf]

So, my search for a laptop goes on!

I ordered a G73JH-TY134V, the model that has an i7 and 8G of RAM, no Blue Ray. Thing is it was about 4000sek or 500 USD cheaper than the model with 6G RAM and a Blue Ray.
Today I got a mail from the store saying ASUS no longer makes these computers and so I won't get one, although I think it's actually a case of not wanting to admit setting the wrong price.

So, first off. Does anyone know for sure weather this model is still made? (again, TY134V).

Second. If I can't claim the computer I must look towards something else of the same price. And I've found none with the same level GUP and CPU for the same price.
So I've gone back to looking at the Acer. Earlier I linked to the http://www.komplett.se/k/ki.aspx?sku=598467. A computer with the same CPU but a lesser GPU.
Now I've also found the http://www.komplett.se/k/ki.aspx?sku=598483. It has a greater GPU than the other Acer (5650 vs 5850) but only a i7 dual core compared to the i7 quad core.

I want to use the computer for some gaming, but I'll be satisfied if I can only run games as requiring as Company Of Heroes and Team Fortress 2.
But, I intend to start learning some 3D modeling (Blender, and maybe later something more professional) and Photoshop (model texturing) on the laptop as well. Now which of these two would be better suited for these requirements?
If I get the cheaper 7745G, I might be able to get a GTX460 for the stationary as well, so I have that in consideration.

Are you sure both of those notebooks aren't coming with the Core i7 720QM?? The specifications both show it. That should make the choice easier for you. The Mobility Radeon 5650 is a huge step down from the 5850, but it will also drain the battery less.

Thinking about http://www.ebuyer.com/product/158382 monitor, you guys think it's any good?

Any alternative recommendations? I can stretch to ￡150.

It's merely an ok monitor. I'd rather suggest something like this:
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/169099

Final edit: Just found out, its a Dell Inspiron 1200 (says on the front :facepalm: ) Now i'm wondering, if I buy the body of another Dell Inspiron (from ebay, just buy a non-working one), would it be possible to just switch the hardware? meaning, take the working hardware from my dell with no screen, and put it in the other one, that has a screen?

I'm not really following what you're trying to do here....are you trying to swap in laptop components from your laptop that has a non-functional screen into another same model chassis that has a working screen? I find that to be more trouble and cost than it's worth.

[Jennifer May]

Are you sure both of those notebooks aren't coming with the Core i7 720QM?? The specifications both show it. That should make the choice easier for you. The Mobility Radeon 5650 is a huge step down from the 5850, but it will also drain the battery less.

I'm really not sure, I might have to contact them. They both say Intel Core i7 720QM. But the 5943G says "with double core", now that makes me suspicious as it doesn say "dual" but "double". The other one says "Quad core", using the right term and not something like "four cores".
Also, I think the 5850 in the 5943G is the one with the DDR3 memory and not the GDDR5 one. I'll have to check that as well, but the 5850 with GDDR5 doesn't seem to be available at all in Sweden.

Do you know if there is any Dual Core i7s for laptops? And if there is, do they have the same name (720QM)?

[Emerald Dreams]

I'm really not sure, I might have to contact them. They both say Intel Core i7 720QM. But the 5943G says "with double core", now that makes me suspicious as it doesn say "dual" but "double". The other one says "Quad core", using the right term and not something like "four cores".
Also, I think the 5850 in the 5943G is the one with the DDR3 memory and not the GDDR5 one. I'll have to check that as well, but the 5850 with GDDR5 doesn't seem to be available at all in Sweden.

Do you know if there is any Dual Core i7s for laptops? And if there is, do they have the same name (720QM)?

The http://ark.intel.com/Product.aspx?id=43122 is a quad core

There are http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Intel_Core_i7_microprocessors#Dual-Core_Mobile_processors

[Baylea Isaacs]

I'm in a dilemma right now.

Would you rather have an ATI 5770 1GB with Athlon II x4

or

Phenom II x4 with ATI 4850 1GB? And upgrade the GPU in like a year or two.

I have everything else figured out but I've gotten mixed answers for this.

Before I forget, how good are newegg's sales during Black Friday? Would it be worth it to wait until then?

[matt white]

I'm in a dilemma right now.

Would you rather have an ATI 5770 1GB with Athlon II x4

or

Phenom II x4 with ATI 4850 1GB? And upgrade the GPU in like a year or two.

I have everything else figured out but I've gotten mixed answers for this.

Before I forget, how good are newegg's sales during Black Friday? Would it be worth it to wait until then?

I'd personally go for the latter as the 4850 is still a good card and a good Phenom II x4 is beastly (I have a 955 myself and it's badass).

[Dewayne Quattlebaum]

Hey all, over the past 3 days or so my internet has been going painfully slow. Granted, our connection isn't that fast to begin with (3 mbps), but it's fast enough for what we do. Anyway, I've been running some speed tests and it seems like the recording speed isn't that much slower than what we should be getting, but even if it was running at the speed stated by the test it should still be faster than it's going. I've checked the connection on all of the computers on the network, and they're all having the same speed issues, so I know it's not a virus/browser problem. The issue also seems to be fairly erratic. More often than not it's slow, but sometimes the speed will come back up.

My question is what could be causing this. It's not the first time we've had massive problems with our ISP, but of course they refuse to take action because they claim our tested speed falls within the acceptable range. So, I'm trying to figure out if it is a problem on their end, or if someone could be leeching off our internet, or if some kind of virus could have spread throughout our network (which I seriously doubt).

[Alina loves Alexandra]

Hey all, over the past 3 days or so my internet has been going painfully slow. Granted, our connection isn't that fast to begin with (3 mbps), but it's fast enough for what we do. Anyway, I've been running some speed tests and it seems like the recording speed isn't that much slower than what we should be getting, but even if it was running at the speed stated by the test it should still be faster than it's going. I've checked the connection on all of the computers on the network, and they're all having the same speed issues, so I know it's not a virus/browser problem. The issue also seems to be fairly erratic. More often than not it's slow, but sometimes the speed will come back up.

My question is what could be causing this. It's not the first time we've had massive problems with our ISP, but of course they refuse to take action because they claim our tested speed falls within the acceptable range. So, I'm trying to figure out if it is a problem on their end, or if someone could be leeching off our internet, or if some kind of virus could have spread throughout our network (which I seriously doubt).

1. Are you using wifi? Does the problem seem worst on the computers connected via wifi?

2. Did you try powercycling your modem/router? (turn it off and leave it off for 30 seconds to a minute)

3. Is it certain aspects of the Internet that are slow (example: online gaming) or is it more or less everything?

4. Do http://www.speedtest.net/ for the nearest server and post your results here including ISP information.

If I were to just take a stab in the dark, though, I would say you are on an ADSL line and there are a lot of other people on the same plan locally.

[Skivs]

1. Are you using wifi? Does the problem seem worst on the computers connected via wifi?

2. Did you try powercycling your modem/router? (turn it off and leave it off for 30 seconds to a minute)

3. Is it certain aspects of the Internet that are slow (example: online gaming) or is it more or less everything?

4. Do http://www.speedtest.net/ for the nearest server and post your results here including ISP information.

If I were to just take a stab in the dark, though, I would say you are on an ADSL line and there are a lot of other people on the same plan locally.

http://www.speedtest.net/result/917283840.png

The stated speed that I'm supposed to be getting for DL speed is 3 mbps, and upload is just under 1 mbps. Anyway, as for your other questions...

1. No, I have it wired with an ethernet cable to the modem.

2. Yes.

3. Downloads seem to be moving at an average speed, however videos and web surfing are going painfully slow.

Yes, I am on an ADSL line. However, while we've had this issue before, it comes very erratically and usually very far between, and this stretch has been going on for 3 days or so. That doesn't sound like high traffic.

[Amysaurusrex]

I'll be buying the other pieces of my computer soon and wondering which video card and ssd to get...

Currently eyeballing an EVGA 470 and the Intel X25-M 80GB.....
I've heard it is better to get a larger capacity SSD so it won't lose performace when it fills up also heard the it doesn't matter :shrug:
Also which video card would give me the least amount of problems?

[gandalf]

I found an old Apple mechanical keyboard that uses ADB (Apple Desktop Bus) and obviously my PC doesn't have that. Anyone happen to know of where I can still purchase an adapter? The only one that shows up on Google is discontinued and somewhat pricey on eBay. Are there really no other options?

[Gavin boyce]

Hey folks, Having some network problems on an old computer and looking at possible solutions:

Computer:
old Dell 8600c laptop, XP SP3. Downloading the latest (2004) network card driver did not help.

The modem and wireless are working fine for this other laptop.

Problem:
The computer disconnects from the wireless after roughly 5 minutes of connection time. First internet navigation stops, then a few seconds later, the connection icons will show no reception and I can't log on. Restarting or sleeping will usually enable reconnection, for another short period.

Solutions:
Contacted Dell and ran through their support. Their final thought is that the network card is kaput and I need a new motherboard (um, no thank you)

1) Network card is accessable and can be replaced. It looks like refurbs run around $35 plus shipping, plus the pain of installing a driver.

2) What's this I hear about USB wireless? From what I've read, this looks like a cheaper, easier alternative. However, I'm not sure about range, or how it works. Am I thinking that this is essentially a plug in device that would bypass the internal card? Also, am I reading that range on the USB device is only 3-10 meters?

Thanks for any info,

Rumbly

[Rebekah Rebekah Nicole]

ok i was going to try and get http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102881 graphics card, but one of my friends said that ATI bugs out on morrowind a lot, of course from the reviews this seems like a really good card to get. So basically im asking two things, 1. is this a good choice for a graphics card, and 2. what would be an nvidia card of equal performance in case i decide to not go with ATI.

-Thanks!

[Phillip Hamilton]

I've played Morrowind on two different ATI cards (My old 9250 and an HD4670) and neither had any issues. Well the 9250 did have some issues, but that's just because it's an old crappy card.

I would buy http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150477 though, if given the choice. Either one is massive overkill for Morrowind, and there's not a huge difference between the two (not enough to justify the price difference).

[Johanna Van Drunick]

Got a few questions:

1. I know changing the mobo always triggers WGA for OEM computers, but does changing the CPU even have the slightest chance of invalidating the Windows license? I'd like to know before doing so so I am ready to call the OEM to get them to reactivate it if necessary.

2. Are the upgrade editions of Windows 7 architecture specific? I know the standalone retail version allows you to choose between 64-bit and 32-bit, but can't find anything on whether the upgrades contain both or not. (the computer I plan on getting it for can only support 2 GB of memory, so 64-bit would be a complete waste, relative's computer currently running Windows Vista Basic)

3. Can anyone help me find the motherboard information for the Acer Aspire M5641? Found it finally.

[Harinder Ghag]

Got a few questions:

1. I know changing the mobo always triggers WGA for OEM computers, but does changing the CPU even have the slightest chance of invalidating the Windows license? I'd like to know before doing so so I am ready to call the OEM to get them to reactivate it if necessary.

2. Are the upgrade editions of Windows 7 architecture specific? I know the standalone retail version allows you to choose between 64-bit and 32-bit, but can't find anything on whether the upgrades contain both or not. (the computer I plan on getting it for can only support 2 GB of memory, so 64-bit would be a complete waste, relative's computer currently running Windows Vista Basic)

3. Can anyone help me find the motherboard information for the Acer Aspire M5641?

1. I have heard that it can, but don't know how reliable that info is. I have never seen it personally nor seen any reports of it, but probably best to be prepared.

2. Everything I can see says that the upgrade versions also let you choose.

[Aliish Sheldonn]

So my old 8800gtx died and I borrowed a friend's ATI X1800XT for awhile. Well my replacement came in, I got it installed, cleared all ATI drivers with DriverCleaner, and installed the newest nVidia drivers. Well now when I run dxdiag and click the Display tab it says "Approx. Total Memory: 2560mb". Now I am assuming eVGA sent me just the same card back, still an 8800gtx is what I pulled fromt he box, but the old one was 768mb of RAM. I am running Windows 7 Pro 64 bit. Did Windows just not read it correctly or is there cause for alarm?

Also, I think that this messes with Doom 3 which I purchased on Steam. The game seems to be quite blurry for some reason even on Ultra settings. Anyone have any idea why? It runs fine just alot of stuff looks blurry. I did need to edit the .ini since I have a widescreen monitor but I don't imagine that would really affect it that bad.

[Johanna Van Drunick]

Got a few questions:

1. I know changing the mobo always triggers WGA for OEM computers, but does changing the CPU even have the slightest chance of invalidating the Windows license? I'd like to know before doing so so I am ready to call the OEM to get them to reactivate it if necessary.

It shouldnt, I have placed a Athlon II x2 in my system originally, then my 955, then a 555, then the Athlon IIx2 again when my original 955 was damaged, then my new 955. It should be fine.

[tiffany Royal]

I've played Morrowind on two different ATI cards (My old 9250 and an HD4670) and neither had any issues. Well the 9250 did have some issues, but that's just because it's an old crappy card.

I would buy http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150477 though, if given the choice. Either one is massive overkill for Morrowind, and there's not a huge difference between the two (not enough to justify the price difference).

well im not only going to be playing morrowind, im going to be playing a lot of newer games that require a good graphics card, and thanks for the suggestion, i didn't see that when i was looking through the 5850 cards.

its cheaper to which is good since im having to buy each piece one at a time because im low on cash.