The New Computer Problems Thread

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

So your DNS doesn't work. Hmm. You're gonna need WINS resolution, which is not so good.

ping -a will do WINS resolution, but that's on a single host basis, so you'd have to script the sod up...

My orkmate here suggests Look@lan and AuditISX as possibly doing what you want... Since he supports the windows machines, I suspect that may be of more help...

[Ryudo Lee]

Ah, Look@LAN was just what I needed.  I remember using that a long time ago, in an earlier version at a different job.  Just couldn't remember the name.  Thanks llearch.

[Goatmon]

Bleh, I've become increasingly frustrated with how lagging this machine is, since it was built to run XP, but got Vista installed on it.  I've heard that it's possible to use external Disc space as makeshift memory.  Does that actually work?  If so, how can one do that? 

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

*wince*

The performance for that can't be good.

You're more likely to get a speed improvement by defragging, removing excess files, tidying up the disk, shifting large files off onto the external disk, and defragging again.

And, of course, adding more memory.

(although probably the easiest speed increase is reinstall with XP...)

[Goatmon]

It sucks, I know, but that's how it came.  I'd install XP if I had the option, but I don't have an XP disc of my own.  I've got a friend who'll lend one to me but I don't have the means to get over to his house anytime soon.  And as it is, I have 202 gigs free, out of a total of 288, so it's mostly free already.  I'll see about defragging though.

Any idea on how to get emergency memory?  A friend suggested that I could even use my external hard drive as extra memory, if I have enough space to spare on it. 

Mind you, it'd only be a temporary solution; I plan to get more ram, but for now I don't have the money. 

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

You can use disk space as memory, in terms of swap space.

An external disk is even slower than internal, so your preferences for working space are (with speeds):
L2 cache (~10 nano seconds)
Memory (~10 micro seconds)
internal disk (~10 milliseconds)
external disk (~30 milliseconds, at a guess)

That's a guess, but it's roughly right, so it gives you an -idea- of how much preference the various levels have.

[Goatmon]

I'm not entirely sure of what you're getting at.

<----Computer retarded. 

[Reese Tora]

You can sue a good flash memory stick for swap file space.  Flash memory is/can be faster than internal HDD.

If you default installed Vista (most likely) then Ready boost should already be enabled.  Just stick your flash drive into the nearest USB port, and, if it's fast enough for ready boost, your computer will automatically start using it as a swap file.

point of note: do NOT remove this stick of memory without first safely removing it from the system! you may end up corrupting your swap file and crashing your computer.

you should also be able to check ready boost settings on the flash stick by checking the stick's properties in "my computer"

[Tapewolf]

point of note: do NOT remove this stick of memory without first safely removing it from the system! you may end up corrupting your swap file and crashing your computer.

Ooh!  A self-destruct button!  You know, that almost makes me want to try out Vista.

you should also be able to check ready boost settings on the flash stick by checking the stick's properties in "my computer"

Pretty much all the memory sticks I've seen the other day explicitly said they were NOT suitable for ReadyBoost.  In any case it's likely to cost the same as a new memory module and be orders of magnitude slower.

Another fun fact is that flash memory has a limited number of erase cycles.  It should be fun to watch when one of the flash cells containing kernel-mode code starts to die 

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Note that "limited" is fairly large in actual numbers.

However, also note that swapfiles tend to get read/written a -lot-...

It's left as an exercise for the reader to figure out how long the flash file can be used before it dies...

Goatmon:
I mean: Disk, while cheaper, is much slower than memory. Much Much slower. Like, 1000 times slower. While you -can- use external disks, flash disks, etc, as additional swap space, the aforementioned issues (don't unplug before windows is done with it, write cycles, etc) make it a losing game, really. It might eke things out for a while, but it's not really optimal.

You're likely to get about as much speed as you're gonna get from defragging the disk. At least, IMO. I don't run vista, so there's probably some neat things you can do with it that I have -no- idea about. After all, it's twice the size of XP, so there's got to be -something- useful in all that bloat...

[superluser]

Another fun fact is that flash memory has a limited number of erase cycles.  It should be fun to watch when one of the flash cells containing kernel-mode code starts to die 

Yeah, this is why I tried to find a small (<10G) hard drive that didn't have a flash cache to use for my swap drive.

[Goatmon]

You can sue a good flash memory stick for swap file space.  Flash memory is/can be faster than internal HDD.

If you default installed Vista (most likely) then Ready boost should already be enabled.  Just stick your flash drive into the nearest USB port, and, if it's fast enough for ready boost, your computer will automatically start using it as a swap file.

point of note: do NOT remove this stick of memory without first safely removing it from the system! you may end up corrupting your swap file and crashing your computer.

you should also be able to check ready boost settings on the flash stick by checking the stick's properties in "my computer"

That sounds...complicated.  And dangerous. >_>

I think I'll just wait until I can afford some more ram. 

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

heh.

You -did- defragment your disk, right? It's possible that that could be the cause of the slowness.

Alternatively, this link has a bunch of suggestions for things you can do to optimise the speed. It may be that turning _off_ all the flashing menu shite that Microsoft feels improves your computer-using experience will, well, improve your computer-using experience.

[Cancer the Friendly Cat]

Usually you can search the problem on Google and something will come up

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

The major problem with that is coming up with good words to search on. Which is why, since not everyone can do that, I tend to link to some useful, or at least useful-looking pages.


And welcome, btw.

[Helena]

Okay, we have DSL. One system is a Windows Vista with a router and all that, well the other system is a windows me, and has to have a adapter. Whenever I install the adapter and everything, it says it can reach the access point, but cannot establish a internet connection. Could it be the distance between machines, or interference? That's what I get from it, but I'm not so sure.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

"adapter" ?

There's a few things it could be. I'd say likely the adapter is the issue, but it could be any number of things.

Could we have more details on what the adapter is? Like, say, the name off the front of it or something, if you don't have anything else?

[Helena]

Its a linksys wireless network adapter.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Ah!

So.. your W2k machine has wireless to get to the DSL wireless point, but your WinME machine (beat me, whip me, but don't Win ME...) doesn't have wireless, so it needs a wireless adapter to reach the DSL wireless point?

Am I following you correctly, here?

[Ryudo Lee]

Got WinME specific drivers for it?  Betcha WinME doesn't support it natively.

[Helena]

Basically, no it has the drivers for it. I checked that out. There is just no connection coming up. Could it also be a fire wall issue?

[Ryudo Lee]

Possibly.  What firewall is on WinME?

[Brunhidden]

okay, i got one.

a while ago my mouse gave up the ghost, and the wife picked out a wireless mouse to replace it. theres a few available usb ports in back of the tower, but none of them seemed to work. guess the signal couldn't reach the mouse. so the wife puts the wireless receiver into the only usb port on the front of the tower... but now i cant use my flash drive without removing the tower from my computer desk and risk fouling up the complex nest of cords.

is there some problem i can fix so that i can put the wireless receiver in back or can the signal not penetrate the wood of the desk and half the tower in between?

[Reese Tora]

The signal should be able to penetrate the wood, if wood it be. (not that it's likely to be anything metal based in home furnishings!)

How long a cord does the wireless reciever have, or is it a USB stick with no extension?

If you can run the cord up the back of your desk, ther will be less interference from your computer (metal case, EM interference from electric cooling fans) and the RF should be able to penetrate whatever wood or cardboard backing the desk has higher up.

[Ryudo Lee]

Two things you wanna be sure of...

1 - The USB ports in the back actually work.  Try using a known good USB device (such as your flash drive) in each of those ports.
2 - The mouse and it's reciever are porperly sync'd up.  There's usually a button on both the mouse and reciever that you have to push to sync them.

[Eibborn]

Heya.
I'm wondering what you guys would recommend for an Intel desktop that just ...died out of the blue. Will not turn on any more at all. Other than 'buy a new computer,' obviously.
Thanks.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

That sounds like the PSU. It could be something else, of course, but that's the likely cause.

[Dannysaysnoo]

You might want to get some test ram, like borrow some from a friend.

[LionHeart]

Definitely sounds like the PSU, if it's completely dead.

That happened to my Dad's computer - one day it simply refused to boot up. I said "I bet it's the PSU", we took it to the local computer tech, and sure enough...

Fortunately, PSUs are not usually that expensive, and if you have some knowledge of your machine's innards, you can fit a new one yourself and save even more. I've done it myself - all you need is a screwdriver and a steady hand. (And a bit of patience.)

[Tapewolf]

Definitely sounds like the PSU, if it's completely dead.

Not necessarily - if the motherboard isn't giving the correct Power Good signal back to the PSU, the system will be pretty dead.  That said, I would replace the PSU first since it's cheap.  If that doesn't help, you may have to try replacing the motherboard as well.  But definitely start with the PSU.

Fortunately, PSUs are not usually that expensive, and if you have some knowledge of your machine's innards, you can fit a new one yourself and save even more. I've done it myself - all you need is a screwdriver and a steady hand. (And a bit of patience.)

For a moment I read this as 'fix it yourself'.