The Ask anything about computers thread

[yankswn23]

In your modem settings, you might have it set to obtain ip address automatically, therefore it could be getting it from your ISP's DNS server which should be listed in your network settings..

[gsars5]

I dont think you will have an ip address unless the modem is actually connected..

That did it!!!! Thanks everyone for all your help. Now I know it wasn't from this computer. But now I need to check my daughters. It's on a cable modem and it's Vista.

[yankswn23]

Vista is a whole nutha story.. jk use cmd then ipconfig/all

[yankswn23]

That did it!!!! Thanks everyone for all your help. Now I know it wasn't from this computer. But now I need to check my daughters. It's on a cable modem and it's Vista.

That is what we are here for

[RhodyYanksFan]

Vista is a whole nutha story.. jk use cmd then ipconfig/all

Back to my network issue, when I do the ipconfig, the IP's are in line (xxx.xxx.0.100, xxx.xxx.0.101) but I still can't get them to be in the same workgroup.

[yankswn23]

did you go through the create a home network wizard?

[RhodyYanksFan]

did you go through the create a home network wizard?

Yeah, on XP, and it sets up MSHOME like you said, but I can't figure out how to do it on Vista. Does it matter that the laptop is wireless and the desktop is wired?

[hardrain]

where is the confounded on button?

[YASS]

where is the confounded on button?

It's right there. See where I'm pointing? There.

[RhodyYanksFan]

where is the confounded on button?

Next to the any key.

[yankswn23]

Yeah, on XP, and it sets up MSHOME like you said, but I can't figure out how to do it on Vista. Does it matter that the laptop is wireless and the desktop is wired?

right click on my computer in vista and go to properties, it should be under computer name,

I change my MSHOME name to HOME or something different.. then do the same for vista

as long as the workgroups are the same they are using the same network they should be fine..

[yankswn23]

where is the confounded on button?

Its just above the slot on the computer where the thing that holds your coffee comes out

[gsars5]

Vista is a whole nutha story.. jk use cmd then ipconfig/all

The help page had me look under the details for my wireless network connection status. I did find it but I'm going to hook up directly to the modem and see if it's different.

[hardrain]

Its just above the slot on the computer where the thing that holds your coffee comes out

ya, I heard about that

[Ct.Fan]

ok....I'll bite.... I have a desktop running windows XP (sp2) and it will not boot up. It appears to be a disk problem or maybe it's shot? The message reads: "insert boot media"? Of course the guy who built it for me has disappeared and after working well for several years now it won't boot up. I run a wireless router for the house and it is still working fine connected through this desktop...sending this via my home wireless on my laptop. Easy fixes?

Well, $240 later I am up and running. Replaced hard drive and retrieved most of my data in the process...reloaded XP etc. Thankfully, I saved the startup disk for my printer and I was good to go in minutes. Thanks for all the advice.

[YASS]

Well, $240 later I am up and running. Replaced hard drive and retrieved most of my data in the process...reloaded XP etc. Thankfully, I saved the startup disk for my printer and I was good to go in minutes. Thanks for all the advice.

I'm glad you were able to recover something from the dead drive. That's usually not the case. Most people don't do any sort of backup to protect themselves from disk disaster, and most people should.

BTW, for everyone's information -- if you happen to own a Seagate or Maxtor drive, you're entitled to download a free copy of Seagate Disk Wizard or Maxtor MaxBlast. Both of those products are rebranded copies of a basic version of Acronis True Image, and will allow you to perform a full image backup of your boot drive onto DVD. Then, if your drive happens to go tango uniform, you can simply replace the drive and restore from DVD and you're good to go in just a couple of hours.

[yankswn23]

I'm glad you were able to recover something from the dead drive. That's usually not the case. Most people don't do any sort of backup to protect themselves from disk disaster, and most people should.

BTW, for everyone's information -- if you happen to own a Seagate or Maxtor drive, you're entitled to download a free copy of Seagate Disk Wizard or Maxtor MaxBlast. Both of those products are rebranded copies of a basic version of Acronis True Image, and will allow you to perform a full image backup of your boot drive onto DVD. Then, if your drive happens to go tango uniform, you can simply replace the drive and restore from DVD and you're good to go in just a couple of hours.

Nice.. I need to download that, I have an external seagatedrive I have hooked up as my mac time machine

[Casey at the Bat]

I am looking to buy a used, good condition iMac with 20' inch screen. The cost of a new one on apple.com is $1199. How much should I expect to pay? I need it to be worth it to buy it used, otherwise I'll buy a brand new one.

If you go to www.Everymac.com, you can find the original price ofevery mac ever made, as well as specs of the model and the current street value. That should give you an idea of how much to spend, and will tell you what is built into the computer.

[yankeeschic12324]

I need to convert an mp3 file to a wav file. Anyone know how to do that?

[Meecham4ever]

I need to convert an mp3 file to a wav file. Anyone know how to do that?

You need to download a converter....
http://www.mp3fe.com/download.htm#mp32wav

[4bronxbombers]

I need to convert an mp3 file to a wav file. Anyone know how to do that?

Ask Ruben.

[YASS]

I need to convert an mp3 file to a wav file. Anyone know how to do that?

CDex will do that, plus, it's my favorite CD ripper.

[yankeeschic12324]

Ask Ruben.

I did...he used too many big technical words that my brain couldn't comprehend

[4bronxbombers]

I did...he used too many big technical words that my brain couldn't comprehend

Yeah, right.

[RhodyYanksFan]

Should I ignore Windows Firewall in lieu of the Norton/Systematic one that came with my antivirus software?

[4bronxbombers]

Hey, where's that bum that started this thead anyway?

[theDurk]

Should I ignore Windows Firewall in lieu of the Norton/Systematic one that came with my antivirus software?

1. Whatever you do, run one or the other, not both. If you run the Norton firewall, don't ignore the Windows Firewall--DISABLE it. They will not play well together.
2. Norton is probably more robust, more full-featured, and will use more resources and require more of your attention. It may also be more than you need, especially if you are behind a router with a hardware firewall. Try it and see if it works for you.

[gdn]

So I have a real question.

For the past few days (maybe a week or so), I keep getting this notification on my laptop (Vista). It says that a USB device has malfunctioned, click here to fix the problem. Usually it appears for a second and then disappears and this happens about 4-5 times in a row and then doesn't happen for a while. Then it starts up again.

Usually the notification disappears so quickly that I can't click on it. However, yesterday I was able to quickly move my mouse and click on it, but the dialog box was empty (as in no devices were listed).

Then, a few minutes ago, I again quickly clicked on the notification and this time the dialog box did have stuff in it. The top of the directory was "USB port hub" or something like that, and under it were two options. The first was another USB port and the second (in bold and hence the malfunctioning one) was "unknown device".

There are no USB devices attached to my laptop right now or at any time when these notifications pop up.

I tried clicking on "check for solutions" but that dialog box too disappeared on its own without showing any results.

A search for updated drivers (how that is possible I do not know) showed that I have the "latest drivers for that device".

Any suggestions?

[fredgmuggs]

Hey, where's that bum that started this thead anyway?

He's offline now due to computer problems.

[gdn]

Bump.

[YASS]

So I have a real question.

For the past few days (maybe a week or so), I keep getting this notification on my laptop (Vista). It says that a USB device has malfunctioned, click here to fix the problem. Usually it appears for a second and then disappears and this happens about 4-5 times in a row and then doesn't happen for a while. Then it starts up again.

Usually the notification disappears so quickly that I can't click on it. However, yesterday I was able to quickly move my mouse and click on it, but the dialog box was empty (as in no devices were listed).

Then, a few minutes ago, I again quickly clicked on the notification and this time the dialog box did have stuff in it. The top of the directory was "USB port hub" or something like that, and under it were two options. The first was another USB port and the second (in bold and hence the malfunctioning one) was "unknown device".

There are no USB devices attached to my laptop right now or at any time when these notifications pop up.

I tried clicking on "check for solutions" but that dialog box too disappeared on its own without showing any results.

A search for updated drivers (how that is possible I do not know) showed that I have the "latest drivers for that device".

Any suggestions?

I don't really have an answer, but I suppose a poor/intermittent connection at the USB bus/motherboard interface might fool the bus into thinking/reporting that an unknown device is attached.

[gdn]

Hmmm. It's doing it repeatedly now. Still off and on, though. Any way to fix it?

[shotz]

it could be a notification to upgrade. i get that with windows but i x out of it.

[YASS]

Hmmm. It's doing it repeatedly now. Still off and on, though. Any way to fix it?

I wouldn't recommend opening up your laptop unless you really feel comfortable doing it, but I would guess the next step would be to do that or to have someone qualified do that in order to examine it.

Of course, even if there's a problem, it's by no means a sure thing that there'd be a visible indication you might recognize, so it might be time to spend a few bucks and take it in somewhere.

Or maybe someone else knows of a way to silence the spurious notifications. I don't know of one.

[shotz]

AVG free edition AND windows Defender works for me and that was installed by the computer Guru that takes care of this damn thing

[gdn]

I wouldn't recommend opening up your laptop unless you really feel comfortable doing it, but I would guess the next step would be to do that or to have someone qualified do that in order to examine it.

Of course, even if there's a problem, it's by no means a sure thing that there'd be a visible indication you might recognize, so it might be time to spend a few bucks and take it in somewhere.

Or maybe someone else knows of a way to silence the spurious notifications. I don't know of one.

Well, the laptop is only 3 weeks old, so it's still under warranty. I could just send it back to HP.

[4bronxbombers]

Well, the laptop is only 3 weeks old, so it's still under warranty. I could just send it back to HP.

Wow....what a bummer. Now I'm thinking I should go with the Dell.

[gdn]

Wow....what a bummer. Now I'm thinking I should go with the Dell.

nah, HP support is fantastic. I really like this laptop, just this annoying thing that's cropped up. I think I even know what might have caused it. Stupid Sony Ericsson PC 2 Phone software with its lame ass USB cable.

[YASS]

Well, the laptop is only 3 weeks old, so it's still under warranty. I could just send it back to HP.

Well, that's good news.

I'm not a hardware guy, but it really does sound like a hardware-related issue to me.

Good luck.

[yankswn23]

Hey, where's that bum that started this thead anyway?

Sorry been putting in herendous hrs on call, but at 60 an HR.. I can't complain..now I gotta catch up in here..

[BronxBaumer]

60 an hour? What do you do for a living and how do I get on it?

[yankswn23]

Hmmm. It's doing it repeatedly now. Still off and on, though. Any way to fix it?

Sounds like you plugged a device in that wasn't compatible with Vista and the drivers, therefore it is lost trying to find that device that is not plugged in right now..could this be true, did you plug something in that could be the culprit..?

[yankswn23]

60 an hour? What do you do for a living and how do I get on it?

Im a computer Contractor...an IT CONSULTANT.. been doing it for 10 years, now..which is pretty good since I am 31.

[yankswn23]

There is a feature, that if you installed some new Hardware.. you can actually go back to the configuration you had before you made the change, if this started occurring on wed 22 feb for instance, you can go back to Tue 21 restore point and all should be fixed

For Vista, Im not sure but it should be under accessories/system tools/backup and restore



System Restore
System Restore enables you to restore your computer to an earlier state without losing data. This is ideal if your computer is not operating well because of a configuration change, a problem with an application, or the introduction of viruses or other unwanted software. By restoring to an earlier point—a point before your computer began displaying problems—you may be able to easily resolve the problems. (Applications that have been installed since the restore point will be removed.) You don't have to worry about taking periodic system snapshots—System Restore automatically creates easily identifiable restore points. You can also manually create restore points at any time.

When my computer is running exactly how I want I create a restore point I can go back to incase I introduce any incompatibile applications..

[RhodyYanksFan]

I still have my networking issue. On my XP machine, it sees the Vista, but it can't connect. Is that just because of the firewall I have on the Vista machine? They're both on the same workgroup, but when I double-click the laptop on my XP machine I get an error, and when I open the workgroup on the Vista, it only shows the laptop.

[yankswn23]

I still have my networking issue. On my XP machine, it sees the Vista, but it can't connect. Is that just because of the firewall I have on the Vista machine? They're both on the same workgroup, but when I double-click the laptop on my XP machine I get an error, and when I open the workgroup on the Vista, it only shows the laptop.

Simple disable the firewall settings on the Vista box and see if it works..

[b-ball-lunachick]

Ahh -- this thread is just what I need today. Please excuse the lack of knowledge on the subject and I apologize in advance if I don't explain things well.

I use my company (POS) Dell laptop for home and office since I work a ton of extra hours and I'm on there a lot anyway...a few weeks ago, my company put some encription software on everyone's laptop so that if it is stolen, someone can't get into the hard drive. It's a pain in the ass because it's another password that you have to remember each time you log on at work and home. It does make things a bit slower too especially if you're creating a PDF or something...

Anyway, my problem is, I finally decided to catch up with civilization and get an IPOD. When we tried to register it yesterday on this laptop, it kept shutting down and going back to the encription password screen. The B/F used this laptop to register his (a long time ago, pre-encryption software) and we had no problems. Our regular computer at home is pretty old and I'm afraid to put the Itunes on there...

So my question is do you think it has to do with the encryption software thing?

[yankswn23]

Ahh -- this thread is just what I need today. Please excuse the lack of knowledge on the subject and I apologize in advance if I don't explain things well.

I use my company (POS) Dell laptop for home and office since I work a ton of extra hours and I'm on there a lot anyway...a few weeks ago, my company put some encription software on everyone's laptop so that if it is stolen, someone can't get into the hard drive. It's a pain in the ass because it's another password that you have to remember each time you log on at work and home. It does make things a bit slower too especially if you're creating a PDF or something...

Anyway, my problem is, I finally decided to catch up with civilization and get an IPOD. When we tried to register it yesterday on this laptop, it kept shutting down and going back to the encription password screen. The B/F used this laptop to register his (a long time ago, pre-encryption software) and we had no problems. Our regular computer at home is pretty old and I'm afraid to put the Itunes on there...

So my question is do you think it has to do with the encryption software thing?

The encryption software might not allow you to connect any devices that could be used as a hard drive such as an ipod which can be used as a disk. Also some encryption might not allow you to talk to the registry..ie install any device drivers or new applications, when you connect a device such as an ipod it wants to install drivers in the background the first time you connect it so this can be the case..

EDIT: after reading you said "register" do you mean connect to itunes, your VPN, which is what you connect into work it has a firewall that won't allow you to get out to the internet for applications, so no one can put anything on that computer that could send or gather important information from a work computer..

[b-ball-lunachick]

The encryption software might not allow you to connect any devices that could be used as a hard drive such as an ipod which can be used as a disk. Also some encryption might not allow you to talk to the registry..ie install any device drivers or new applications, when you connect a device such as an ipod it wants to install drivers in the background the first time you connect it so this can be the case..

EDIT: after reading you said "register" do you mean connect to itunes, your VPN, which is what you connect into work it has a firewall that won't allow you to get out to the internet for applications, so no one can put anything on that computer that could send or gather important information from a work computer..

thanks for the quick response!!

Hmm, not sure. I'm not well versed in Ipods/Itunes either but I can tell you that the b/f can still get to Itunes even after the encryption software was installed because his IPOD was already registered I guess? I think you might be right that it wants to install things for the IPOD for the first time..grr..

I'm going to check with one of the Help Desk guys and just ask them -- I do travel a lot and should be able to have that one there..

do you know if typically those types of softwares can be disabled for a day and then re-installed or no?

[yankswn23]

thanks for the quick response!!

Hmm, not sure. I'm not well versed in Ipods/Itunes either but I can tell you that the b/f can still get to Itunes even after the encryption software was installed because his IPOD was already registered I guess? I think you might be right that it wants to install things for the IPOD for the first time..grr..

I'm going to check with one of the Help Desk guys and just ask them -- I do travel a lot and should be able to have that one there..

do you know if typically those types of softwares can be disabled for a day and then re-installed or no?

there is always a way to disable software..