Computer Help Thread

[Baldkin]

Yep, sounds like a registry problem.

 

Check this out, straight from Microsoft.

[GAME05]

you guys are good, thanks. you found the problem exactly. Java still shows up on my control panel and i can do nothing about it, but the newer version of Java did install and shows up on my programs list. thanks a bunch.

 

a big file at 95MB. i now have only 2.5GB left on my computer--looks like it's time to pick up an external hard drive.

[endaround]

you guys are good, thanks. you found the problem exactly. Java still shows up on my control panel and i can do nothing about it, but the newer version of Java did install and shows up on my programs list. thanks a bunch.

 

a big file at 95MB. i now have only 2.5GB left on my computer--looks like it's time to pick up an external hard drive.

Don't buy now. Drive prices are through the roof. Stick some stuff on Microsoft's Skydrive if you have to.

[1992casey]

Yeah, the floods in Thailand really did a number on hard drive prices. I wouldn't buy unless the price looked close to reasonable or if I had an emergency. Prices do seem to fluctuate, so you might find a window of opportunity.

 

If you really think you need something now, I'd post here for help to see how badly you might be getting hit. Those who've followed the prices can tell you if the price is "good" in today's terms.

 

I've been thinking of upgrading the internal drive in my MacBook Pro, but it occurred to me that my main backup drive would become too small. That would mean buying two drives. I check my favorite site (Other World Computing) pretty frequently, but I'm not ready to pull the trigger.

[DuWayne Steurer]

Yeah, I got 2 Seagate 500 GB externals last year for $49 apiece. 8 months later, and Best Buy is listing them at $119.00

[1992casey]

I just poked around a bit, and it seems that there are plenty of hard drive options available at reasonable prices along with some that have grossly inflated prices.

 

What exactly would you be looking for? Would you like a self-powered portable, or would you like something that you'd plug into the wall (which would cost less per GB)? Do you need anything more than USB 2, i.e. USB 3 or Firewire?

[NeedMoreFans]

While it's still on the front page, I have an issue. We have an old desktop. I think we got it in 2005. Over the course of time, it has gotten slower and slower...so slow that it takes minutes to open even the most basic programs. I finally reformatted it last night. After the reformat, it was running fairly well. However, as I was downloading programs and setting them up, it proceeded to slow way down again, and I got a Low Virtual Memory error message. Just out of curiosity, is it possible for memory to go bad? Part of me wonders if that's what is going on because the computer needs so much virtual memory to operate.

[DKM4Boston]

While it's still on the front page, I have an issue. We have an old desktop. I think we got it in 2005. Over the course of time, it has gotten slower and slower...so slow that it takes minutes to open even the most basic programs. I finally reformatted it last night. After the reformat, it was running fairly well. However, as I was downloading programs and setting them up, it proceeded to slow way down again, and I got a Low Virtual Memory error message. Just out of curiosity, is it possible for memory to go bad? Part of me wonders if that's what is going on because the computer needs so much virtual memory to operate.

Memory can go bad, but in your case, seeing how it is a 2005 computer, you probably just simply do not have enough memory to run everything you are installing. Some of our older computers at work have operated at 512Mb of memory for many years, but all the upgrades and updates over the past few years have rendered some of them useless until we up the memory. Just the nature of technology. 6 years ago, 256 Mb was sufficient enough to run most of our pcs. Now anything less than 1 Gb we are always hearing complaints about how slow they run.

[NeedMoreFans]

Yeah, I did a check and it looks like the computer is recognizing only 256MB of RAM. I am going to open it up just to make sure there is no RAM inside that is not installed properly (plus I have an internal hard drive I'm going to install on it).

[LouisEly]

Two questions:

 

1) Anyone know how to rotate a .MOV video file (besides turn your monitor on its side)?

 

2) What's the best way to adjust font size on Firefox? When I try to make it larger in the Options settings it screws up the way some web pages display. When I change the font settings on Windows it does the same thing. But there are several different font settings in Advanced settings, and I can't seem to find the right combination. For example, I'm trying to make the text here on BF.net larger, but can't figure out how to without screwing up how some other pages display.

 

Thanks!

[1992casey]

A quick and simple way would be to use Firefox's zoom settings. These settings are site-specific. Hit Control-plus or Control-minus until things are readable. Control-zero brings you back to the default. On a Mac, substitute Command for Control.

 

By default, Firefox will zoom the whole page, including text and pictures. If you'd like to try zooming text only, check "Zoom Text Only" in the Zoom submenu of the View Menu. Unfortunately, you can't choose to zoom both pictures and text on some sites and text only on others.

 

Another option is to use Firefox's Stylish extension. You can do almost anything you want to a site with this extension as long as you know CSS. As an example, you might want to increase font sizes in posts while leaving everything else alone. If you want to go this route, I can feed you some code with next to no effort. Stylish is also available for Chrome and other Chromium-based browsers.

[NeedMoreFans]

Figured this thread is as good as any to ask this question...

 

We have Charter for our ISP. It appears they allow you to purchase your own cable modem instead of spending the $7/month to lease one. Does anyone own their own modem? Are there any serious drawbacks to owning vs. leasing a modem? I guess if I can buy one for $75-80, it will pay for itself within a year.

[whizkid]

I switched from DSL to Charter in early December. Used the rental modem(DOCSIS 2) a couple weeks, then bought this:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Motorola-SB6121-SURFboard-DOCSIS-Cable/dp/B004XC6GJ0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325801942&sr=8-1

 

Works great. Same price as Newegg. The only drawback I see when you buy is if the modem fails you have to replace it or go back to a rental.

 

As an aside for anyone, has inserting a link in text changed? I can't get it to work.

[zurch1818]

We've had a Motorola Surfboard modem with Charter for as long as I can remember. I know we never rented a modem from them. You just have register the MAC address of the modem with Charter. I know we did this by taking it into their office...but I'm pretty sure you could probably do this over the phone too. It definitely pays for itself. One time we overloaded the circuit and fried the modem so we had to get a new one....But even then, in the long run, we have still saved oodles of money.

[RightFieldCoder]

They just figure since more and more people are buying their own modems, they might as well be the ones to sell them to you.

[Godspeed]

Figured this thread is as good as any to ask this question...

 

We have Charter for our ISP. It appears they allow you to purchase your own cable modem instead of spending the $7/month to lease one. Does anyone own their own modem? Are there any serious drawbacks to owning vs. leasing a modem? I guess if I can buy one for $75-80, it will pay for itself within a year.

NMF - as a former Charter customer, I have an older cable modem you could have for free. It's the Motorola SURFboard SB5100. We bought it in 2004 and were last using it in 2008 when we were living in La Crosse. It's not on their modem compatibility list, although the 5100E is, but it's worth a shot.

 

If you haven't bought one already, PM me your address and I'll see what I can do about sending you it.

[pitchleague]

This is a sorta computer question, sorta electrical question: For the past 2 years, I have run a powerline adapter from my computer room to the main router without a hitch but on Thursday, I lost internet access completely after my computer had a kernal-power issue (event ID 41, task category 63) that has spontaneously shutdown the computer about once every day or so for the last couple of weeks (no blue screen of death, no warning--everything completely shuts down instantly.) I've researched a solution to that for weeks and have found no solution, short of reformatting, which many people have said is a band-aid as the problem resurfaces within days.

 

But that's not what my question is about (although I'll take any help/advice on that issue if you've got it!) After farting around (i.e. wasting the whole day) on Thursday trying to re-establish the internet, I cried uncle and called the ISP and had a tech come out this morning. He was able to clean up the signal-to-noise ratio on the line but was unable to establish connectivity for me. He was as stumped as I was. After much moving of the modem around the house, including directly to my computer, we discovered that the powerline adapter was the fault.

 

So he left and I was almost resigned to buying a new set of adapters. But since we have several around the house, I tried swapping them out to see if they truly were the problem. Every one of them that I plugged into the outlet that I've used would light up and "find" the network but be unable to connect to and/or hold that connection to the internet--almost like something was "blocking" the transmission.

 

Then, I had an epiphany. I plugged the powerline adapter into a different outlet in the room. Didn't work. Then another. Didn't work. But the third one? That one connected instantly! (I feel like the swamp king in Monty Python and the Holy Grail: "It sank into the swamp. So I built a second one. That sank into

the swamp. So I built a third. That burned down, fell over, then sank

into the swamp. But the fourth one stayed up.")

 

Anyway, crisis averted. But I can't figure out why three outlets in one room (2 on the same wall while the third is on an adjoining wall) would not work suddenly for the powerline to send/receive intenet but still have power to them for televisions, clocks, etc. Or why another outlet in the room (on an opposite wall) would be able to do it? I'm not an electrician by any means so I'm perplexed that this simple problem was the cause of pain and stress for the last 48 hours. How could this happen and is it fixable? Is this something a voltimeter would tell me? I don't own one so I couldn't do it on my own anyway.

 

Well, thanks for reading this soliloquy of my internet issues for the last couple of days. If you can offer any advice/knowledge on this topic I'd be much appreciative.

[1992casey]

I think WiFi would be a lot simpler. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[Baldkin]

My vague understanding of Powerline adapters, it could very well be that 3 outlets in your room are wired to one fuse, and the other is wired to another, with a lower power load. Could be the 4th outlet simply has newer wiring. Could be any number of silly random things.