GoRedwings19's Computer Help Hotline

I have a 13.3" MB404LL/A (early 2008) MacBook. It's got a 2.4GHz C2D, 2GB of RAM and a 250GB drive. I'm ordering a 4GB upgrade for it today from MemoryX. I like that company because they guarantee what they sell will work with the machines they list. I notice that they have a 500GB drive listed on the page for my machine. I asked a friend of mine who is an alpha geek on the subject, and he said he suspected that I could "probably" get a 1TB drive to work with my laptop. Where would I begin to look to find that out and more imporantly what HDD models work well? So far googling has given me mountains of irrelevant and useless info. I have in the past considered …

My parents are trying their best to embrace the computer and the internets, but it's slow going. For certain things, I need to walk them through the most basic steps (e.g, where's the power button) and other more difficult steps (e.g., how to make a playlist in iTunes). What I'm looking for is some sort of program(s) that will allow me to easily post both screenshots and actual photos to produce a sort of tutorial. I've used Skitch a bit, but it doesn't have the greatest organizational qualities. I suppose I could create a Word document, but I'd like something a bit simpler than that if it exists. As always, your collective genius is appreciated.

I'd like to extend the life of a 3.5 y/o laptop by replacing the stock HD with an SSD. The plan is to use it for OS (Vista64) & apps only, with data kept external. Don't want to overspend since it is an ever-aging laptop, so I figure the 64GB models strike a good balance between capacity & price (~US$100). Trying to catch up on this tech by reading various reviews & comparing to what is for sale these days. It seems older models were plagued with reliability issues, which I don't need. Brands with better track records include Plextor, Crucial, & Samsung. Surprisingly, Kingston has more than their fair share of negative reviews. So, although they cost a …

Hi All, I teach high school science, and our department has a bit of money to spend. Our school is very dependent on technology for PowerPoint and other software for curriculum, so any problems with our desktops or LCD projectors is a BIG hassle. I suggested that we invest in a laptop and projector to use exclusively as a roving backup for teachers in our department. I am only looking for absolute reliability since every new laptop can run Powerpoint and any other education software one can dream of for lecture purposes. In my very short search thus far, something like this would be about right: http://www.overstock.com/Electronics/Lenovo-ThinkPad-Edge-E520-11…

So the buzz is getting pretty buzzy. Anyone using?

So... after a lot of talking/yelling at Acer, I finally got the replacement HDD, reinstall discs, and whatnot to fix my 4 month old machine that's been down for 2 months After 4 installs today, some phone calls, and some searching on an iPad, I'm about to just "throw it on the ground." Before I do this, or send it back to them (sigh), I thought I'd see if you guys can help. I haven't been able to load windows. I get this: Windows failed to start. A recent hardware (Toshiba 640GB HDD) or software change might be the cause. To fix the problem: 1. Insert your Windows installation disc and restart your computer. 2. Choose your language settings, and then clic…

I'd like to create a database of the rear album "art" of my Blue Note LPs, often containing many historical facts about the music or musicians. So the scanner needs to be at least 12x12. Attached an image below for what an average rear cover would look like. Any recommendations?

Ever since I built the new PC I had this weird lag with games more noticeable with the mouse movements, specially on fps where it makes hard to point at stuff, but the thing is that the fps's are constantly 60 and above. This takes the fun from games for me.. I pretty much tried everything I could remember so I figured I should try my luck here. Any ideas ?

Well, the title is a bit misleading, as what I'm actually aiming to do is to print a filled-out pdf file with data saved in an FDF file. Here's the thing: at work, there is a blank form in pdf format that has fillable textboxes. What's been done until now is that a group of people painstakingly copy-paste client info into each field. And I was asked to do that today.... ...blech! Always seeking to automate whenever possible, I found that the info is copied from an Excel file, so I started looking for a way to get that info from Excel unto the pdf form. (we all have Acrobat Reader, not the full version) I came across the FDF format, which is a file that sto…

Deep cryo-treated mainboard Just like a good amplifier, we pay special attention to shielding and layout: As if we weren't mad enough spending weeks auditioning motherboards, we go the extra mile and completely deep cryo-treat the entire transport: it now runs cooler and sounds better. This isn't just a Dell in fancy dress. Not forgetting the linear power supplies .... on a PC • http://www.itemaudio..._transport.html

My son wants a gaming mouse and doesn't want to spend a ton. He uses a PC laptop and is willing to do wired over wireless if the features or pricing are better. I know nothing about this subject, so please enlighten us with your gaming wisdom.

Need some help from you guys. My wife's Yahoo! account appears to have been compromised, though I'm not sure. Here's what's happening: her Yahoo! contacts are all getting spammed by email purportedly from her. She's received lots of emails from friends alerting her and a ton of bouncebacks to her Yahoo! address. I checked her sent mail folder and there is nothing unusual there. Further, her contact list has not been deleted. We've changed her password, but I'm trying to see what else we should do and also see what the root cause is here. I know this happens all the time and could use some advice about how to proceed. Thanks gang.

In this day and age, this should not be that hard. I am looking for some decent backup software. Here's how I'd like it to work. 1. I want real time backup -- I don't want to have to run it every night, or press a backup button. I want for the software to detect when I have changed a file, and back it up. 2. I want it to keep all version of the files it backs up. 3. I want the backup to be in the cloud -- I don't want to have to maintain a backup server, and I don't want to backup locally. 4. I want the software to sync several computers. I use about 5 different computers, and I want for a change on one to be replicated to the others. I have been usin…

Not sure if this is the right place for this topic. Now that I have the Oppo as my source I want to know if there is a fast and painless way to convert my ALAC files (close to 800GB) to FLAC. Any help will be appreciated. I believe it can handle .wav as well so that may be the easier route as I think I can do that through iTunes.

Anyone have any experience with cloning a windows 7 installation to a new disk? This one is slightly complicated in that the disk is in two partitions, and overall is 500Gb and I want to clone to only a 120Gb SSD. I only need the C: partition (D: is manufactuers recovery partition), however I'm not sure how to make sure the thing boots normally without cloning the entire disk, which isn't possible in this case...

My grad school group is looking to host web based calendar system on our server to reserve instruments. Do any of you, perhaps Todd, know of a good one? Here are some features we'd like: -ability to email all users simultaneously -email users by clicking on their scheduled time -prevent an instrument from being doublebooked -email administrator to request training for an instrument -web based administration interface

Google's spending some cash these days. I think it's going to be a pretty big deal in terms of IP for Google. They started out the month with around 1000 patents, and once this acquisition goes through, they should have close to 15,000 with another 7500 pending. I think it'll be a boon for Android and should even expand to the living room with the set-top box industry. I figure GoogleTV will be on Comcast boxes in the next few years. **BRENT**

Please, talk amongst yourselves.

This makes me sad... rather sad. On the bright side, I should be able to get an almost-free iPad2 w/3G soon. http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/20/atandt-agrees-to-buy-t-mobile-from-deutsche-telekom/ **BRENT**

thinkpad t410. everything stock except added 8gb of ram about 6 months ago. if i lock the computer, the screen goes blank after a few minutes. when i move the mouse to bring the screen back up, it locks up the machine and the only thing i can do is to manually turn it off and turn it on again. i used to have a screen saver (the flying windows from windows 98) and disabled it 2 days ago thinking it might be causing issues. problem persisted. just came back from the gym and i had locked the screen when i left. pressed the caps lock key as it has a led indicator inside it to see whether it had already frozen or if bringing it back to life screws it up. the light lit up a…

Looking at getting a 13" MacBook Pro, and am trying to decide which one to get... 2.4 GHz Core2Duo, 4 GB RAM, 250 GB HD or 2.66 GHz Core2Duo, 4 GB RAM, 320 GB HD, which can be had for $260 more. Is the performance bump between the 2.4 & 2.66 worth while for $215, knowing the 250 GB to 320 GB HD upgrade is a $45 upcharge? Thoughts? Input? And no, I don't want to wait for the rumored new model in a few months. I'm not liking what I'm hearing.

I've had in mind for a while to build myself a decent gaming PC (~1000$) and I've started researching on the subject today. After a few hours of reading, I have to say I'm still clueless about which hardware to choose and I'm fucking overwhelmed by the amount of information, reviews and discussion out there. I was wondering if you guys knew of any reliable forums with something like "build of the week" or a regularly updated website that recommends PC components? I'll be ordering all my stuff online (probably from NCIX) and I don't feel like taking a shot in the dark and ordering hardware based on the reviews there, but at the same time I have no interest in readin…

I'm getting tired of crappy AC powered USB hubs going out over time. D-Link DUB-H7 most recently. Anyone have decent luck with one to recommend?

My iPhone 4 took a dip in the pool this weekend due to my jumping in fully clothed to grab Jack who was in trouble in the deep end. I put it in a bag of rice for 24 hours--no joy. Also, I made a big mistake, I think, by pressing one of the buttons very soon after drying off the phone. It never came on, but it did get very hot. That can't be good. Any suggestions?

I think I may have posted about this once before, but I could use some advice re my home Ethernet wiring. My apartment came "wired.". We have a ton of drops, but im not sure whether they're all lit. The reason I'm not sure is that the patch panel is also a mess. From back when I did some network stuff I remember this connectivity shit being a two man job. I don't have that luxury. Basically, I want to at least figure out what's lit and what's not. What tools do I need? Is it worth getting a tester? Also, how hard/easy is it to terminate my own Ethernet cables? Patch cables are such a ripoff. Overall, I need a bit of advice about how to assess what exactl…