GoRedwings19's Computer Help Hotline

This is the message on the console: Java Plug-in 1.6.0_21 Using JRE version 1.6.0_21-b07 Java HotSpot Client VM User home directory = C:\Users\Alex ---------------------------------------------------- c: clear console window f: finalize objects on finalization queue g: garbage collect h: display this help message l: dump classloader list m: print memory usage o: trigger logging q: hide console r: reload policy configuration s: dump system and deployment properties t: dump thread list v: dump thread stack x: clear classloader cache 0-5: set trace level to <n> ---------------------------------------------------- Ad…

yes

My Lite-On DVD/CD recording drive is on its lasts legs. It still reads and writes okay, but the drawer only opens one time in 20. I suppose I should not complain much, as it was about $30, 3 years ago. Recommend to me a new DVD recorder. It must be internal, IDE, and preferably in stock at newegg. I have been perusing different models here [i am not sure this link will work for other users], and I notice with some distress that most such units cost $20 or so, which leads me to doubt their reliability. I see a couple Pioneer units that are around $40. It used to be that Pioneer made excellent DVD drives, but that was years ago, and I understand they are crap now. T…

Stupid question guys: Yesterday a friend on a flash sale bought a new PC based on I9 12900K with a 3080 graphics card. Ok, his old PC is a 7700K/1070 so just for the graphics card it's worth the change We tested it (mode stock, non overclock) and I have the feeling that, except for getting a better score in Benchmarks, for "normal" use (web, mails, youtube, some games...) there really wasn't much difference compared to my 9900K/3080: yes, yes, my 9900K takes a second longer to load some applications, it gets a few FPS less in some games... single core tasks it does seem somewhat superior (such as DCS in VR) but in general, I did not notice a "radical" change.…

I've just had my first look at Mininova, found several interesting audio files (recorded from radio broadcasts) and am downloading them with

Well my good fortune with anything electrical has continued unabated with my office computer choosing to sleep with the fishes on Wednesday morning. I am pretty sure it was the motherboard that died and not the hard drives (fingers crossed). There are a couple of important files I had not gotten to backing up yet on the old computer which I need access to at some point in the next few weeks. I pulled both the hard drives out of the dead computer and was preparing to download all the files today using my Thermaltake sata docking station when I discovered to my horror that the HDs are not sata but most probably ide HDs and the Thermaltake model I have only supports sata.…

I have an IDE drive (DVD burner with lightscribe) that I'd like to use in my SATA-based machine (has no IDE whatsoever). Any adapters that you can recommend or disrecommend?

I give up. 1. Created Windows 10 boot media and Bootcamp drivers USB via Bootcamp. 2. Created Windows partition via Bootcamp. 3. System reboots to installs Windows and I get this: 4. Chose delete and format drive with same result. 5. Reboot into OS X and check disk utility and see this: 6. Reboot into Windows install again only for it to tell me it's not an NTFS partition. What the heck is the deal? This is a late 2013 iMac with Fusion Drive. All I want to do is run Brent into a wall.

A friend of mine gave me an Agfa Snapscan 1212u flatbed scanner (USB). It appears to be an older, but very nice unit. Unfortunately, he didn't have the power supply for it. It needs 16 volds DC/900mA, in a barrel connector <mumble> size, tip positive. I can get one of the connectors @ Rat Shack, but where am I going to find a 16v PSU that puts 1A or so?

GAH! I'm sick of using Window media crap. Is there a way to install a program on a Windows XP machine without administrator proveledges (this is my work computer and the folks down at IT won't install iTunes or Quicktime). Any workaround oh great computer gurus!?!?!

Normally introductions of new ports and protocols are met with "oh great, another one!" reactions, but this new one is almost perfect: http://anandtech.com/show/9331/intel-announces-thunderbolt-3 I was on board with the idea, but one glaring omission made me smack my head on the desk: "Speaking of encapsulation, Thunderbolt 3 also includes an update to the DisplayPort side of matters, though likely not what everyone has been expecting. With the increase in bandwidth, Thunderbolt 3 is able to carry twice as much video data as before. However Intel is not implementing the latest version of DisplayPort – DisplayPort 1.3 – in to the Thunderbolt 3 standard. Instead…

Mmm,.. I love it when these guys compete! This is the first I've heard that the desktop market hasn't withered into nothingness. I'm holding off on upgrading my 6 core Mac Pro until the 2018 models are designed and marketed so the release of these cpu's is music to my ears.

Finally got fed up with my monster 17'' CRT + Pentium 4 setup. My thinking is to get a more or less future proof system with a i7 3770 cpu paired with a GTX660 ti gpu. One of the local guys recommend getting an Intel DH77EB board. Not to mention Intel announcing leaving the standard form factor mobo scene I initially found the board to be very erm... pedestrian? What's your take on Intel mobos? Sure, they lack the bling of other makers but supposedly they are very reliable. I'm not sure I'f I'll miss SLI/X-fire or extreme overclocking very much. Thank you!

A friend of mine just called me with an interesting wireless network problem he is about to have and asked for possible solutions. Currently, he's running a wireless Applenet network at home with an Airport Express as his wireless router, which connects to the cable modem. He runs WPA and he is the only user so his network is pretty much secure. He has several computers on the network which talk together plus he often goes out to the internet. The problem is that he's about to get a roommate who also wants to get out to the internet. This is OK, but he needs to be able to hide his computers and traffic from the new user. Simple enough, eh? Normally I would solv…

Having experienced two seasons of fires and one mandatory five minute notice evacuation we realized that among other things we have too many important items dispersed in too many places to adequately accommodate a last minute evacuation. So we've been doing some house cleaning and now have ten fifteen HDs that have been copied to a portable HD and need to be disposed of. There are a lot of recommendations on line but so far I have narrowed it down to either using a demagnetizer or drilling holes though the unit. Do you folks have any better more effective suggestions? Obviously due to the fire hazard, using a blast furnace is out of the question. Thank you.

Is there a way to send a fax via the internet without having to sign up for a service (i.e., a one-time thing). Or, in the alternative, is there a super cheap way to do this? I don't have a fax machine and need to get something out.

As Flash and Java aren't supported, we'll likely to need App Store and web-based alternatives to some apps. Thought it might be useful to have a separate thread from the iPad discussion itself in prep for the iPad arriving. Here are a couple... SketchPad Harmony And 'strech just posted...

I've just replaced my old Iphone 5 battery because the original one was below 65% capacity. I purchased it from iFixit, which is supposed to be good quality, they have an EU store. The replacement process went pretty much forward and flawlessly until I switched the iPhone on. It wouldn't light up. I thought the battery could be empty, so I plugged it into the charger, then the "connect into iTunes" logo appeared: I plugged the iPhone into the MBP, started iTunes, it asked if I wanted to restore factory default or update. I chose update the first time. The thing is now giving some error and won't either update nor restore to factory default. I've repeated the se…

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?

So last night I tried to replace both the LCD and the battery to my iPod 5.5g. I probably should have done one at a time to minimize troubleshooting, but hell, I'm an optimist. So after reconnecting everything, I try to turn it on. No joy. But I can hear the HD whirring, so I think it's getting juice. Black screen, though. So obviously it could be a bad LCD that I received. But I also get strange errors when trying to connect to iTunes. It tells me the iPod needs to be restored, but then claims the iPod is busy when it attempts to do so. And that's bullshit. I've tried resetting the damn thing every way I know how to no avail. My next troubleshooting s…

Who's going to buy a 2.5TB version for their audio storage? LaCie intros 5big Network drive array to RAID junkies the world over - Engadget

I have Orbi and Asus ZenWifi setups in different places, now I need one for the Michigan compound. Old Apple Airports have gotten us this far. From reviews and best lists, the top contenders seem to be Eero and TP-Link Deco. For what it's worth, here's the main challenge: There are three separate buildings in the compound, the main house with the cable internet connection is down slope from the three story shop/garage/loft set into the slopes and lastly another cottage across from a garage. The in-laws have hard-wired ethernet cables running to two both ends of the main house and the top floor loft in the middle building. The biggest challenge is getting a decent si…

I have received a HP tablet PC from work. Which I don't have any use for work wise. My current laptop is a P-M 1.8 GHz with a gig of RAM running XP which is plenty fast for the research and patient software I need to run. And seeing how this was some how factored into the hospital/academic budget I'm free to do whatever I want with it. I think these are the specs: Genuine Windows Vista? Business (except it's coming loading with XP Pro) Windows Vista? capable*Windows Vista? Premium ready Intel? Core?2 Duo Ultra Low Voltage Processor (up to 1.2 GHz, 2 MB L2 cache) 1 x 1024MB DDR2 80 GB No optical device 12.1 Illumi-Lite WXGA (1280 x 800 resolution), UWVA, with…

I thought that I might take advantage of Black Friday/Cyber Monday to replace my laptop. This HP Pavilion has the features I'm looking for and is only a little more than I hoped to pay. However, I'm so out of the Windows laptop market these days that I have no idea if this is a good deal or not. Could anyone please comment on whether I should get this or maybe suggest alternatives? Thanks in advance.

dell lcd was purchased ~5 years ago. as you can see in the pictures, theres a darkish horizontal area that curves up a little to the right side of the panel. visible on white backgrounds but very very obvious on greys. its actually worse in person than it seems in the pictures. any thoughts? suggestions? my thinkpad backlight just died 20 minutes after i installed a replacement harddrive (the deathstar finally kicked the bucket). the laptop has been with my for the better part of 4 years now. just hate all this stuff happening to machines i have gotten very used to.