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Adding a SATA Hard Drive to Your System

January 6, 2012 By

Reader Rick Goodier wrote me about the problems he was having adding a SATA hard drive to his new computer.


Hi, Terry. I am a new subscriber just signed on.

Perhaps I will have some suggestions for you as time goes on. I have been playing around with computers for more than a few years.

But today I have a question. I am working to max storage on a new comp I have built. 3 GHz processor, I GB memory, medium video card. I want to have at least two (three better) optical drives, so my ide slots were mostly used up. I put in an extra ide controller card I picked up years ago with an early large capacity hard drive I bought. So I am currently running three drives, one as primary, and two as storage on the extra ide card. Yet I would like to have that PCI slot free for another function, a video recording card.

So, because a 300GB SATA drive turned up at a great price, I got one, realizing that I had two SATA controller connections free on the mobo. I hooked up the drive and booted up, thinking I would see the drive as an unformatted drive in the drive manager function of “manage” under “my computer”. Not there. Bios seems to recognize it, because a new request comes up during boot up, asking if I want to set up a raid array. I tried Acronis Partition Manager, and even dusted off Partition Magic. But no joy while in Windows.

So, here’s my question, do I need to fdisk the drive first, before windows will recognize it? Or is there some magic software that will recognize it, even though windows doesn’t…

Continue reading Adding a SATA Hard Drive to Your System

Filed Under: Hard Drives, Hardware, System Repair, Terry's Computer Tips, Upgrades

Disadvantages of a Notebook Computer

January 4, 2012 By

I’ve mentioned many times that my main computer is my notebook computer. Sure, I have a desktop computer, too, I just don’t use it very much. I also have my home theater PC and a Linux-based file server for backup. But, my Dell Inspiron 8600 is the real workhorse.

In this week’s online newsletter, my article Why Buy a Notebook Computer? I’ve written about making the decision on whether or not to buy a notebook computer — and when to go for the cheaper models.

But, first, let’s consider some of the limitations of a notebook computer, as compared to a typical desktop computer.

These include:

  • Price — for an equally capable computer, a notebook is more expensive

Continue reading Disadvantages of a Notebook Computer

Filed Under: Hardware, Notebook, Terry's Computer Tips Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Solving Jerky Streamed Videos

June 2, 2011 By

Subscriber Gordon Shaw wrote for help to solve a problem with jerky streamed video:


Hi Terry

Wonder if you could help. I have a PC with AMD Athlon tm 64 processor 3800+. 2.4GHz, ASUS M2V-MX Motherboard & 2GB Ram. The video card is a NVIDIA Ge Force7600Gs with 256MB of Video Memory. I’m running XP Home 32 bit with SP3.

I recently installed a BENQ G2420HD LCD Monitor with a natural resolution of 1920×1080 but have had to reduce this to 1620×900 as videos I play especially on BBC iPlayer are really jerky. Even now at the reduced resolution it isn’t perfect.

Do I need to replace my graphics card with say 1GB of video memory to achieve the proper resolution? If you could recommend a replacement I would be very grateful.

I wrote to Gordy to suggest that he check the Nvidia web site to make sure he has the latest driver. I also suggested that he check the Benq web site to make sure he has loaded the latest driver for his monitor. While the standard Windows plug-and-play monitor driver may work, and the video card driver in Windows may work, they’re not likely to be optimized.

Continue reading Solving Jerky Streamed Videos

Filed Under: Communications, Hardware, Notebook, Terry's Computer Tips, Video

Problems Installing HP Photo Printer Software

May 30, 2011 By

Subscriber Wanda Armstrong wrote recently to ask for help in installing the driver software for her new photo printer:


I have a HP Photosmart 7760 printer. (NO disk) I found the program and driver file download at HP site. I am running XP Prof.

I have tried multiple times to install the file and it sticks or hangs at 31% every time. How do I get this problem solved?

Don’t know if this would have anything to do with the stall or not but I had HP 4400 printer connected for a while I didn’t uninstall that program or driver.

HP is
of NO HELP on this_ Can you please advise a fix for this problem?

Thanks a Bunch! Wanda

I wrote back to Wanda to suggest that she try shutting down all the other programs, except her firewall and antivirus, when she installs. She may have some particular program running in the background that’s interfering.

Also, I reminded her that HP’s software requires…

Continue reading Problems Installing HP Photo Printer Software

Filed Under: Hardware, Printers, Terry's Computer Tips Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Adding Memory to the HP Color LaserJet CP1518ni

August 1, 2010 By

One of the differences between inkjet printers and laser printers has to do with handling of the data to be printed.

An inkjet printer gets its commands for each printed line, one at a time, from Windows. It prints the line and gets the data for the next line. Sometimes they buffer a little of the data so there’s no hesitation, but Windows is talking to the printer thoughout the whole print job.

That’s not the way that laser printers work. A laser printer has to get all the data for a whole page before it starts to print that page.

What happens if there is so much content, shapes or colors, that the printer’s memory can’t receive the entire page? You can’t print it. You have to add memory.

Continue reading Adding Memory to the HP Color LaserJet CP1518ni

Filed Under: Hardware, Networking, Performance Tweaks, Printers, Sales, Speed Tweaks, System, Terry's Computer Tips

Upgrading the Router in Preparation for DOCSIS 3.0 Speeds

July 20, 2010 By

Subscriber Gene Philbrick posted a question via my Terry’s Computer Tips blog, asking:

Subject: Routers Compatible w/Motorola SURFboard eXtreme Modem SB6120, DOCSIS 3.0——

I have two Dell computers (an XP & VISTA) wired in one room. The above new modem is enroute to replace Comcast’s Motorola 11b modem. Expect I may have to also upgrade my router (currently a Linksys BEFSR41 v.2).

I have been reviewing two $80 routers…

Continue reading Upgrading the Router in Preparation for DOCSIS 3.0 Speeds

Filed Under: Hardware, Networking, Shopping Deals, System, Terry's Computer Tips, Wireless

Crucial Memory for PC’s and Mac’s

August 15, 2009 By


Crucial.com

Filed Under: Hardware, Notebook, Other

Video Problems – Monitor or Video Card?

August 29, 2008 By

Recently subscriber Joe Tann wrote with a video problem.

Terry,

I need you help. Lately my monitor picture begins to occasionally on a random basis do the “shimmeys” (very thin lines of black spread across screen in varying bunches of intervals and the lines begin to vibrate but picture on screen is still discernible albeit distorted) but screen still reacts to commands ( if word processing I am still able to do that). Any clue as to why my screen does this? Thanks.

Joe

Continue reading Video Problems – Monitor or Video Card?

Filed Under: Driver Corruption, Hardware, System, Terry's Computer Tips

Preparing An Old Computer to be Recycled

July 13, 2008 By

Recently, Agnes Brach wrote to me with a question that, eventually, applies to all of us:

Hello Terry,
I enjoy your newsletter very much. I have a question that has been on my mind for a while. I have an old computer which i would like to recycle, but have absolutely no idea how to wipe the machine clean. Could you please give me some ideas of what i can do. Have to tell you that I can work the computer pretty well, but do not have a deep knowledge of the inner workings of the machine.

Thank you.

Agnes Brach

If you’re going to donate or sell your old computer, or even throw it away, you have a basic decision to make — how bad do you want to wipe out your personal history and data on the drive?

None of the disk wiping systems are convenient, easy nor fast. In order to wipe the disk, they have to overwrite every spot on the disk multiple times with different characters.

Continue reading Preparing An Old Computer to be Recycled

Filed Under: Hard Drive Recovery, Hard Drives, Hardware, Software, Terry's Computer Tips

Save $100 instantly + FREE shipping on the Compaq Presario C769US Notebook PC

June 20, 2008 By

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Note: This special deal is available June 22 – June 28, 2008
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Filed Under: Coupons, Hardware, Notebook, Sales, Shopping Deals
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