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    so...i let the magic smoke out of my router :(

    i was swapping out my trusty old Buffalo WHR-HP-G54 + Linksys/Cisco WRT310N with a shiny new Asus RT-N16. during all the cable swapping and custom firmware flashing i plugged the linksys's 12v adapter into my 5v buffalo, yep the connector fit like a glove. the poor buffalo didnt take it too...
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    is there some minimum distance required between PSU connectors?

    every time a hook up a full rack of hard drives (4-5) without a backplane, i feel like pulling my hair out. most SATA power cables come with about 6" spacing between each of 2 or 3 connectors per modular cable. which in turn requires some pretty f'ed up cable routing when you only need about an...
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    re-installing W7 on an SSD - need to manually TRIM/GC or not?

    i was wondering if i needed to run some sort of GC/FF-fill/TRIM util like the SSD toolbox on my X-25M before re-installing W7 on it (replacing mobo) i know that W7 passes TRIM commands when inside the OS, but not sure if the drive formatting in the installation environment will trim the SSD...
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    drive/partition imaging - just partition or drive?

    XP always leaves 8mb of unpartitioned space at the end of the drive, if making a recovery image that may be restored onto a larger hard drive in the future, is it necessary to image the entire drive including the 8mb of unpartitioned space at the end, or is that just something reserved for...
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    raid controller advice questions...

    Hello all, I'm trying to gauge what would be the best option for a non-enterprise class budget for raid controller. What is currently the best onboard raid solution? Matrix, ICH9R, MCP55P, etc...? I've had some nasty experiences with nvRaid on MCP55P recently as far as raid 1 array...
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    new HD, tri boot setup for Ubuntu, WinXP, and 2003 Serv?

    i've been running two 36GB Raptors in RAID-0, on my sil3114r5 controller. mobo is an ASUS A8N-SLI Premium. i've decided to drop my raid-0 (maybe) in lieu of my new 150GB Raptor purchase. i am taking cisco CCNA and micro$oft MCSE cert classes so i'd like to set up a few VMs to save on buying...
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    need a service laptop recommendation

    i need to get a laptop for diagnostics. i do field IT stuff. i do not need nor want a widescreen. 12" or 12.1" is just fine. i need good battery life. i dont like touchpads. i need it to be lightweight and portable. these are not on my list of considerations because i can easily change...
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    no post, no beep codes, no video.

    hi people, here's the story: Old Dell Dimension XPS R450 i press power, fans spin, lights go on, no video, no beep codes, no post. i reseat ram in every imaginable config including removing all but one (alternating), alternating dimm sockets (3 sticks, 2 matched, and 1 added all pc100)...
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    HTPC acting funky while in audio rack

    i built an HTPC a while back, and then i get a call about it.....it stopped detecting the SATA raptor for the boot device....but only when in the rack setup with other devices and a plasma screen near it. once i took it into the other room and started it up, everything worked...then i moved it...
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    possible to read HD SMART stats from a raid array?

    it sounds like one of my drives is spinning down for maybe a quarter second when trying to seek, maybe once a day...no errors. freezes or crashes yet, but still cause for concern. both drives are in a raid array...is there any way to get the S.M.A.R.T. stats on the drives without having to...
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    right click on second xp account freezes

    i set up a second user account in XP and right clicking on the desktop hangs and everything on it cannot be selected. the right click menu freezes the desktop. second account only. any ideas? Leon
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    MS Virtual PC 2004 - win98se on winxpProSP2 host

    i'm running ms virtual PC 2004 and just installed a win98 os on it. everything seems fine, but the internet doesn't work. the ip is assigned properly via dhcp, the DNS servers are exact as in the router and on my host, the router admin screen shows the new win98 ip in the dhcp client table....so...
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    can a plasma TV destroy an HTPC? it looks like it did.

    i built an HTPC a while back for someone. they used a wireless mouse and keyboard, and the transmitter for this combo died shortly afterwards, and the transmission range was way too low...that is until i moved it away from their plasma TV, then everything was OK. a little while later the...
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    boot times skyrocketed

    i do web dev, so i decided i needed ie6 back on for testing, so i removed ie7, then installed ie6, which of course was not a smooth process, and required a system file check scan to fix whatever was causing ie6 to get screwy. now my boot times have gone through the roof. i have 2x 36GB...
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    system boot CRAWLS after verifying DMI pool data

    so i have a winxp/sp2 system (xp333r and a 2200+ thoroughbred). everything was working great, then a few days ago it started crawling during boot, right when it got to loading the os after verifying dmi pool data i tested w/memtest86, no errors. also all pc-check tests pass fine. i...
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    A8N SLI Premium heatpipe is really hot - problem solved!

    i've had this system with an A8N-SLI Premium build for a long time, and it's rock solid, constant on 24/7. I was swapping out my 6800GT for a 7800GT recently and decided to poke the heatpipe with my finger. to my sirprise it was VERY hot. I can't keep my finger on it for longer than maybe 6...
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    6800GT to 7800GT = giant CPU utilization increase!!??

    Leadtek 6800GT PCIe 256MB eVGA 7800GT PCIe 256MB same system - v91.45 Forceware drivers. i was benchmarking GPU temps by running an OpenGL screensaver, with high settings, identical in both tests. the 6800GT had a CPU utilization of about 9% while 7800GT was 100% wtf? anyone want to...
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    MSI's version of a DVI connector?

    so i put together a beautiful meadia center PC. 36GB raptor, NEC DVD burner, VFD display built into the Ahanix MCE302B case, 400 Watt silent PSU. and MSI's flagship XPRESS 200 motherboard RS482M4-ILD. onboard DVI, composite/component output header...onboard audio/lan, the works. So everything...