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  1. M

    Bad CRT, or bad video card?

    I have an ATI Radeon 9800 Pro (AGP, 256MB) that I've used for a couple of years with a Mitsubishi Diamondtron CRT monitor. In January I added a Samsung LCD flat panel monitor as a 2nd monitor, attaching it via the 9800 Pro's DVI output (obviously the CRT had always been on the analog output)...
  2. M

    HP NC8430 - getting full display brightness on battery power?

    I've got a new HP Compaq NC8430, and so far I like it very much. However, I cannot figure out how to get the display to run at full power and intensity when I'm running on battery power. I've used the Windows Power Options successfully (I think) to force the CPU to run at full speed on...
  3. M

    What to do after I open the box?

    I expect to receive my first notebook PC (HP NC8430) sometime today. Assuming that the unit is not DOA, I'll have a lot to do with it right away (uninstalling Norton and installing my own AV, upgrading the hard drive to NTFS, updating the OS, getting wireless comms working, installing software...
  4. M

    Laptop newbie needs help choosing

    I've never looked seriously at laptops before, but I find myself in need of one now, and I can't wait around long enough to get a Lenovo Thinkpad. So I'm looking at several options (links below), and could really use some opinions. I'll be using this laptop mainly for software development...
  5. M

    How to "uninstall" Windows XP Pro from a HD?

    My hard drive (only 8 months old or so) is on its last legs. I have the replacement in hand. However, my Windows XP is an OEM version I got from mwave.com (along with the original barebone, which did NOT include the hard drive by the way). I've read that I can legally continue to use the same...
  6. M

    ATI Catalyst 4.12 on WinXP SP1?

    Is anyone using the latest Radeon driver on a WinXP machine that hasn't yet had SP2 installed? I'm a little afraid to update the driver for my 9800Pro since ATI has been "recommending" only using the driver on SP2 systems for a couple of releases now.
  7. M

    HD seek noise increasing - sign of trouble?

    For the first few months I had my Samsung SP1614N drive (IDE, 8mb cache, with JVC motor and FDB), it was absolutely, beautifully silent ... I never heard a peep out of it, including no audible seek noise. But lately, I seem to have more and more days when the drive makes a relatively loud seek...
  8. M

    Recommendations for a USB keydrive?

    I've only just recently become aware of USB keydrives, and I have now thought of several good reasons for me to get one ASAP. However, when I look around at some of the online outlets, I'm a little dismayed at the lack of a selection, and some unexplainable pricing on the few I've found. E.g...
  9. M

    What might cause purplish streaks on screen? (picture included)

    For the last few weeks I've had a minor but increasingly annoying video problem. I don't think it was happening before that, but I'm not sure ... it may have come on gradually. The problem can be seen anytime I've got Windows running and there is a large bright area with a darker (but not...
  10. M

    Reliable NON-variable speed 120mm case fan?

    I need some quick help here. My 120mm case fan on the back of my Antec Sonata has all but died. I need to order a replacement and have it overnighted, but I don't know which brand to go for. Based upon the failure of the Antec fan within 2 months of purchase, I'm not thrilled about the idea...
  11. M

    Ritek DVD-R media with Pioneer DVR-107?

    Will the Ritek DVD-R media (linked below) work with my Pioneer DVD-107 ... and if so, will it work at 8x or just 4x? Ritek 8x DVD-R 50-pack at NewEgg Thanks!
  12. M

    What's the "32 GB Clip" setting on Samsung HD jumpers?

    I have an OEM "drive only" Samsung Spinpoint P80 hard drive (160GB IDE, model SD1614N) on the way here in a Fedex truck. So today I went to Samsung's website, and after much digging and many dead ends, finally turned up a brief, one page PDF manual for the drive. However, I've been slightly...
  13. M

    Difficulty choosing a hard drive

    I've been looking for a boot drive for my incipient WinXP system. My criteria has been as follows: at least 160GB of space, EIDE, ATA133, 8MB buffer, 7200rpm, good performance (although it doesn't have to be the absolute hottest thing out there) and low operating noise. Until today I was...
  14. M

    Anything glaringly wrong with this system config?

    I'm close to ordering parts for the following machine, but it's been a LONG time since I configured a machine, so I'd really like some other eyes to look over the list first: CPU: AMD Athlon64 3000+ (socket 754) MB: MSI K8N Neo Platinum (socket 754, NForce 3-250Gb chipset) Case: Antec Sonata...