Anyone in the Seattle/Bothell area willing to help a newb?

[RJShultzie]

Either chat on the phone or meet to help me work through some glitches in my computer and give me some advice on what I will need to upgrade in my computer. I am not at my home computer now but when I start it up I get an VIA bus master IDE drivers not installed and I am getting ready to install a dvd burner and want to make sure everything is ok. I read the messages in the forum and I hace no idea how to flash a bios and make sure my motherboard drivers are up to date (I have an Asus) and I couldn't figure out the update the last time I looked at it. I like to learn this do it yourself stuff and would love to learn about Home Theater PC's also.
I like the analagy "give someone a fish and they will eat tonight, show them how to fish and they will eat for a lifetime" or something close to that. And I need someone to show me about computers.

Thanks
Rodney

 

[mechBgon]

I'm too far away to drive my rickety old car there, but I do have a swell 10-page photo guide if you're ready to get rid of (or just demote) your Happy Meal? computer and build a nice one. Check jpayton's excellent thread up at the top of General Hardware for parts kits

If you do build, I suggest buying WinXP Professional, which is going to be supported considerably longer than WinXP Home and has some useful additional capabilities. And whatever you do, get a high-quality power supply and RAM.

 

[RJShultzie]

Thanks for the guide.

 

[GonzoDaGr8]

You need to download and install (run) the VIA 4-in-1 (called hyperion now) drivers from VIA . That should get rid of your error message.

 

[RJShultzie]

Thanks for the link, what do these drivers do?

 

[mechBgon]

Those drivers are for the motherboard's chipset, including the IDE controllers.

 

[GonzoDaGr8]

Thanx Mech, I guess I should have explained that..

 

[RJShultzie]

I am working on getting my BIOS updated it is from 2001 and I can't figure it out yet I think it has something to do with the problem also. I have a 160 HD which is not supported in my motherboard without the update and the 4in1 drivers are not fixing the VIA master bus IDE not installed either.
Here is my post on my BIOS problem. HELP PLEASE