Pc Tech Support

[Token]

So have you used a proper anti-virus program by a reputable company? Or have you just used the freebie type stuff. If you haven't my first port of call would be using something like AVG free, Avast!, Panda Cloud as 3rd party Spyware programs and registry cleaners are okay, but I've always found they're really basic and can cause more problems than they solve in most cases.

If you have, then I'd tend to sack off the symptom finding and backup my music an go for a format and fresh install on windows.

[MadManMike]

Forget Spyware / Virus software - download ComboFix.

It's a god send.

[LukasMcNeal]

I have this computer: packard bell imedia x2416 I need to upgrade the graphics card but I don't have a clue! Up to £80 any suggestions that would work and be decent?

It has a Geforce 7100 graphics card that's all I know

Edited September 15, 2010 by LukasMcNeal

[anzo]

Ok here goes.

I'm not a complete novice with this whole PC world but i'm stuck with this one.

I recently got a virus called "Security Suite." It installs itself on your computer and appears as antivirus software, wont let you open anything, claims everything is a virus and links you to a payment website constantly.

This i managed to get rid off, but now my computer without warning or reason will freeze, not compltely, i can minimize/ maximize programmes, although i can't open new programmes or task manager.

The PC also wont let me run the check disk utility.

Nothing else seems effected, i've run several spyware checks and looked manually through my registry, used Eusing and CCleaner but to no result.

Also my recovery drive is now mysteriously empty, which i feel may be the cause in some way.

My advice - a fresh OS re-install.

These fixers, scanners and protection programmes have limitations and can only clear what it's told to clear. In your case it really sounds like a bad infection, if you want this completely gone then the only sure way to do this is to wipe the lot and start fresh.

[Token]

I have this computer: packard bell imedia x2416 I need to upgrade the graphics card but I don't have a clue! Up to £80 any suggestions that would work and be decent?

It has a Geforce 7100 graphics card that's all I know

The Geforce 7100 is a PCI-E card which is good news for you wanting to upgrade, one thing to bare in mind when buying a more powerful graphics card is they tend to need an extra source of power as they can't draw enough from the motherboard so you have to plug in a 6pin molex from your power supply, not all power supplies have these 6 pin plugs but you can buy an adapter like this for pence:

as for choosing a graphics card have a look on somewhere like Overclockers.co.uk an see what's in your budget an then compare them on google as there's loads of tech sites that do competing benchmarks (XFX ATI HD 5750 here) or maybe Geforce GTS 250

it's best to do some research yourself and see what cards perform best on the games you want to play.

[LukasMcNeal]

The Geforce 7100 is a PCI-E card which is good news for you wanting to upgrade, one thing to bare in mind when buying a more powerful graphics card is they tend to need an extra source of power as they can't draw enough from the motherboard so you have to plug in a 6pin molex from your power supply, not all power supplies have these 6 pin plugs but you can buy an adapter like this for pence:

as for choosing a graphics card have a look on somewhere like Overclockers.co.uk an see what's in your budget an then compare them on google as there's loads of tech sites that do competing benchmarks (XFX ATI HD 5750 here) or maybe Geforce GTS 250

it's best to do some research yourself and see what cards perform best on the games you want to play.

Thanks for your help, exactly what I needed to know

[davey1991]

My advice - a fresh OS re-install.

These fixers, scanners and protection programmes have limitations and can only clear what it's told to clear. In your case it really sounds like a bad infection, if you want this completely gone then the only sure way to do this is to wipe the lot and start fresh.

Already done, before you guys even replied, i thought it would be the only way, ahh well, a years worth of shit cleared up aswell.

Thanks for trying.

[JT!]

My 14 month old Dell is showing signs of old age... etc etc (pics)

It's gotten so much worse now I've decided to sell it to the mother in law for $150 - she won't need to lift the lid up and down as she'll use it on a desk and nothing else, so it shouldn't get any worse and be perfectly usable.

Looking at this.

How are Toshibas in general? I always had it in my head that satellite laptops always cost much more but this seems very well priced for the spec, I guess I'm completely wrong? (I have no use for mobile broadband at all).

Edited September 19, 2010 by JT!

[Token]

I'm getting page not found on that link.

[JT!]

Never had that many issues with a link befor...

Toshiba - Satellite Laptop / AMD Athlon™ II Processor / 15.6" Display / 3GB Memory / 320GB Hard Drive - Helios Black

What's Included

Toshiba Satellite Laptop / AMD Athlon™ II Processor / 15.6" Display / 3GB Memory / 320GB Hard Drive

6-cell lithium-ion battery

65W AC adapter

Software: Toshiba ReelTime; Microsoft Works 9; Adobe Acrobat Reader and more

Owner's manual

Product Features

VISION Technology by AMD

Makes your digital photos and Web sites look amazing and gives a boost to digital music playback.

AMD Athlon™ II dual-core processor P320*

For enhanced performance.

3GB DDR3 memory

For multitasking power, expandable to 8GB.

Multiformat DVD±RW/CD-RW drive with double-layer support

Records up to 8.5GB of data or 4 hours of video using compatible DVD+R DL and DVD-R DL media; also supports DVD-RAM and Labelflash labels using compatible Labelflash media.

15.6" TFT-LED high-definition widescreen display

With TruBrite technology and 1366 x 768 resolution showcases movies and games in stunning clarity. Native support for 720p content.

320GB Serial ATA hard drive (5400 rpm)

Offers plenty of storage capacity.

ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4250 graphics

Feature 256-1405MB dynamically allocated shared video memory for lush images. Built-in stereo speakers with Dolby Advanced Audio for rich sound quality.

Built-in webcam with microphone

Makes it easy to chat with and send video mail to family and friends.

Memory card reader

Supports Secure Digital, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO and MultiMediaCard formats.

3 high-speed USB 2.0 ports

For fast digital video, audio and data transfer. One eSATA/USB combo port.

Built-in wireless LAN (802.11b/g/n)

Connect to the Internet without wires.

Built-in 10/100 Ethernet LAN with RJ-45 connector

For quick and easy wired Web connection.

Weighs 5.5 lbs. and measures just 1.5" thin

For easy portability.

Long battery life

Of up to 3 hours and 56 minutes to give you more time away from an outlet.

Fusion® finish in helios black

Offers a sophisticated style.

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Edition 64-bit operating system preinstalled

Provides a stable platform for word processing, Web navigation, gaming, media storage and more.

Best Buy Software Installer

Personalize your PC! Discover and install just the software and services you want. Learn more.

Software package included

With Toshiba ReelTime, Microsoft Works 9 and Adobe Acrobat Reader.

ENERGY STAR qualified

Designed to use less energy and meets strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy.

AMD, AMD Arrow logo, AMD Athlon, QuantiSpeed, AMD PowerNow! and combinations thereof are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.

Warranty Terms - Parts1 year limited

Warranty Terms - Labor1 year limited

Product Height1.5"

Product Width15"

Product Weight5.5 lbs.

Product Depth9.8"

Color CategoryBlack

Processor BrandAMD

Processor PlatformVISION

ProcessorAMD Athlon™ II

Processor Speed2.1GHz

Battery Type6-cell lithium-ion

Display TypeHigh-definition widescreen TFT-LED with TruBrite technology (1366 x 768)

Screen Size (Measured Diagonally)15.6"

Cache Memory1MB on die Level 2

System Memory (RAM)3GB

System Memory (RAM) Expandable To8GB

Type of Memory (RAM)DDR3

Hard Drive TypeSATA (5400 rpm)

Computer Hard Drive Size320GB

Optical DriveDouble-layer DVD±RW/CD-RW

Optical Drive Speeds6x DVD+R DL; 6x DVD-R DL; 8x8x8 DVD+RW; 8x6x8 DVD-RW; 5x DVD-RAM; 24x24x24 CD-RW

Direct-Disc LabelingYes

Digital Media Reader or SlotsYes, digital media card reader

GraphicsATI Mobility Radeon HD 4250

Video MemoryUp to 1405MB dynamically allocated shared

TV TunerNo

MPEGYes

Built-in WebcamYes

ModemNone

NetworkingBuilt-in 10/100 Ethernet LAN (RJ-45 connector)

Wireless NetworkingWireless-B+G+N

Bluetooth-EnabledNo

S-Video OutputsNone

AudioDolby Advanced

SpeakersInternal

PCMCIA SlotsNone

USB 2.0 Ports3

Parallel PortsNone

Game PortsNone

Laptop WeightUltraportable (5.5 lbs. or less)

Battery LifeUp to 3 hours and 56 minutes

Pointing DeviceTouchPad with multitouch control and enable/disable

HDMI OutputNo

Blu-ray PlayerNo

Operating System PlatformWindows

Operating SystemWindows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

Included SoftwareToshiba ReelTime; Microsoft Works 9; Adobe Acrobat Reader and more

ENERGY STAR QualifiedYes

BBY Software InstallerYes

Graphics ChipATI

Drive Capacity320GB

Graphics CardATI Mobility Radeon HD 4250

Edited September 19, 2010 by JT!

[Muel]

Still struggling to get my computer to accept a f**king wireless card. Went and bought a new one. (Maplins, for shame. Only shop I could find in the centre of Sheffield). Can't find working drivers anywhere. Even resorted to emailing the chipset company...

If anyone has used a Ralink RT3060F Wireless N PCI card with Windows 7, this would be good news. If this goes on much longer I'll take it back to the shop and order a decent make from OCUK.

[JD™]

Still struggling to get my computer to accept a f**king wireless card. Went and bought a new one. (Maplins, for shame. Only shop I could find in the centre of Sheffield). Can't find working drivers anywhere. Even resorted to emailing the chipset company...

If anyone has used a Ralink RT3060F Wireless N PCI card with Windows 7, this would be good news. If this goes on much longer I'll take it back to the shop and order a decent make from OCUK.

Have you tried this one?

When I was having trouble with Ralink drivers, it was because I thought the RT306X (not the actual model number, just using yours as an example) was a different model to the RT3060F, but actually the X was a wildcard meaning it worked for any models starting with RT306. Worth a go!

[craigjames]

Got an issue which is starting to annoy the hell out of me. It's as if my PC has a stutter when playing audio, playing games or watching films. Spec if Windows 7 64 bit, 4gb ddr2, 512 nvidia 9800gtx and a soundblaster audigy soundcard. All the drivers are up to date, all on board features have been disabled which should be. It's driving me up the wall because it's intermittent, more often than not it's playing up though Maybe unrelated, I also get an audio issue, where the sound distorts really badly, did this with the onboard sound card too, speakers work perfectly when plugged into a MP3 player though... any help or suggestions would be great.

[Muel]

Have you tried this one?

When I was having trouble with Ralink drivers, it was because I thought the RT306X (not the actual model number, just using yours as an example) was a different model to the RT3060F, but actually the X was a wildcard meaning it worked for any models starting with RT306. Worth a go!

Tried the latest driver on the Ralink site that supports the RT306X wildcard, no luck. Will try that older one though, anythings worth a try...

Cheers man.

[Revolver]

My speakers used to do this thing where every so often when I played music, it would slow down and become choppy, briefly.

Now, a short term fix for this was to disable my USB wireless device, because for some unknown reason, that was causing this issue.

It's worth noting though that I don't think it happened on ths new, sick computer, complete with soundblaster card, and that it's definitely not happened since I moved house.

So to summarise, move house

[anzo]

Got an issue which is starting to annoy the hell out of me. It's as if my PC has a stutter when playing audio, playing games or watching films. Spec if Windows 7 64 bit, 4gb ddr2, 512 nvidia 9800gtx and a soundblaster audigy soundcard. All the drivers are up to date, all on board features have been disabled which should be. It's driving me up the wall because it's intermittent, more often than not it's playing up though Maybe unrelated, I also get an audio issue, where the sound distorts really badly, did this with the onboard sound card too, speakers work perfectly when plugged into a MP3 player though... any help or suggestions would be great.

Are you certain it's Windows 7 and not Linux?!

Nothing wrong with Maplins, well....good for small bits and bobs, but everything else is shit.

[Muel]

I am a fan of Maplins return policy. I walked in today and just said, "I need to return this, there aren't any drivers available for W7", the guy just asked me for my credit card.

I then went to Curry's, bought a USB Netgear adapter which says "Certified for W7" on the f**king box, and apparantly it's not supported by them. This is getting beyond a joke now, 3rd wireless connector device thing and I still can't make it go...

[craigjames]

Are you certain it's Windows 7 and not Linux?!

Nothing wrong with Maplins, well....good for small bits and bobs, but everything else is shit.

Yup student Windows 7 64bit.

[Sam T]

Try to save my video from WMM to my computer, its gets to 73% and it stops and doesnt go any further?

It's sort of annoying so if anybody could it would be great.

[JT!]

I've been using vista for 15 months no problem. Windows 7, I have a major problem.

The whole Icons thing on the start menu is seriously f**ked up.

There's 3 options under the 'taskbar buttons'.

Always combine, hide lables.

Combine when taskbar is full

and

Never combine.

My first issue is why the hell do I have only have one option on combining with the labels been hidden. I've never seen anything like that (the 2nd and 3rd options show regular window labels from as you'd see in xp as opposde to icons).

Why can't I have icons that don't combine?!

Ontop of that, MSN and Skype both won't close down to the trey icon only, they stick around on the taskbar. They are not pinned.

Help! Am I doing something stupid?

[Muel]

Misunderstanding the new taskbar in W7?

My advice, set it to "Always combine, hide labels" and get used to it. Once you've made the switch it's so much better IMO. Expecially for people who want 10+ programs open at once.

[JT!]

Misunderstanding the new taskbar in W7?

My advice, set it to "Always combine, hide labels" and get used to it. Once you've made the switch it's so much better IMO. Expecially for people who want 10+ programs open at once.

I can't see how having to move your mouse over the msn icon, and then having a display picture, msn main window, and 2 conversations windows pop up is any better.

And I have skype and msn open permanently, but very rarely use them, I really don't want them sat on my taskbar all the time.

EDIT. They're back in the tray icon, just had to change the compatibility to windows vista. Sooooo much better.

Edited October 1, 2010 by JT!

[isitafox]

I can't see how having to move your mouse over the msn icon, and then having a display picture, msn main window, and 2 conversations windows pop up is any better.

Like muel said it's so much easier if you've got multiple windows open, takes a bit of gettin used to but it's worth it once you do.

Just keeps the taskbar empty and makes it easier to find what you want rather than going off a tiny bit of text.

[JT!]

Keeps the taskbar empty? When It's impossible to remove skype and msn...

[isitafox]

Keeps the taskbar empty? When It's impossible to remove skype and msn...

I mean so you don't have 20 different icons at the bottom for all the open windows, it just nicely groups things up for easy access.

If you right click them you should be able to take them off the taskbar if you don't want the icons on when your not using the program.