I figure since we haven't started any new threads I'd start a new one that could be helpful to others.

Ok so I've been updating everything, except for BIOS since I have no XP boot disk (yes I know...shame on me).  By everything I mean chipset, Processor, Graphics Card, Audio, etc.  Well on my update I think my comp might have crashed while installing something to do with the network card.  It didn't work when I restarted twice.  So I rolled back the driver and it works fine now.

My question is...would there be some update extremely important to the NIC that I should try and update again or would it not make much of a difference.

Thanks for the help,
X

I can only think of one example where standard drivers don't work with a NIC.  My opinion is if updating them caused your NIC to fail then using the old drivers until something doesn't work with them(and can be traced directly back to a NIC issue) would be your best course until they release a new revision for your drivers.

Generally speaking, unless there is a security issue with your existing NIC, upgrading the drivers on a fully functional NIC is pointless.  Driver/BIOS updates for NIC's typically consist of compatibility fixes for specific hardware configurations.  If your NIC is functioning properly, there is really no need to update your drivers.

http://www.w3schools.com/images/downloadwww.gif

-b0b
(...true, true.)

Thanks gentlemen!

X

hmmmm...

I got a question.  Since you guys created this thread and all.  I did my taxes the other day, and it looks like I'll have some money to spend.  I wanted to get away from my insufficient (hellish) integrated video card, and get an actual card.  What do you guys think of the GeForce 7600 GT?  Is there a better card I should get?   I want to keep the price under $150.

- Atteberry

Well first of all think you're going to be able to keep it under $150 since the cheapest one I found was $129.  That is not to say that the GeForce 7600 GT is overly cheap and worthless it runs from about $120 to up to $180.

It's different than the more expensive cards in the series by giving it only half as many pixel pipelines and half the memory bus width.  But a higher core and memory bus speed is still pretty good.

The lower power requirement also has a nice benefit - it doesn't need or come with a PCI Express power connector. This means you can most probably use your old PSUs, even if you want to run two cards in SLI.  But if you're going to run two of them might as well go for GeForce 7900 GT.

But I believe that for the price the 7600 is definitely worth it.  Also if you're into over clocking this card, I've read that it doesn't do very well.  So that's just a warning in case you wanted to.

NVidia said it's made for Windows Vista but I only see that DirectX 9 comes with it and no side not saying that it will work with DirectX10 when it comes out.  I don't know if that would make a difference seeing that DirectX 10 won't be mainstream for a while, I could be wrong on that though.  But if it was made for Vista then I would assume that when DX10 comes out it'll be fine.

The one thing I find odd that stacking up the 7600 and the 7900 the Core speed is higher by almost 100 MHz.

As for gaming the 7600 with SLI does excellent with high end games.  FPS on Far Cry averaged around 59.  And without the SLI it still does well averaging 36 (this is with all options turned on to the best of the best graphics).

The weight of the card is nice as well.  I'm glad NVIDIA has done away with the huge metal cooling fans and gone to more of an aluminum compound.  It's very light weight, and much more light weight than some of the older cards.

I say get the card...but shop around cause I think you'll find one for under way under $150.  I suggest NewEgg.  They would have the best deals for ya.

Enjoy and remember...this is just your average geek's opinion.  I could be wrong.

X

The 7xxx series is most definitely not DirectX 10 compatible.  Even if it was, I can pretty much guarantee the rest of your computer would asplode if you even tried to install a DirectX 10 game.

-b0b
(...is in the same boat.)

Well that stinks.  Why does the manufacture say that it's built for Vista but not going to be compatible with DX10.  Seems kinda stupid.  If that's the case then I see no point for them to tell people they've built the card for Vista.

X
(odd)

Vista supports dx9 cards(fact) but I don't think you will be able to have the fancy gui. (just a guess)

The cheapest dx10 card you can get today is the 8800GTS which is one step under the 8800GTX.  The GTS still runs you around $450.

Those prices will plummet as soon as ATI gets a DirectX 10 card on the market.  There are only two DX10 cards on the market, and they're both from nVidia.  That skews the price range a bit.

-b0b
(...nods.)

I wonder who would buy either of those cards when DX10 isn't out yet nor do we know the full impact it will have on systems?

Ok guys (and girls) I'm looking for a USB front panel port for the parent's computer such as this one:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16815150025

I was wondering what needed this device needed to connect inside the computer. I see the product manufacture says "One available internal USB 2.0 (type A) port" however my computer does not have an internal USB connector. However it does have one on the outside. I don't believe that one is a USB 2.0 port. Would this device still work if I connected it a) in the outside USB port and b) if it's not a USB 2.0 port? Also does the smaller end of the USB cord connect into the back portion of the internal card and then the larger end into the motherboard port? The pictures aren't the best so I can't see for sure.

Thanks for the help.

X

I'm not aware of any computer that has an internal USB port.  What you need is a real breakout box that has a USB connect, the square 8-pin jobby that every motherboard should have 2-6 of.

-b0b
(...nods.)

I'm not sure I understand.  I looked up breakout box and what I found doesn't look familiar to me.  Also what square 8-pin jobby?  

X
(Sorry ....  :'( ...don't understand)

In technical terms, that USB doohicky probably has some wires hooked to it with a square doojobby thing on the end.  I think that it will connect to some place on the motherbarbie.

I'll see if I can find some pictures when I get home.

-b0b
(...will probably forget, so be sure to bump the thread after 5:00pm.)

Nm guys I got my question answered.

The USB 2.0 is backwards compatible with USB 1.1 and I'll have to pop out a back portion of the box to connect it externally.

Thanks for the help.

X

Pat, that would be the most ghettoriffic thing ever.  Instead of adding ports, you're really just installing a hub to break an existing port into four ports.  That will result in your traffic being split four ways, meaning your total bandwidth is limited to that of a single USB port.

Get a real breakout box that runs to the motherboard, not that ghettoriffic piece of junk.

-b0b
(...trust me!)

Well first of all this isn't for me it's for the parents.  Also they're just going to use it so they don't have to pull out the computer and unhook the printer from the only USB port we have.  So I'm going to do this so they have have their printer, their digital camera, and their mem stick accessible easier.

So  :P

X

If you guys were to suggest a nice PCI TV tuner, what would you say?

I like anything by ATI.  If you're going to use your machine as your TV I would spend the extra dough and get a really nice card.  That's what I did about 3 years ago.  I can't wait to see, if they don't already, have digital cable cards.

X
(When I get a job I'm going to have to build another machine!)

I'll give you five bucks for your old one.  ;)

-b0b
(...weee!)

So I'm stuck inbetween to cards.  

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121004

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131420

One is half the price of the other one, but the more expensive one is considerably faster.  What do you guys think?

Well if you have a single monitor I'd go for the Power one (the cheaper one) but if you have duals then I'd go for the Asus since it's a faster card.

Get both!

I keed, I keed.  If I were you, I'd save up a couple extra bucks and buy the 7600.  Or, you could save up even longer and buy...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814143079

How are you going to get a PCI Express card into your PC, anyway?  Doesn't it have an AGP port?

-b0b
(...could be wrong.)

At first I saw that card and I knew that others like it were going for 550 - 650.  Why is that one so expensive.

I didn't even pay that much for my computer, why would I spend that much

why would i buy that card?

why would i put $3500 rims on a $700 car?

these questions can never be answered...

Quote:

why would i put $3500 rims on a $700 car?

you did what now?

you ever see drawn together?...

yes but not much; that show scares and frustrates me!

what you mean is it shows you the funny side of racism...aka the only side of racism!

Stick wrote on Mar 21^st, 2007 at 8:23pm:

At first I saw that card and I knew that others like it were going for 550 - 650.  Why is that one so expensive.

Out of the box overclocking, that's why!

-b0b
(...sorta like a factory-installed turbo!)

So where can a girl go to get some cheap laptop RAM? I'm looking for either a 512 mb or 1 gb stick.

www.newegg.com

I have two 256mb chips left over from upgrading my dell.


My question:  Does anyone have a C&C generals cd key or keygen??

I've got a keygen for Generals and Generals: Zero Hour.  Do you want me to run a couple keys for you?

-b0b
(...could definitely do that.)

yes plz

Generals:     8003-4308392-7910125-2157
GZH:           5PYG-8ZJH-JFAH-ZNTG-R8TZ

bob is speaking in tounges!

thanks!

spanky wrote on May 11^th, 2007 at 1:35pm:

bob is speaking in tounges!

Ask Wes's mom how much she likes it when I "speak in tongues."

-b0b
(...finds it to be a climactic event.)

Ewwwww

Ok so today my parents computer shut down all of a sudden.  Normal computing was being done when all of a sudden the tower just goes off.  There was some fan noise early today (although did anyone tell me so I could look at it before something happen?  noooo).

So I let the whole thing cool down...the power supply feels extremely hot and the CPU and the hard drive feel hot but that's pretty normal.  Pressing the power button flicks the green on light for a second but then shuts off.  I have also tried to switch out the power cord to no avail.

Is this strictly the need of a new power supply?

Could there have been a problem with the motherboard or as a result of a blown power supply the motherboard would stop working if a new power supply was supplemented?

I don't know if I smelled just hot dust or smoke when I opened the box so I can't help you there either.

Thanks,

X

Nm...got it working...man that resistor was fried.

Was it the power supply?  Sounds like a blown PSU to me.  Typically, power supplies don't take out secondary components when they fail, but it does happen from time to time (for instance, my fried stick of brand new OCZ RAM).

If it's a smaller resistor, you can probably replace it with a cheap one of similar ohm-rating from Radio Shack.  You've got a soldering iron, right?

-b0b
(...is frugal.)

You'd think that a place who overcharges and who I have no clue how they've stayed in business this long would be open on Sundays...not at all.  BTW...Three Rivers is the worst town ever...you think you could find some simple electronics without having to go to Kalamazoo?!  NOOOOOOOO!

Anywho...it was one of the bigger resistor so I just threw in a 400W to replace the burnt out 350W.

X

Are any of you guys considering any upgrades in the near future?  I really need to rebuild the server, and I'm thinking about upgrading the Bobulator.  My plan is to buy a new motherboard, processor, video card, and RAM for the Bobulator, then move the old stuff to the server for a complete rebuild.

I don't look forward to formatting the server because the rebuild process is a multi-day task, but it's got to be done eventually.

With the wedding coming up and Meredith and I shopping for houses, it'll likely be next spring before this plan comes to fruition.

-b0b
(...needs more money!)

you couldn't find one and 'liberate' it from a lab at western?

Who'd want to put that crap in their PC?  You'd be begging for a meltdown!

-b0b
(...set phasers to crispy.)

I've been seriously considering building my own rig lately.  Why do you ask if we are upgrading??

It was just a general question.  I'm considering upgrading my machine and was wondering if anyone had any hardware recommendations.

I'm trying to get out of this for less than $700 (real life has been expensive lately), and I've got a list of hardware (mobo, processor, RAM, and video card) that is currently weighing in at ~$650.  I'll probably make the leap sometime next spring, so I'm sure things will be even cheaper by then.

-b0b
(...needs a new power rig.)

I told you I would sell you my old rig (new to you!) for only $823.64.


Which happens to be what my new one would cost...


...will also throw in this shitty lapper

I have to maintain that crappy lapper anyway, why would I want it?

-b0b
(...JUNK!)

There is a new E6750 with 1333MHz FSB that would really kick ass and its pretty cheap.  I was surprized at the price.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115029

The ram(at 1333MHz) is super expensive tho, and it only comes in DDR3.

you think you found a core 2 duo at a "good" price?!


GTFO!

If you think that's expensive, check out the new quad core processors...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115027

That's not even a "special edition" chip.  Just wait until Intel releases the Quad Core Extreme Edition processors!

-b0b
(...bets it'll debut at $1200 or more.)

If those are those damned "emulated" quadcores I should kick you in the junk!

note to intel, just because you can get your dual cores to act like two processors per core doesn't mean you get to advertise something that isn't there!

If I'm not mistaken, they're dual-core, dual-die processors, so it isn't really "emulated," but it still isn't the real deal.

-b0b
(...could be wrong though.)

Does anyone know how many CD-Rs have to go bad before you can return the product?

Also...is it better just to return it to the store or go to the manufacturing?

Thanks,

X

If it is brand new I would say 50% and return it to the store.

If it is used (by you pat that is an understatement, zing) I would say if it is spitting 90% bad then return it to the manufacturer.

Wait, are we talking about the CD-R's, or the CD burner?

-b0b
(...is confused.)

I assumed he ment the burner, because well pat goes through those like wes through twinkies.

Yeah, well, you know Pat...

For what it's worth, the absolute top-of-the-line SATA DVD burner is only $30-$35, so even if you have to replace it out of your pocket, it shouldn't be horrendously expensive.  If you bought it from NewEgg, they're fantastic about taking returns.

-b0b
(...has had to return a thing or two.)

Quote:

(...has had to return a thing or two.)

Like your man card?

Hey, that's not my fault.  Nobody told me your mother was a man.

-b0b
(...thought the hairiness was just a genetic defect.)

No I meant CD-Rs not the burner.  I got a spindel of Sony CD-Rs for Christmas.  I forgot to put my brand down that I have never had any trouble with (Memorex) and I've had 12 out of 100 go bad on me.

Shoot I take care of my burners...my lifeblood.  I've only ruined one of them and that was on the old laptop.  I actually killed the laser to where it would read a disc 1 out of 1000 times and wouldn't burn anymore.

I've had the burner I now have for 3ish years now.

X

X wrote on Dec 27^th, 2007 at 1:14pm:

No I meant CD-Rs not the burner.

spanky wrote on Dec 27^th, 2007 at 8:30am:

I assumed he ment the burner

HAHA!

-b0b
(...was right.)

b0b wrote on Dec 27^th, 2007 at 1:24pm:

X wrote on Dec 27th, 2007 at 1:14pm: No I meant CD-Rs not the burner. spanky wrote on Dec 27th, 2007 at 8:30am: I assumed he ment the burner HAHA!  I was right! For what its worth, I would've returned the spindle after the third or fourth coaster. -b0b (...has never had a problem like that, though.)

I've been having occasional random computer shutdowns(not OS shutdowns) and sometimes it fires back up without a problem but the other times it starts up and the HDD light is on solid(normally it blinks), all the fans are on but there is no signal to the monitor and I don't think it is booting the bios.  So I unplugged all devices to where there was only the PSU, mobo, and CPU; fired it up and the same thing happened.  I tried several different thinks like resetting the CMOS, taking out the battery, all of which failed.

Any ideas?  From googling someone said they had ASUS send them a new chip for their mobo which did some update or fix and then everything worked.  Other people said their CPU was fried and that is why the bios didn't boot because it has to confirm there is a CPU to boot.

OCZ 700W $150 PSU
ASUS P5Q pro $150
Intel E8400 3.0GHz
nvidia 9800 GTX
1xHDD
1xDVD/CDRW

I don't think I am under powered by the PSU at all.  Also no smells coming from the PC.

That's a really tricky problem to troubleshoot.  Have you tried testing your PSU (under load!) with a multimeter to ensure it isn't being finicky?

If I had to take a complete stab in the dark, I would aim toward memory problems.  How many sticks of RAM do you have?  If you have more than one, try removing a stick to see if that alleviates the problem.  If the issue persists, swap out the removed stick for the remaining stick to see if that does the trick.


-b0b
(...shrugs.)

I tried that. It should still boot to bios even without ram correct?

No.  Without memory installed, you won't even get a beep code, let alone POST.

Generally, if you boot a computer without memory installed, everything will power up but won't actually do anything.  Also, with a Pheonix BIOS (which I assume you have), the hard drive light will stay on - which it sounds like it did.

-b0b
(...so much for that one!)

Got the new power supply in the mail and installed it, everything works fine now.

Did I call that, or what?  

My new 1TB hard drive should arrive today, so I'll probably spend much this weekend rebuilding the Bobulator.  I'll let you guys know how that goes.

-b0b
(...w00t!)

Ok folks...I think we should not allow our parents to have computers or change our names and addresses and fake our deaths.

So my folks computer is running normally until today.  No major changes or anything significant (mostly because I'm not there).

Blue screen of death with 0xC0000005 and 0x0000007E hex and then "a physical memory dump".

I am unable to boot up even with Safe Mode.

My guess is faulty RAM?

There's one other thing that happens that would make me assume not.

First of all there is no beep code signifying a RAM failure...however this might not occur because there is more than one stick of RAM in the computer.

Second, after the blue screen restarts the computer, the computer doesn't seem to boot back up from the very beginning (with a memory check and the normal beep codes of start up).

Instead it displays an options screen of the "safe mode, start from last working good configuration, etc." and from there goes to blue screen again.

Which kind of might tell me that it could be a nasty little virus.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

You hit both of my preliminary guesses on the head.  The only other thing that comes to mind is an ongoing disk failure which has corrupted the OS.  Are you hearing the "click of death" or getting any other indicator of a progressive hard drive failure?

I've got spare drives laying around if you want to try installing an OS on a different drive.  That should give you an idea of where the problem lies and will rule out memory and other hardware problems.  Once you get that carved out, you can connect the second drive to determine if it is a drive failure or a virus.


-b0b
(...!)

Ya...now the only problem is getting back to TR to actually take a look at it.

With descriptions like I got in trying to diagnose...I'm SOOOOOO glad I didn't go into the IT field.  Good thing these people are my primary givers of life...I like saying "meh, I'm out of ideas".

I'll let you know bob...thanks.

So when/where is the LAN?  I now I have new years eve day off but have to work new years day from 6am to 2pm...

X

I suggest running a system restore from the installation media.  If you boot to the install CD and go to install there should be a setting there to repair.  Depending on what version of windows you are using, the exact steps are going to vary.  Once done you will have to reload any drivers that you may have installed.  

Another idea is to reseed the memory with only one stick in at a time. Maybe a stick is bad.  

Not sure if you are using a OEM machine or not, but dell has a decent diagnotic live cd that is worth trying.  HP has one too I believe.

X wrote on Dec 10^th, 2009 at 10:39am:

I'm SOOOOOO glad I didn't go into the IT field.

I get "tech support" calls from people I haven't seen in years.  A couple weeks back, a distant relative of mine left a message on my machine because her computer was on the fritz.  I haven't seen or talked to her in at least six or seven years, yet I'm somehow her very first contact when her computer dies a well-deserved death.

I haven't returned the call.



Quote:

So when/where is the LAN?  I now I have new years eve day off but have to work new years day from 6am to 2pm...

I'll post a couple dates in the LAN thread, but I'm thinking maybe Saturday the 2nd?  Does that fit into everybody's schedule?  It also leaves New Year's open to all of you slackers that have other plans.



computerjuvenile wrote on Dec 10^th, 2009 at 5:50pm:

I suggest running a system restore from the installation media.

Bah!  Real men format first and ask questions later!


-b0b
(...is a manly man.)

Quote:

Bah!  Real men format first and ask questions later!

And realer men look to see which partition they are formatting before they do it.  I told you I would never let you forget about that!


...and 'C' does not sound that much like 'D'!!!

Here's how that went down:



Quote:

b0b:  Can I trash C? Spanky:  Yes. *C: partition is deleted* b0b:  Can I trash D? Spanky:  Yes. *D: partition is deleted* Ten minutes pass... Spanky: What the hell do you mean, "Do you want me to format D:?"

As you can see, it wasn't my fault.


-b0b
(...HA!)

You overworked whore!  It went...


Quote:

b0b:  Can I trash C? Spanky:  Yes. *C: partition is deleted* b0b:  Can I trash D? Spanky:  Yeah, just C. *D: partition is deleted*

That is what I said!

You can't prove it!


-b0b
(...cackles.)

So I'm thinking of building my computer again from scratch.  The problem is, that being out of the loop for a bit leads to not knowing what's current and what the future holds.

So does anyone have any suggestions for motherboard, processor, graphic card, and/or anything else that might be helpful?

Heck, I don't even know what case to buy!

X

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4146085&Sku=C283-1187


the fans in this are HUGE. It runs silent, has space for 2 power supplies, one of which is at the bottom, which is brilliant for keeping airflow clear, as you can just run all the HD power along the bottom. the HD and CD slots require no screws. There is a front bay with 4 usb and some audio and firewire ports.

Susies cousin and our friend just got this case, it will be my next case. Its very large, but this makes it very easy to maneuver as you install things.

Real Men™ buy their cases from Mountain Mods.  The next Bobulator is going to require a new case (*tear*) because of the way the power supply is mounted in the existing case, and I'm looking at the Ascension Duality.  Check it out.

For what its worth, every time I plan a PC upgrade I have to spend a fair amount of time researching the latest hardware.  I can tell you anything you want to know about server and network gear at any time, but it's just too hard to keep up with PC trends when you aren't building a machine every week.


-b0b
(...shrugs.)

So are we still AMD folks or has Pentium sowed up that debate?  I'm still looking at Asus motherboards because my current one has been a pretty good one.

Also, are we still believers in nVida or has ATI finally caught up with them?

Also, I would stay away from TigerDirect as much as you can...I've had some bad dealing with their support so only try to use them for awesome deals you can't find on Newegg.

X

At the moment, Intel is still higher up the ladder than AMD, but the gap is much narrower than it once was.  I'm running an Intel Q6600 at the moment and I'm looking at upgrading to an i7 within the next few months.  If you're concerned about price, though, AMD is making some great chips at an incredible price point.

ATI and Nvidia are really running neck and neck right now, and the "winner" really depends on which price category you're looking at.  ATI is winning at the top-of-the-line category with the Radeon 5870, which is the current king of the speed race and also the only DirectX 11 card on the market.  It's also $600+ and insanely hard to find in stock anywhere.  Nvidia is still holding their own, though, and generally have superior cards at all other price points.

Personally, I've had bad luck with ATI cards for years, so I'm still going to stick with Nvidia.  The GTX 285 line is reasonably priced and a heck of a performer, so that's the board I'm planning on buying during the next Bobulator refresh.

Now that Soyo has gone down the crapper, I've become an Asus enthusiast.  I'm currently running the Asus Maximus Extreme, and I'm looking at the Asus Supercomputer for my next board.  You really can't go wrong with their high-end boards, as they ship with everything but the kitchen sink.  The board I have now has an integrated power button and reset switch right on the board, for crying out loud!


-b0b
(...needs more power!)

Geez...what do you need 7 PCI slots for?!

Hmm...video card (even if you get 2!), audio (if you don't use the onboard one).....???? what else?!

Depending on the video setup you go for, you can burn up 3-4 PCI slots simply on graphics adapters.

Alternately, you could buy six 4-port server-grade gigabit network adapters and team them together for a 24GB network connection.


-b0b
(...alright, that might be overkill.)

Other than the graphic card itself...what else are you hooking up for graphics?

I wouldn't be surprised if each card had an "X" or "+" to insert into it because as we all know that makes it better!

X

X wrote on Dec 22^nd, 2009 at 11:17am:

Other than the graphic card itself...what else are you hooking up for graphics?

Sorry, I didn't quite get that?


-b0b
(...is artarded.)

Ok so my computer is acting f-ed up and is about to get dropped kicked out the window if I wasn't so tired.

I've tried looking online and will continue to do so but I wanted to put this out there to see if you folks had any ideas.

Blue Screen of Death pops up right after the windows loading scroller on start up.

PFN_LIST_CORRUPT

0x0000004E (0x0000099, 0x0000ACS8, 0x0000003, 0x000000)

Can't do a "last good config" but I CAN get into the safe modes.  I tested the RAM and that's not the issue.

Thanks.

X

PFN is a page file error, and it typically occurs when Windows tries (and fails) to move data between physical RAM and virtual memory.  Generally, this indicates bad RAM or a crufty hard drive.

Try doing a thorough disk check to ensure it isn't a drive problem, then try swapping out RAM one stick at a time.  You can also throw MemTest86 on a floppy disc and try to narrow down the problematic stick.  You'll find the culprit eventually.

Whatever ends up being the problem, let me know and I'll check my stockpile to see if I have any spares.


-b0b
(...lost a 1500VA APC UPS this weekend during the storm.)

Yeah on my last computer I had a very similiar error Patsy, I know it started in PFN also, and it ended up being the hard drive.  I bought a new one, tossed on some Windows Vista, and the computer was fine.

Not sure if it's the same thing, but it looks pretty close.

The only thing with the memory or the hard drive being the issue is that I'm still able to get into safe mode or if I start up a check disk and cancel it on normal boot up it'll load.  Then as long I don't click on DVDFlick my comp won't freeze.

Safe mode uses a minimum level of memory, so you might be able to boot into safe mode and leave it running for days without triggering a memory-related error.

Mere's new PC locked up after 15-75 minutes right after we built it.  Even a memory check came back fine.  I swapped out every component in the system one-by-one trying to track down the issue.  I finally swapped out the memory despite the good memory test and everything has worked fine ever since.


-b0b
(...RAM can be a pain.)

Ya, when I have some time I'm going to fix it but right now the only thing not working in the real time protection of my AV and no background.  Maybe this weekend.  I'll need to fix it before the LAN...I want to get one more LAN out of Cezar before I build him anew.

X

Ok so after like two weeks or so of being in Windows mode with domain controls as the only way to use my computer at all, I wake up today and find that for some odd reason my computer has restarted itself and instead of an infinite loop of BSoD, reboot, repeat...the computer started up just fine.

I really need to build a new computer ha ha.

X

Your PC is proof that ignoring a problem long enough will eventually make it go away!


-b0b
(...should do that more often.)

Spoke too soon, I think my C: hard drive is the one doin' it.

X
(Blast!)

So I think my problem is my main HD is dying.  It's just a 40 giger...but I'm so fed up with my computer right now, I don't think I can host or go to a LAN until I either fix it somehow or rebuild.

X

Is that a SATA or PATA hard drive?


-b0b
(...probably has one.)

Yea if its just a 40 giger, I would go grab another from best buy and throw windows on there. That's the greatness of low-capacity windows drives, you thrash 'em and then discard 'em when they flake out, and all your lovely data is preserved. Most of the time you can slave the drive to the new one and pull off bookmarks and my documents/desktop junk, too.

Thanks again, bob, for the drives.  So ya, I'll be out of computer contact for at least Monday when I go to TR to pick up the spare.  Hopefully that's all there is.  I did talk to Jon today and he's going to help me build a new rig.  I'm kind of using this incident as an excuse to rebuild.  

Ya, I didn't have anything other than the OS and installed programs so that was good.  Now I just have to remember what programs I had installed and what bookmarks to get that I use just about everyday.

So ya, if you need to get a hold of me...give me a ring.

X
(hates when computers don't work...it's really quiet in my room now...sacry!)

Did those drives work out for you, Stewie?


-b0b
(...is stuck in Ann Arbor.)

...And whats wrong with ann arbor?

No, I'm getting different BSoD (irql not less or equal) and when I try to install Windows 7 I can't get past the "loading windows" screen on boot up or it'll reset itself after hanging on the screen too long.

I've tried unplugging every drive and double checking my pin settings are set correctly.  I don't know what to do or what it could be.

It's boring and quiet at my house.   :'(

X

MediaMaster wrote on Jun 22^nd, 2010 at 10:58pm:

...And whats wrong with ann arbor?

Ann Arbor itself is great.  It's a beautiful city!  Unfortunately, I'm here for work, but the wonderful travel system booked my hotel at the Detroit Metro airport.  As such, I've been commuting between downtown Ann Arbor and Detroit, which really sucks.

Moreover, I don't have a GPS, so I can't really go exploring.  I got so fed up with it that I ordered a GPS from Amazon on Tuesday so this won't happen again.  It should be here in time for Mere and I to head to Cleveland this weekend!


-b0b
(...ordered this one.)

X wrote on Jun 23^rd, 2010 at 12:26am:

No, I'm getting different BSoD (irql not less or equal) and when I try to install Windows 7 I can't get past the "loading windows" screen on boot up or it'll reset itself after hanging on the screen too long. I've tried unplugging every drive and double checking my pin settings are set correctly.  I don't know what to do or what it could be. It's boring and quiet at my house.   :'( X

How are you getting a different BSoD with a different disk?


-b0b
(...is confused!)

Ya, no clue.  I'm going to have to flash the BIOS and hope that works and then install Windows 7.  I really need to just scrap it all and rebuild.

X

Broke out Cezar 1.0 aka...laptop version just to get online.  I haven't touched this computer in literally 5 years.

X

How does it handle?

It's soooo slugish.  Res. is maxed out at 1024x768.  At least the internet works for the most part so I'm able to do simple things for now.

X

Wow.  I go crazy when I get stuck with a lapper for a week while traveling, I couldn't imagine being stuck with that beast quasi-permanently.  Upgrade time!


-b0b
(...sheds a tear for Stewie.)

Ya Jon Mong is going to get back with me to help me build Cezar 3.0, unfortunately I haven't heard from him yet.  *still crying*

Who?


-b0b
(...)

Jon Mong = Briney's step-dad.

Also, shortly after writing that, he gave me a call.  We're ordering parts this Sat.!!!

X

I thought that sounded familiar.  I would've gotten "Jon."


-b0b
(...what are you getting?!)

Going to be getting a quad core processor (with Windows 7 64 bit it'll look like 8 processors), a gigawat power supply, a hydra board for the ability to add different brands of graphics cards (I'm going to get a top of the line ATI g.c. probably and throw in my old g.c. until a better one comes out and switch out or keep adding.  A new case and new hard drives (I might have to borrow Briney's IDE controller card to get my info off the other drives I have), as much RAM as I can get, and I'm thinking of RAIDing my drives.  Nothing specific yet, but I'll post my supplies after Sat. when I head back to TR to order them with Jon.

Oh, also for my Windows drive I'm getting a solid state drive, which with Windows 7 uses a process that will clean up the drive when the system is idle rather than with other OS's that do it whenever - thus slowing down the reason to have a SSD.  I'm kind of excited to play test that out, I've been reading articles from PC Mag and other online reviews and they're missing a full review by not benchmarking a Windows 7 rig with the typical Vista machines they run.  But some of the reviews are good.  So ya, that'll be my Windows drive like I had my previous system and use two other high end internals for games and videos.  I have an external for storage/backup of things I don't generally access all the time and another one strictly for downloading and ripping/burning.

X
(is excited with *glee*!)

I'm about ready to order my computer.

Question for probably Bob.

Do you happen to have Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit that I could partake from you?

X

Didn't I just give you one?


-b0b
(...is fuzzy.)

The 32 bit edition is what it's labeled.

X

Ohhhh yeah!  I gave you the 32-bit version because I wasn't sure if your old rig had a 64-bit processor.  I'll burn a 64-bit copy for you tonight.  Give me a call when you have a moment and we'll find some time to meet up.


-b0b
(...schwing.)

Computer question!

My buddy has two computers in his house, one of them was acting up so he called me to come take a look at it in my free time.

Here's the issue.  One computer works perfectly fine, and the internet loads up at a normal speed.  A run of Internet Speed test shows it downloading at about 5.7mbps and uploading at a littler over 1mbps.

His second computer (which is newer), is running ok, however the internet is damn near dial-up speeds.  The same test at Internet Speed test shows he's barely breaking 0.1mbps and uploading at an incredibly slow 0.01mbps.

Now I've tried all the basic stuff, ran some virus scans and adware scans, tried switching out the cable to his computer, tried using a different jack on the back of his router, I even tried plugging the modem directly into the computer.  Still the internet is lagged.

Now I'm not computer expert anymore, but I can't find a damn thing wrong with this computer.  Any ideas?

Try changing out the cable (if not wireless)

Try changing the ports on the router (if not wireless)

X wrote on Jul 6^th, 2010 at 4:38pm:

Try changing out the cable (if not wireless) Try changing the ports on the router (if not wireless)

Stewie, for your lack of reading comprehension, I sentence you to 27 consecutive pictures of failure:

http://www.TWNCommunications.Net/Other/FailBambi.jpg
http://www.TWNCommunications.Net/Other/FailBand.jpg
http://www.TWNCommunications.Net/Other/FailBoat.jpg
http://www.TWNCommunications.Net/Other/FailBritain.jpg
http://www.TWNCommunications.Net/Other/FailBus.jpg
http://www.TWNCommunications.Net/Other/FailBus2.jpg
http://www.TWNCommunications.Net/Other/FailCamera.jpg
http://www.TWNCommunications.Net/Other/FailCat.jpg
http://www.TWNCommunications.Net/Other/FailChat.jpg
http://www.TWNCommunications.Net/Other/FailConditioner.jpg
http://www.TWNCommunications.Net/Other/FailCopter.jpg
http://www.TWNCommunications.Net/Other/FailDart.jpg
http://www.TWNCommunications.Net/Other/Failed.jpg
http://www.TWNCommunications.Net/Other/FailEmpire.jpg
http://www.TWNCommunications.Net/Other/FailFastFood.jpg
http://www.TWNCommunications.Net/Other/FailGirl.jpg
http://www.TWNCommunications.Net/Other/FailInevitable.jpg
http://www.TWNCommunications.Net/Other/FailLike.jpg
http://www.TWNCommunications.Net/Other/FailMuffin.jpg
http://www.TWNCommunications.Net/Other/FailPool.jpg
http://www.TWNCommunications.Net/Other/FailShip.jpg
http://www.TWNCommunications.Net/Other/FailShipment.jpg
http://www.TWNCommunications.Net/Other/FailSlide.jpg
http://www.TWNCommunications.Net/Other/FailStairs.jpg
http://www.TWNCommunications.Net/Other/Failure.jpg

Sorry, Stewie.  ;p

Typically, this type of horrible throughput is caused by one of two issues.  First, and probably somewhat unlikely in your situation, is an issue with speed and/or duplex auto-negotiation.  If the router port is constantly flopping between 10/100 or 100/1000 or even half-duplex/full-duplex, your throughput will be virtually non-existent.  

The more likely issue is either b0rked hardware (e.g. the NIC) or crufty drivers.  I've seen the exact same throughput issues before that occurred immediately after a driver upgrade.

Here are a couple of things to try that will help with the troubleshooting process:

• Try pinging the good workstation from the bad workstation.  What is the average latency?  It should be <1ms over the LAN.
  
• Try pinging the router's internal interface.  Again, the average latency should be <1ms.
  
• Try pinging the router's external interface.  Latency should be around 1-2ms at the most.
  
• After an extended ping (ping -t IP), are you experiencing any packet loss?  Any unusual swings in latency?  You should see minimal latency (<1ms) and virtually no packet loss for devices on the LAN.

If you see high latency or packet loss between the busted PC and anything else on the LAN, you can pretty much discount the Internet connection as the problem.  Try throwing another known-good NIC into the rig and see if that eliminates the problem.  If that doesn't fix it, boot off any Linux "live CD" (I recommend Knoppix) and fire up the web browser to see if that eliminates the problem.  Between those two tests, you should be able to definitively determine whether or not you have a hardware problem or a software problem.

That was soooo worth it!

The parts for Cezar 3.0 have been ordered!

ASUS Rampage III Extreme LGA 1366 Intel X58 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

SAMSUNG 24x DVD Burner - Bulk SATA Model SH-S243N/BEBE - OEM
 
Intel Core i7-960 Bloomfield 3.2GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80601960

Western Digital Caviar Black WD2001FASS 2TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
 
CORSAIR DOMINATOR-GT 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 Desktop Memory Model CMT6GX3M3A1866C9
   
EVGA 015-P3-1485-AR GeForce GTX 480 (Fermi) SuperClocked+ 1536MB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support ...

COOLER MASTER HAF 932 Blue RC-932-KKN3-GP Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case
   
KINGWIN Mach 1 ABT-1000MA1S 1000W ATX / BTX SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power

Crucial RealSSD C300 CTFDDAC128MAG-1G1 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

I stayed pretty well under my budget but it still hurts to see all that work $$ go bye bye.  But I don't have a life so it'll stop me from buying drugs...just the legal ones you can do through an ethernet connection.

And Bob's helping out by letting grab the Windows 7 64bit Ultimate edition.  I'll give you a call sometime this week when I find when my stuff will be shipped to grab that from you, sir.  Thanks again!

I have the ability to upgrade later when the high end prices drop with the release of the new stuff coming out now...and I've got a Raptor in the wings for a couple paychecks down the road for a game drive.  Overall I'm pretty happy and Jon has been an awesome help.  I promise to hold a couple LAN parties here shortly.  I kept saying it but with all the comp. problems I could never synch it all up.

X

Dude, have you been reading my mind (if so, avoid the "stuff" folder)?  That's the exact same motherboard, processor, hard drive (the 2TB WD, anyway) and memory I was planning on putting in the Bobulator VIII.  Creepy!

I'll be heading out to Chicago on Sunday for some Cisco training and will be gone all of next week, so don't wait too long to pick up that disk!


-b0b
(...can't wait to see the new rig!)

That is hilarious! Ha ha.  Well great minds and all that.

I will get with you soon about the disk.  Is there a day you can't do it?  I'll also return the hard drives to you then too.

X

Wednesday is bad, but I think the rest of the week looks good.


-b0b
(...schwing!)

How does Thurs. look for ya?

X

Looks good.  Come over any time after, say, 6:00pm and I'll be here.


-b0b
(...w00t.)

See ya then!

Just in case anyone was curious....

Installing a NIC and bypassing the integrated NIC fixed the problem on my friends computer.

Nice.  Always good when computer crap like that gets figured out.

Well 7 of 9 (no not THAT 7 of 9) of my computer parts came in today.  I'm just missing the motherboard and the DVD drive.  They're still in Wyoming, MI.

I wish the MB would have come in first, I bought it from NewEgg as an open box (save $100) so I'm hoping all the cables and brackets come with it...esp. the mounting brackets.

Everything looks all slick and shinny and I can't wait to cringe as it boots up for the first time...but I'm not going to touch it until everything comes in *bites knuckle of finger*.

X

http://www.TWNCommunications.Net/Other/7of9.jpg

Because in the future...bras and panties will be unnecessary!

X

CEZAR 3.0 LIVES!!!!

Bob, when you get a chance can you throw me that Win7 64 bit cd key.  I guess once you update Win7...it doesn't like the test version.

X

how fast is it at processing dvds? you know if you were into that sorta thing. Which of course you aren't...

Totally legal, public domain DVDs, right?


-b0b
(...ha!)

Here are a few pics during the build and the result:

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i209/agentx216/DSC00088.jpg
Putting in the main parts

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i209/agentx216/DSC00089.jpg
Different Angle

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i209/agentx216/DSC00090.jpg
The case was very good at winding the cables on the right side of the case.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i209/agentx216/DSC00091.jpg
The box to the solid state drive

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i209/agentx216/DSC00092.jpg
I was very psyched about the SSD

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i209/agentx216/DSC00093.jpg
All the wiring's done...needed to do some cable management first

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i209/agentx216/DSC00094.jpg
Cables around back...more cable management needed.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i209/agentx216/DSC00095.jpg
The working model

The encoding time on DVDs...5 minutes!  It was about 20 last time...it now takes longer to rip and burn than it does to analyze and encode!

Out of curiosity, what was the encode time on your old lapper?  ;p

Have you given any thought to moving to Blu-Ray?  Is it even on the horizon for you yet?  Is 1080p compelling enough to justify the price of a Blu-Ray burner at this juncture?

Since I'm barraging you with questions, have you had a chance to get your game on yet?  What have you been playing, and how does it look/run?

Lastly, what did you think about the Asus Rampage III motherboard?  It's on my next build list, and I'm looking at a January build for the Bobulator VIII.


-b0b
(...points out that VIII > III.)

Encoding on my old laptop took 3 hours...and that was just converting it to an Avi encoded at 702mb.  Ripping took 30-40 minutes.

I thought about Blu-Ray...but after checking it out on Briney's PS3...I am underwhelmed.  I think it should have died off with the HD DVD.  There is no need for it unless you want to side by side compare it with a DVD.  I have a 1080p monitor (and I believe Briney does to) and yes, it looks great...but so do DVDs.  I can easily justify rebuilding a collection if it was as dramatic a transition like it was from VHS to DVD...but I just can't bring myself to pay another $5-$10 for a little, small, fractional improvement on a movie I probably wouldn't notice.

I haven't had any time whatsoever to play any games other than just installing them from my Steam account.  I'm still working on a problem with my 2TB hard drive.  I just haven't had anytime at all this week to work on it.  I don't want to work on it after work when I'm all tired and do something stupid...and then running around before work and then work have my time in a pickle.  However, I've been watching a few movies/tv shows/trailers etc. in HD and it's over my HDMI because my graphics card has a connector for it and it looks awesome.  The text on webpages a little too digitized and sometimes there's a halo effect around them...but hopefully I'll get my games up and running shortly.

As for the Ramage III Extreme (notice the Extreme), you will not have to worry about under powering your mobo.  It's the perfect board for overclockers and the perfect board to run multiple graphic cards.  In fact, I probably have more than enough power helping my graphics card since the thing already takes 3 PCI express power cords to run it.  The board is recommended for 650W but I was careful and went with the 1gigawatt PSU.  I'm still amazed at the size and power of the graphics card.  i think I could drop it on concrete and it wouldn't matter.  The speed of the SSD is amazing.  I would suggest to anyone to get one for your OS and your programs.  The only thing I'm not running on it is my Steam program.  Start up of Win7 is about 10 seconds after initial boot.

X

Have you had any issues with heat from the video card?  I've got my eyes on the GTX 480, but I'm a little concerned about heat and power draw.  That thing is a beast!


-b0b
(...wonders if your power bill will go up noticeably.)

The case I have is pretty cool and the way my  GTX 480 has a decent fan built into it and the thing takes up two bays in the back.  One for the video connectors and one for just exhaust.  The power draw is excellent with the MoBo I have...like I said, the MoBo is a bit overpowered as I could run 4 off the 480 and all I would need is another PCIe connector to the MoBo to be safe and each 480 takes 3 PCIe.  You'd have to get another power supply just for the 480s if you got more but that's not too big an issue anymore.

X

Where can I find an ISO for windows vista? Don't worry, it's for a friend, not me. :)

Should I just find the torrent?

If you want to come to TR, I can burn you a copy of Ultimate RTM.  You're on your own finding a key for that one, though.

Guys,

I'm looking into getting a decent router.  I want it wired for my computer but wireless for her pleasure (e.g., her laptop).  Can anyone share their router of choice they like?

X

Personally, I'm holding out for a Cisco CRS-3.

Let me look around and see what is recommended on the consumer side these days.


-b0b
(...322Tbps baby!)

I'm using a dsl modem/wireless router/5 port gigabit router from d-link. It's nice having an all-in-one piece. I think Cisco and D-Link are one company now. Not sure if the hardware is the same. If you don't need advanced control over your network just get your standard hardware. It gets the job done.  :-/

Do you have a model number for it?

Stick wrote on Dec 7^th, 2011 at 11:55am:

I think Cisco and D-Link are one company now.

Cisco bought Linksys.  D-Link is still a standalone company.



Quote:

It gets the job done.  :-/

When has that ever been good enough for a geek?  ;p


-b0b
(...!)

X wrote on Dec 7^th, 2011 at 12:55pm:

Do you have a model number for it?

I think it's this one. I guess it's not 802.11n and not gigabit wired. Not very good. I don't transfer large files around my network so I was thinking that my bottle neck was my 6mbps service. http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=567

Well for all intended purposes I just want a good internet connection, not so much LAN transfer goodness.

Going shopping soon...any suggestions?

Generally speaking, the best consumer router on the market today is the Netgear WNDR4500.  It's painful to type that as I was never a fan of Netgear when I used consumer-grade equipment, but it appears Linksys has taken a bit of a backseat on this particular round of hardware.

The WNDR4500 supports three simultaneous 150Mbps spatial streams on the wireless side, giving you a theoretical maximum of 450Mbps per channel (2.4GHz and 5GHz).  Don't buy the 900Mbps BS implied by the name, you can't serve one client on two different wavelengths.

Real world performance numbers put the wireless radios in the 150Mbps range on the 2.4GHz channel and closer to 250Mbps on the 5GHz channel.  Those are incredibly impressive numbers for an all-in-one consumer device.  Just to expand on the functionality, you can also plug in a USB memory stick or hard disk and turn your router into a NAS.  I've never used a router-based NAS, but it seems like a fairly straightforward implementation.  Apparently, you can also connect a USB printer to it and have it function as a print server.



-b0b
(...bam!)

The Netgear WNDR4500 doesn't look like it supports wired traffic as well though.

The WNDR4500 has an integrated four-port gigabit switch.

$180 is pretty steep, is it really worth that much?

That's totally up to you.  I'd say it's a reasonable price for the feature set, but I have a different set of priorities when it comes to networking gear.

If you don't need a gigabit switch and 450Mbps on the wireless side, I would definitely recommend buying something cheaper.  Don't pay for the bleeding edge if you aren't going to use it.


-b0b
(...shrugs.)

Thanks for the advice!

I'm thinking about getting an air compressor to clean out my computer.

I'm sick of buying air canisters and it never seems like they have enough power.  Plus, an AC never runs out and a price of a decent cheap one is about 7 packs of canisters.

Can anyone think of a reason why this is a bad idea?  Other than making sure that I hold the fans so they don't spin faster than are designed?

X

Air compressors tend to spit out air pretty fast....I'd mostly be worried about damage if I were you.

The_Fat_Man wrote on Jan 5^th, 2012 at 9:09pm:

Air compressors tend to spit out air pretty fast....I'd mostly be worried about damage if I were you.

You also need to keep humidity in mind.  The expansion of air as the air leaves the tank causes a drop in temperature and can lead to condensation.  It generally isn't a problem unless you've got a massive air tank.

We have a large air compressor at work with a "trigger" attachment for the hose.  It is used to clean out workstations, servers, network equipment, etc.  It's a beast, but I've never heard of it killing anything and it gets used daily.  Just be careful not to blow a capacitor off a PCB and you'll be fine.


-b0b
(...wants to see this!)

Generally, you can set the pressure in the tank. Use it like you're overclocking your computer. Small steps until you break something, then back it down a touch. :P

LOL, Stick...love it.

Ya, we're talking MAX PSI of 100.  Also, you have to worry more with air canisters throwing out condensation.  I picked up one yesterday with my b-day money...so I will give it a go. 

Thanks for the help guys...I can't wait to see some of you Saturday!

X

X wrote on Jan 6^th, 2012 at 1:07pm:

I picked up one yesterday with my b-day money...so I will give it a go.

Happy birthday, Stewie!

Happy Birthday Holy Roman Emperor!

Wireless AP vs Repeater. Which is better? I have the ethernet cable running exactly where I want the AP so I could pick one or the other with no extra headache other than crimping a wire.

The access point would be far preferable.  When you use a repeater (or an AP in repeater mode) you immediately cut your bandwidth in half, double your latency, and increase radio interference (which can further reduce latency and noise).


-b0b
(...repeaters are for temporary hack jobs.)

Sweet, thanks.

I have an old all-in-one DSL Modem, router, 802.11g unit. Is it possible to turn it into a bridge/AP?

The bridge functionality would depend on the exact model and feature set, but it's a fairly common option.  You can definitely turn it into an access point, just configure the AP and plug it into your new router/switch via a LAN port.


-b0b
(...yay for networking!)

Thanks for the info, send me an invoice.  ;)

My grandma is in need of some computer assistance. I talked to her over the phone and it sounds like she gets a BSOD during boot, possibly after the windows loading splash screen so maybe a bad driver. Not sure yet. Do you guys know of anybody in the White Pigeon area that could help her out?

I live an hour away and it'd probably cost as much in gas money to get it fixed. She probably doesn't need any data saved, the computer is fairly new and she only uses it for facebook and email. I'm going to check who she bought it from, maybe the manufacturer can pay for the fix if it's under warranty.

Thanks,
Stick

This may be a long shot but does anyone have an extra cd key for windows 7 ultimate?

X

My dad's in the market for a sub-$500 laptop.  Anyone know of a decent model?

Also does Windows 8 for laptops without touchscreens even work properly?

X

X wrote on Jul 1^st, 2013 at 6:19am:

My dad's in the market for a sub-$500 laptop.  Anyone know of a decent model? Also does Windows 8 for laptops without touchscreens even work properly?

Not sure about the laptop, it's been awhile since I was in the market.  I'd recommend aiming for a Core i5 with at least 8GB of RAM if you can swing it.

Windows 8 does work without a touchscreen.  I've been using Server 2012 (same crappy interface) for a few months now and it does work, although it's a complete PITA.


-b0b
(...grrr.)

Ok, let's say that I want to create a system where I store every piece of media onto one central PC with a crap ton of hard drive space.

To get every other computer to access those files is it something as simple as sharing the drives so that anyone on the network can see and access them?

Is there a program that would organize this better?

Or is setting up a server the better option?

X

I use a Media Server called Plex to distribute movies across the different tvs and stations in the house. You can run it on any machine, and it will organize and stream your movies/music on the fly to another device that can connect to a media server. if you pay them 80 bucks one time, you can stream to your mobile or tablet or a web browser halfway around the world from your home media server. bob could tell you how to do the hardware more efficiently, but i just use a spare tower. If it's just sharing files, bob was telling me about a box that just holds harddrives and acts as a fileserver that any comp on your network can access.

Plex is awesome for media streaming.  If you're just looking for a simple file share, though, you can do that natively through Windows.


-b0b
(...can provide details if desired.)

I remember at the last LAN, bob, you were talking about the best media hub you talked about liking.  I was trying to remember what it was called but all I can think of is DroBo.

X

Synology?  It's a SAN/NAS/Media Server/etc. all in one.  They're somewhat more expensive than competing products, but they are absolutely rock solid.  I've got a DS1812+ and I absolutely love it.  I've already got the 8x4TB config pretty much maxed out, so I'll be buying a five-bay expansion sometime this summer.


-b0b
(...data!)

Is there something that's more scaled down (under $1,100)?

X

Sure.  The same software runs on pretty much all of the Synology products ranging from their sub-$200 desktop models to their $5k+ business models.  If you're going to store a ton of important stuff, I'd recommend going with at least a four drive model so you can use RAID 6.  That will leave you with two parity disks and two data disks, allowing up to ~8TB of capacity with 4TB drives.

The reason for this is the incredibly long rebuild time on high-capacity disks, especially with the slower 5400RPM disks you'll probably want to buy for a SAN/NAS.  With only one parity drive (RAID 5), your data is in jeopardy when you lose a disk.  You have no spares, so you'll be running with no data protection while you order a replacement drive, install it, and wait for it to rebuild.

If the data isn't super important, you can go with a three disk model, or a four disk model with one parity disk (12TB usable).  This might also be a workable option if you use an offsite backup system like CrashPlan.


-b0b
(...will totally do a CrashPlan write-up soon.)

Here's an example of a four-bay model:

http://www.amazon.com/Synology-DiskStation-Diskless-Network-Attached/dp/B008U69LC4/ref=sr_1_6?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1394329665&sr=1-6&keywords=Synology

If that's too pricy, let me know and I can look around for alternatives.


-b0b
(...toys!)

So, here's my thinking with everything so far.  Definitely going to be a while before everything falls into place.

It looks like a Roku 3 with Plex might be the best set up.

I'd like to set up something like the four-bay model you've got there, bob.  Storage of movies and audio files are probably the main items that would be on the device

I saw a review of it and the interface and options look pretty awesome.  It also has the ability to store footage from IP cameras, which I want to install at least 3 of them at the new place.

Briney, I know you and I talked about WD Live TV but it seems like Roku 3 works best with Plex.

Plex seems great as it will allow access to mobile devices as well.  Being able to access podcasts and other audio files (and vids) would be a great help.

Any thoughts from the peanut gallery?

X

Just a note on the IP cameras, the first one is free with a Synology device.  You have to purchase additional camera licenses for the other two.

I've installed the surveillance software on my Synology but I've been too lazy to actually configure a camera.  If you beat me to it, post some screenshots and let me know what you think.


-b0b
(...needs some motivation!)

Will do!  Thanks for the heads up.

With the IP cameras I'm looking at, it looks like the footage is just dumped to its own licensed software...but I will give one a try when I get all the toys.

X
(..first one is always free...that's how they getcha!)

Windows XP is officially dead.  Yesterday marked the end of general support.

http://www.TWNCommunications.Net/Other/XPGoodbye.png


-b0b
(...hopefully Microsoft can come up with a decent operating system with 9.)

Wait...MS was suppose to support that to begin with?!?!

I keed I keeeed!

X
(/salutes - General Support)

OK, my turn to be stumped on something...

Bought a new rig.  Using the Asus RoG hero board trying to install Win7 onto a samsung 830 ssd I get to the "where would you like to install Windows" screen and my only option is to "load driver."

I have used the drivers for the AHCI controller on the CD and from the Asus website.  Nothing changes.  My only option is still "load drivers."  Out of desperation I have also tried to install windows with the bios set to IDE mode.  Same result.

Is there a step or something I am missing?

Just a couple questions to confirm:

1) You were originally trying to install using AHCI mode, right?  This is the one you want, as you'll have to do a registry hack to switch from IDE to AHCI later, and you definitely want to operate in AHCI long-term.

2) You can see the drive in BIOS, correct?

3) You're using a Win 7 SP1 disc, not a vanilla Win 7 disc, right?  Vanilla Win7 has issues with advanced drive types.  The same key will work for both versions.


Assuming your responses are yes, yes and yes, here's a way to determine if the "Diet Windows" environment used for the install can see the disk at all.  Switch the disk back to AHCI mode before moving on.  When you boot from the Windows 7 installer disc, hit Shift + F10 simultaneously.  This should bring up a command prompt.

At the command prompt, type diskpart and hit enter.  Next, type list disk and hit enter again.

You should be able to see your SSD.  If not, let me know.  Take a look at the number associated with the disk and type select disk X where X is the number you saw next to the disk.

Finally, you can rewrite a new MBR by entering the command clean.  Since you have a prior history of formatting volumes inadvertently (ha!), be aware this will effectively blow away anything you have on the SSD.  Since you have nothing on the disk this won't be a problem.

If you run into any problems or this doesn't work, let me know.


-b0b
(...good luck!)

Looking for a good high TB hard drive (around 3TB) with some good read speed.  Anyone have a recommendation?

Avoid Seagate for now, they've been having some longevity issues.

In perhaps the ultimate upset, Hitachi DeathDeskstar hard drives currently have the best reliability.


-b0b
(...we're talking about single-digit percentage differences though.)

Bob,

Do you have a way to give me access to some of your delicious media files?  I know you have some high quality TV/anime/etc and I'm looking to update some of my lower quality stuff.  Let me know what I can do.  Thanks!

X

Yeah, let me get to work on the FTP.  It's been on my list of things to do for a couple years now.


-b0b
(...1080p FTW!)

I have to suggest to anyone that isn't using Plex and has a decent collection of media and wants to access it anywhere...Plex is an amazing program.

Can't wait to share the wealth!

If anyone does want to share servers "agentx216" is my user name.  Let me know what's yours is and we'll share it up!

X

I haven't used Plex in quite awhile, having switched back to straight file shares when we built the new HTPC.  Show us some screenshots!

Specifically, how is the media management these days?  Can you get information about media based on file name (e.g. movie reviews/summaries/ratings?)  Does it keep track of what media you've viewed?  Sometimes Meredith and I will watch a series intermittently and we have a heck of a time remembering where we left off.


-b0b
(...mmm Plex.)

So this is what the main page looks like for mine.  A lot of items are customizable - not to the extreme sense but enough to make it your own.

http://i.imgur.com/Zp1jAbK.jpg

Plex works off gathering metadata by conforming your file names to a particular naming scheme.  Autobooks are a little difficult because the database they use doesn't have a ton of authors but they do have quite a few.  You can customize any of the photos or metadata after it's uploaded and you can lock it so that updating your database doesn't overwrite your wanted information.

http://i.imgur.com/AW4ouNw.jpg

I bought the lifetime membership ($75 one time fee) and can sync my content to my phone or tablet and have access to it when I'm not connected to wifi.  When I come back on to the server, it syncs where I left off.  Not always perfect, but I haven't had too many issues of getting my place back from an audio book if I had to shut down my phone.

http://i.imgur.com/Ed9iJnI.jpg

This is the movie outlook.  Random selector is there as well (shuffle actually).

http://i.imgur.com/tqnSAQ0.jpg

When accessing the movie from the server side this is the metadata displayed.

http://i.imgur.com/Mv2CwbZ.jpg

When you access it from your own web portal and have some added extensions that come from independent developers, this is what you can get.

http://i.imgur.com/PQFQLku.jpg

You can select an item as watched or unwatched.  When you exit a movie in the middle of playing, it will save your spot and put it on your main page in your "On Deck" section.

http://i.imgur.com/5WV8ls5.jpg

You can even access your own content.  The below is my pastor's Q&A series at church that I'm helping him with, so having access to this from multiple area and the ability to take it off line is also a plus.  The naming schemes take a little time to get used to but programs like FileBot and mp3tag are great for uniform and large multiple quick changes.

http://i.imgur.com/WRoL0WE.jpg

TV Shows

http://i.imgur.com/nZujlBF.jpg

They get organized into seasons

http://i.imgur.com/ykMGFm1.jpg

Then their own episode.  The metadata is pulled from TVDB.com

http://i.imgur.com/lfXdYPv.jpg

Anime is displayed as TV shows but you cannot do multiple types like Anime series with single shots.  However, TVDB.com has many of their "specials" as the movies so having movies combined with the regular series is easy.  But I cannot have something like "Angel Sanctuary" in this folder since it is a movie and not a series.

http://i.imgur.com/elQe9s3.jpg

Plex is pretty versatile and the forum community/support is excellent.  The updates aren't nearly as quick as you'd like (as far as extra features go) but the code is stable that it's hard to complain.  Yes it'd be nice to select multiple episodes and do a one click as having them be marked as "watched" or being able to have an "ebook" category to access them elsewhere would be cool as well.  But the product is stable and I was glad to support it.

So, Bob, you could be 22 minutes into season 4 episode 1 of Star Trek TNG and leave for vacation for a month and watch 160 other shows or movies on Plex from your phone and you'd be able to pick it right back up.

If you just want access to your media, obviously, as you said in this thread, you have Windows do that work for you.  But the metadata with the accessibility on multi-platforms and organization is totally worth it for me.

Questions?

X

Wow, thanks for the detailed screenshots!

It's definitely evolved quite a bit since I last played with it.  I'll have to throw up a VM and give it another go.  I'm just hoping it allows me to stream data natively instead of compressing it for playback.  The vast majority of my content is 1080p these days and it doesn't really play well with real-time compression.

On a side note, what did you think of Attack on Titan?  It's been on my list of must-watch shows for months.


-b0b
(...yay anime!)

The show is great.  A little weird but it's a show that's getting me back into anime again.  The pacing is great and not rushed like a lot of other ones.  It's got good voice acting (only in Japanese) and interesting premise. 

As for 1080p, I don't have much in the way of that but Plex runs that rate.

X

When you're ready for another show, check out Steins;Gate (note the weird spelling/spacing).  It's an absolutely amazing show focused on time travel, my personal favorite plot device.  It takes a few episodes to really get rolling, but the story and character development are truly impressive.  It's one of those experiences that really gets stuck in your head!

Best of all, it involves anti-government conspiracy theories (centered around everybody's favorite particle physics organization, CERN) and plenty of references to real-life crackpots like John Titor.


-b0b
(...can't wait for the next series!)

Ok, so who's been spying on me to make a show that has a lot of my interests?!

X
(will check it out!)

Laura just watched her first anime series.  I hadn't seen it before.

We watched Deathnote which is just amazing.  The writing is very smart and the characters aren't idiots (except when the story calls for some of the side characters to be).  The ending was a little off for me but when you find yourself rooting for maybe the bad guy...it's good!

X

RAID question

So I have a 4-bay Synology that I just got a 2nd HD for.  I was thinking about doing JBOD rather than a RAID.  But then I was thinking about all the data I could loose and got scared.

So my question is, with the ability to do RAID 0, 1, 5 ,5+Spare, 6, and 10 - what's the best configuration where I can still use the max amount of HD space (4X4TB) where if one drive goes down I don't loose any data?

X

With any drives above 1TB, RAID 6 is going to be your only safe option.  Unfortunately, RAID 6 is also very expensive in terms of disk/bay usage as it requires two parity disks.  This would leave you with two data disks in your four-bay array.

If you don't want to give up two bays just for parity, you can go with RAID 5 instead.  This only provides a single parity disk, leaving you with three usable disks for storage.  The downside is that large SATA disks take a very long time to rebuild.  If you lost one disk, it would take around four days for the replacement disk to rebuild, and this doesn't include the time required to get the replacement disk.  Even if you pay to have the replacement drive cross-shipped, you'd be looking at a week with no parity disk, meaning a second failure would kill your array and destroy your data.

Unfortunately, with a 4-bay array, you're left with a really tough decision between sufficient security and sufficient usable space.  Even with an 8-bay Synology, I found it difficult to give up two bays for RAID 6, but I've seen way too many failures on high-capacity SATA drives to risk anything less.

Ultimately, no matter which RAID type you go with, the most important aspect of data protection is having an offsite backup.  I use a service called CrashPlan to protect the data on my Synology, VMware host server, and all of my PCs and laptops.  I pay ~$150 for unlimited cloud backups for up to 10 systems, and I've put ~30TB on the cloud over the past two years so it really is unlimited.  You can also use the CrashPlan application to perform backups to local systems (e.g. back up one PC to another PC) to prevent against data loss from hard disk crashes, viruses, etc.  I run a "local" backup from my PCs and servers to the Synology in addition to my cloud backup, just for that extra peace of mind.  Also, you can provide your own encryption key when you backup your data, just to ensure it is absolutely and completely unreadable to a third party (including CrashPlan themselves).  I've been really, really happy with CrashPlan and can't recommend it strongly enough.


-b0b
(...no easy answers, unfortunately.)

Would you say that it's fine to do CrashPlan and just do no RAID but Just A Bunch Of Disks (JBOD)?

That depends on how long you are willing to go without your data.  I would recommend considering at least RAID 5, but you can get away with JBOD if you don't mind waiting to download your data again following a failure.


-b0b
(...choices!)

Great.  Thanks for giving me some stuff to ponder.

I had to send my Synology back to them after, I think their mobo died, and got another hard drive and figured I might as well think about RAID now before it's too late.

X

So I picked up CrashPlan.

The only problem with it is that it doesn't see my NAS or Windows Mounted Drives.  How'd you get around this Bob?

I use a Linux system to back up my NAS drives.  CrashPlan supports backing up NAS volumes on Linux and Mac, but not on Windows due to the way Windows handles NAS drive mounting.

There is a janky Windows workaround here:

http://support.code42.com/CrashPlan/Latest/Backup/Backing_Up_A_Windows_Network_Drive

Let me know if that doesn't work for you.


-b0b
(...runs into this same problem with commercial backup products.)

NM...found this one to work well - https://helpdesk.code42.com/entries/26505676-Comprehensive-Beginners-Guide-to-Backing-Up-FROM-a-NAS-with-Crashplan?flash_digest=3b49abc532cd017c95e127ef5d2a9c5aec9792a8

he just has to change his syntax a bit but man...that was a heavy work trying to find a working process.  I wonder why CrashPlan (or I really should say Windows because it seems CP wants to support it) doesn't support NAS.

Thanks!

X

It's due to the way Windows handles permissions for mapped network drives.  Network drives are mapped with user account permissions, while CrashPlan runs natively as a service using the network service account.  Long story short, this prevents CrashPlan from accessing a drive mounted using a user account.

As iterated on the URL I posted and the URL you posted, the easiest way to get around this is to use a user account with administrative privileges to launch CrashPlan, then use that same account to map the network drive.


-b0b
(...or use Linux.)

Bob - here's the program I was talking about last night that uses Boolean to rename massive amount of files - http://www.filebot.net/

Do you have the steps you use for CrashPlan for synology that you were talking about?

X

Here is the batch file I use:

[code]echo %date% %time% : "C:\MountBackups.bat" >> C:\StorageReports\NFSMount.log

net use X: \\TWN-SAN\Backup /USER:USERACCOUNT PASSWORD >> C:\StorageReports\NFSMount.log 2>&1 2>&1[/code]

Change "\\TWN-SAN\Backup" to the appropriate NFS path.

Change "USERACCOUNT" to your user account name, add the domain name if necessary.  Also, change PASSWORD to the password for the account.

The entire first line and ">> C:\StorageReports\NFSMount.log 2>&1 2>&1" in the second line aren't necessary.  These just create a log file and append the data, time, and command output to the log.  Feel free to change the directory and log name as necessary.

Once you're happy with the batch file, create a schedule in Task Schedule for it.  Configure it to run with highest privileges under the SYSTEM account.  Configure it to trigger at system startup and configure that action to "start a program" pointed at your batch file.


-b0b
(...sorry for the delay!)

I'm looking to download some video files.  The only issue is that the player is a JW Player.  Does anyone have any experience with a program that can help me leech the video without screen capturing it?

X

I use DownloadHelper, just avoid the skeezy conversion tool it wants you to download if possible.

Not sure what browser you're using these days, but here is the FireFox version:

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/video-downloadhelper/


-b0b
(...works for nearly everything.)