[Roberta Obrien]

Hey all, I was hoping for an opinion on the following hardware to get myself ready for Skyrim. I'm not looking to build Megatron, but hoping for something that will run high graphical settings with decent FPS.

GeForce GTX 550 Ti (Fermi) FPB 1GB
I've already got this.

Intel Pentium E5700 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core
(This would be an upgrade from my 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo. Also, it's the same CPU slot - LGA 775. I like the specs and price of the AMD Phenom II, but it's for slot AM3. I have no idea what I'm talking about, but I'm guessing that means that it won't fit into my motherboard.)

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)

Also, what is the aesthetic difference between Oblivion high settings and Skyrim high settings? I love quality environments, but FPS and stability are more important to me.

What do y'all think?

[Becky Cox]

If that's a quality branded 550W unit, it will be more than enough. Gotta say what brand and model that PSU is. It's not just about wattage.

For $200, the option is still the Radeon 6870 or GTX 560 (plain). There is also the GTX 560 Ti for a bit more in price and performance.

It's a Thermaltake TR2-RX 550W PSU. It's a discontinued PSU now, but it's still ran solid for the last couple years that I've owned it.

Do you have a specific recommendation between the Radeon 6870 and the GTX 560, or are the differences negligible?

[kirsty williams]

Intel Pentium E5700 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core
(This would be an upgrade from my 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo. Also, it's the same CPU slot - LGA 775. I like the specs and price of the AMD Phenom II, but it's for slot AM3. I have no idea what I'm talking about, but I'm guessing that means that it won't fit into my motherboard.)

While I would normally say that that is a downgrade, not an upgrade (due to my extreme prejudice against all things Pentium), I'll give actual feedback instead: it isn't an upgrade, but more of a move to the side, as that chip doesn't beat your current one (more GHz != better). Also it's a 45nm whereas your current one is a 65nm (assuming it's the Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 I think it is), which means your motherboard may not be compatible.

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)

If your current motherboard is an LGA 775 65nm mobo, it probably doesn't accept DDR3

[GLOW...]

The chkdsk didn't find anything wrong AFAIK. I am about to do the Memtest, just keeping you updated.

Booted from the flash drive, I have no Idea what to do, it wants me to enter a command. How do I get it to do memtest?

[Terry]

Bump?

[Alessandra Botham]

The chkdsk didn't find anything wrong AFAIK. I am about to do the Memtest, just keeping you updated.

Booted from the flash drive, I have no Idea what to do, it wants me to enter a command. How do I get it to do memtest?

You press enter to boot from the UBCD when prompted (it'll say to do so on the screen)

You use your arrow keys and the enter key to navigate UBCD. Select "mainboard tools" and hit enter. Then select "memory test" and hit enter. Then select memtest86+ and hit enter and it'll run.

[stephanie eastwood]

You press enter to boot from the UBCD when prompted (it'll say to do so on the screen)

You use your arrow keys and the enter key to navigate UBCD. Select "mainboard tools" and hit enter. Then select "memory test" and hit enter. Then select memtest86+ and hit enter and it'll run.

I must of did something wrong, even though I followed the directions to the letter. Went to my BIOS and changed it to boot from the usb. I get this...

Spoiler

Loading Operating System...

syslinux 4.05 EDD 2011-12-09 ? 1994-2011 H. Peter Anvin et al
/boot/syslinux/menu.c32: not a COM32R image

boot...

It doesn't seem to be going to where it should. When I press enter it just pops up again.

[barbara belmonte]

bumping again, it got to the second page.

[Chica Cheve]

Not a big Linux person, but the error is stating a bad image file (or an incompatible one). Recheck the files.

With most modern BIOS you should be able to press F8 just after POST starts to get the boot menu. This will allow you to pick a device to boot from, without changing the normal boot order. At least on AMI BIOS.

[cheryl wright]

Hey all.. again...

I just got a DVI cable for my monitor, to find out that I have to take off my monitor's stand for it to fit, and even then, it barely fits. So I looked around, couldnt find it, and am back here. I'm looking for a DVI to DVI adapter, but shaped like an L. Or a DVI cable that has a very short adapter. I would guess about an inch, but it may be smaller.'

Thanks in advance for any helpful replies.

edit: forgot to mention, its a 24+1 DVI. (24 pins then the 1 line, if that makes sense)

[Katey Meyer]

Hey all.. again...

I just got a DVI cable for my monitor, to find out that I have to take off my monitor's stand for it to fit, and even then, it barely fits. So I looked around, couldnt find it, and am back here. I'm looking for a DVI to DVI adapter, but shaped like an L. Or a DVI cable that has a very short adapter. I would guess about an inch, but it may be smaller.'

Thanks in advance for any helpful replies.

edit: forgot to mention, its a 24+1 DVI. (24 pins then the 1 line, if that makes sense)

24+1 (horizontal line) would be a take Dual Link DVI-D cable, but a single link most likely would work also unless you monitor is really high resolution or need more than 60Hz at 1920x1200 or similar.

Here is a right angle DVI-D Dual-link cable: http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Pro-DVI-D-Dual-Link-Cable/dp/B000HGLFDI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329013762&sr=8-1 , would that work?

[Cayal]

Hoping DEFRON will come in and reply to my stuff.

[Rob Davidson]

Hoping DEFRON will come in and reply to my stuff.

Something went wrong with creating the live USB.

Apparently memtest86+ now offers a USB installer, wasn't aware of that. http://www.memtest.org/#downiso and run it. No idea how it works and no spare USB sticks to test it on. You'll probably need to run it as admin and at some point it'll ask you to select your usb drive I'd assume.

Also: get a CD drive

[megan gleeson]

Something went wrong with creating the live USB.

Apparently memtest86+ now offers a USB installer, wasn't aware of that. http://www.memtest.org/#downiso and run it. No idea how it works and no spare USB sticks to test it on. You'll probably need to run it as admin and at some point it'll ask you to select your usb drive I'd assume.

Also: get a CD drive

Thanks, you must if missd it in my last post, I have a Drive, it just isn't capable of burning. lol

[Dan Scott]

Something went wrong with creating the live USB.

Apparently memtest86+ now offers a USB installer, wasn't aware of that. http://www.memtest.org/#downiso and run it. No idea how it works and no spare USB sticks to test it on. You'll probably need to run it as admin and at some point it'll ask you to select your usb drive I'd assume.

Also: get a CD drive

Ok, after 9 passes Memtest found no errors.

[Horse gal smithe]

Ok, after 9 passes Memtest found no errors.

Did you do it one stick at a time?

[sarah taylor]

is there a place where i can print dvd sleeves?

[Nick Jase Mason]

is there a place where i can print dvd sleeves?

You could try Google images, just find a image small enough to fit the cover.

[Naughty not Nice]

is there a place where i can print dvd sleeves?

http://www.cdcovers.cc/covers

[StunnaLiike FiiFii]

24+1 (horizontal line) would be a take Dual Link DVI-D cable, but a single link most likely would work also unless you monitor is really high resolution or need more than 60Hz at 1920x1200 or similar.

Here is a right angle DVI-D Dual-link cable: http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Pro-DVI-D-Dual-Link-Cable/dp/B000HGLFDI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329013762&sr=8-1 , would that work?

Thanks as always Níeh?ggr, I didn't know that about DVI cables (resolution is 1440x900)

That looks like it'l probably work. Might be a tight fit, but at least i wont have my monitor propped against my wall, without its stand lol.

[Jessica Colville]

http://www.cdcovers.cc/covers

i could kiss you

[CRuzIta LUVz grlz]

Did you do it one stick at a time?

Ill set it up tonight to do one stick, then tomorrow when I wake up ill do the other.

Since I am here is there a way to put a password on downloads?

Example: someone wants to download a file from a website, upon clicking the download link they would be prompted with a password input field,the only way the Download would start is if they enter the correct password. Having trouble with my friend downloading stuff and I don't want to lock him completely out of my computer. Is there and executable that is activated when you click a download link? I have a program that password protects EXE's if there is.

[Robyn Howlett]

Since I am here is there a way to put a password on downloads?

Example: someone wants to download a file from a website, upon clicking the download link they would be prompted with a password input field,the only way the Download would start is if they enter the correct password. Having trouble with my friend downloading stuff and I don't want to lock him completely out of my computer. Is there and executable that is activated when you click a download link? I have a program that password protects EXE's if there is.

Assuming:

1. You are using Windows or Linux (Apple gives no love for kiosks based on Mac OS X)

2. You only use Firefox AND not have Chrome/Opera/Safari (and by extension: iTunes) installed.

To password restrict downloads in Firefox: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/public-fox/

To restrict Internet Explorer from being able to download files, you have three options:

1. http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/2734/uninstall-disable-delete-internet-explorer-8-from-windows-7/ (only an option in Windows 7)

2. http://www.grouppolicy.biz/2010/03/group-policy-setting-of-the-week-18-allow-file-downlaod-internet-explorer/ (requires a professional, business, enterprise, or ultimate edition of Windows). Just launch gpedit.msc and navigate to the Allow File Downloads and set it to disabled.

3. http://www.pctools.com/guides/registry/detail/901/ Just luanch regedit and navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones\3 and HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones\3 and set the value of 1803 in those keys to 3

There may be a way to disable/pw prompt in Chrome, but my googling turned up zilch. I know there are group policies for Chrome, which means that there SHOULD be a way to do it through the registry (as it's a setting pretty much every sysadmin would want in group policy), but I don't use Chrome at work, so I have no need to look into it.

[Phoenix Draven]

Assuming:

1. You are using Windows or Linux (Apple gives no love for kiosks based on Mac OS X)

2. You only use Firefox AND not have Chrome/Opera/Safari (and by extension: iTunes) installed.

To password restrict downloads in Firefox: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/public-fox/

To restrict Internet Explorer from being able to download files, you have three options:

1. http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/2734/uninstall-disable-delete-internet-explorer-8-from-windows-7/ (only an option in Windows 7)

2. http://www.grouppolicy.biz/2010/03/group-policy-setting-of-the-week-18-allow-file-downlaod-internet-explorer/ (requires a professional, business, enterprise, or ultimate edition of Windows). Just launch gpedit.msc and navigate to the Allow File Downloads and set it to disabled.

3. http://www.pctools.com/guides/registry/detail/901/ Just luanch regedit and navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones\3 and HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones\3 and set the value of 1803 in those keys to 3

There may be a way to disable/pw prompt in Chrome, but my googling turned up zilch. I know there are group policies for Chrome, which means that there SHOULD be a way to do it through the registry (as it's a setting pretty much every sysadmin would want in group policy), but I don't use Chrome at work, so I have no need to look into it.

I do you Chrome. Thanks.

[Hella Beast]

I do you Chrome. Thanks.

Well, I checked the group policy settings for Chrome and there's no way to configure restricting downloads through there, which means there's no official way of doing it, and probably no way of doing it period for Chrome. So long as you have Chrome on your computer, you can't do what you want to do without a hardware infrastructure (advanced hardware firewall or local proxy service like pfsense, squid, or DansGuardian) to do it for you.