[Isabella X]

Do you have an external Hard Drive?

Nope, and I'd rather not buy one just for this, considering I'm already going to have to spend at least $120 on the OS itself.

Maximum memory that can be allocated on Home Premium is 16GB. Professional and higher the maximum is 192GB.

Thanks for the answer, but I guess what I should have asked before is whether not not the Professional or Ultimate editions are worth the extra money for the average PC gamer.

[Donatus Uwasomba]

Other than the RAM thing (Not an issue for "your average PC gamer".) if none of http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/compare/default.aspx is important to you, go with Home.

I was going to get Pro myself, but a deal came up for an SSD and Ultimate. It was a steal in comparison to buying the SSD and Pro separately, which I was days away from doing anyway when the "Surprise special" popped up. Lets just say I was more than tickled pink with my purchase. (It worked out to less money, and I got Ultimate instead of Pro. Woot. Not that I needed it, but hey...)

[Cameron Wood]

Guess I'm going with the Home edition, then. One problem down, one to go. Thanks!

[Undisclosed Desires]

Okay so I have http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/3441/20100214120914.jpg card. I'm pretty sure this is a TV tuner card, correct? Can I put this in my computer? I have a Gigabye MA77OT-UD3P motherboard. What slot would this card go into?

[Daniel Holgate]

It is. If you have a free PCI slot, it will fit.

[Sian Ennis]

Well, after almost 3 years of good service my Turtle Beach X3 headset has a cracked headband, and the sound quality has degraded because of it. I normally use it just for music/games/movies and rarely use it for my 360 anymore. I am now looking for a good new set to compliment my sound card I got. I am looking for $80 or lower preferably. My favorite thing about the Turtle's was its amazing bass. I am a huge fan of bass. What would be great sounding headphones for games/movies/music? It doesnt matter if it has a mic or not. Also my Turtle's were wireless, so since the new set will probably be wired, a long cord is a must.

[steve brewin]

This is going to sound kinda noobish , but how do you dxdiag? Just saying start>dxdiag>etc ......isn't going to help me at all.

[Amy Cooper]

This is going to sound kinda noobish , but how do you dxdiag? Just saying start>dxdiag>etc ......isn't going to help me at all.

Okay. Go to the start menu. Then "run" should be there. Type in dxdiag. Wait until it's done and save all the information.

[Cesar Gomez]

Okay. Go to the start menu. Then "run" should be there. Type in dxdiag. Wait until it's done and save all the information.

In Vista/7 type: dxdiag into the Search bar that reads: Search programs and files and press .

[Siobhan Wallis-McRobert]

------------------System Information------------------Time of this report: 2/14/2010, 22:19:42       Machine name: THEFISHYLAPTOP   Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit (6.1, Build 7600) (7600.win7_gdr.091207-1941)           Language: English (Regional Setting: English)System Manufacturer: Hewlett-Packard       System Model: HP G60 Notebook PC               BIOS: PhoenixBIOS 4.0 Release 6.1               Processor: AMD Athlon Dual-Core QL-64 (2 CPUs), ~2.1GHz             Memory: 3072MB RAMAvailable OS Memory: 2814MB RAM          Page File: 1831MB used, 3797MB available        Windows Dir: C:\Windows    DirectX Version: DirectX 11DX Setup Parameters: Not found   User DPI Setting: Using System DPI System DPI Setting: 96 DPI (100 percent)    DWM DPI Scaling: Disabled     DxDiag Version: 6.01.7600.16385 32bit Unicode------------DxDiag Notes------------      Display Tab 1: No problems found.        Sound Tab 1: No problems found.          Input Tab: No problems found.--------------------DirectX Debug Levels--------------------Direct3D:    0/4 (retail)DirectDraw:  0/4 (retail)DirectInput: 0/5 (retail)DirectMusic: 0/5 (retail)DirectPlay:  0/9 (retail)DirectSound: 0/5 (retail)DirectShow:  0/6 (retail)---------------Display Devices---------------          Card name: NVIDIA GeForce 8200M G       Manufacturer: NVIDIA          Chip type: GeForce 8200M G           DAC type: Integrated RAMDAC         Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0845&SUBSYS_360A103C&REV_A2     Display Memory: 1392 MB   Dedicated Memory: 240 MB      Shared Memory: 1151 MB       Current Mode: 1366 x 768 (32 bit) (60Hz)       Monitor Name: Generic PnP Monitor      Monitor Model: unknown         Monitor Id: SEC3451        Native Mode: 1366 x 768(p) (60.031Hz)        Output Type: Internal        Driver Name: nvd3dum.dll,nvwgf2um.dll,nvwgf2um.dllDriver File Version: 8.17.0011.9562 (English)     Driver Version: 8.17.11.9562        DDI Version: 10       Driver Model: WDDM 1.1  Driver Attributes: Final Retail   Driver Date/Size: 11/20/2009 21:34:54, 9333352 bytes        WHQL Logo'd: Yes    WHQL Date Stamp:   Device Identifier: {D7B71E3E-4B05-11CF-D656-01161CC2C535}          Vendor ID: 0x10DE          Device ID: 0x0845          SubSys ID: 0x360A103C        Revision ID: 0x00A2 Driver Strong Name: oem6.inf:NVIDIA_SetA_Devices.NTx86.6.1:Section020:8.17.11.9562:pci\ven_10de&dev_0845&subsys_360a103c     Rank Of Driver: 00E60001        Video Accel: ModeMPEG2_A ModeMPEG2_C ModeVC1_C ModeWMV9_C    Deinterlace Caps: {6CB69578-7617-4637-91E5-1C02DB810285}: Format(In/Out)=(YUY2,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive                      {F9F19DA5-3B09-4B2F-9D89-C64753E3EAAB}: Format(In/Out)=(YUY2,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY                      {5A54A0C9-C7EC-4BD9-8EDE-F3C75DC4393B}: Format(In/Out)=(YUY2,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY                      {335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(YUY2,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_BOBVerticalStretch                      {6CB69578-7617-4637-91E5-1C02DB810285}: Format(In/Out)=(UYVY,UYVY) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive                      {F9F19DA5-3B09-4B2F-9D89-C64753E3EAAB}: Format(In/Out)=(UYVY,UYVY) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY                      {5A54A0C9-C7EC-4BD9-8EDE-F3C75DC4393B}: Format(In/Out)=(UYVY,UYVY) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY                      {335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(UYVY,UYVY) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_BOBVerticalStretch                      {6CB69578-7617-4637-91E5-1C02DB810285}: Format(In/Out)=(YV12,0x32315659) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive                      {F9F19DA5-3B09-4B2F-9D89-C64753E3EAAB}: Format(In/Out)=(YV12,0x32315659) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY                      {5A54A0C9-C7EC-4BD9-8EDE-F3C75DC4393B}: Format(In/Out)=(YV12,0x32315659) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY                      {335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(YV12,0x32315659) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_BOBVerticalStretch                      {6CB69578-7617-4637-91E5-1C02DB810285}: Format(In/Out)=(NV12,0x3231564e) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive                      {F9F19DA5-3B09-4B2F-9D89-C64753E3EAAB}: Format(In/Out)=(NV12,0x3231564e) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY                      {5A54A0C9-C7EC-4BD9-8EDE-F3C75DC4393B}: Format(In/Out)=(NV12,0x3231564e) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY                      {335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(NV12,0x3231564e) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_BOBVerticalStretch                      {6CB69578-7617-4637-91E5-1C02DB810285}: Format(In/Out)=(IMC1,UNKNOWN) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=                     {F9F19DA5-3B09-4B2F-9D89-C64753E3EAAB}: Format(In/Out)=(IMC1,UNKNOWN) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=                     {5A54A0C9-C7EC-4BD9-8EDE-F3C75DC4393B}: Format(In/Out)=(IMC1,UNKNOWN) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=                     {335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(IMC1,UNKNOWN) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=                     {6CB69578-7617-4637-91E5-1C02DB810285}: Format(In/Out)=(IMC2,UNKNOWN) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=                     {F9F19DA5-3B09-4B2F-9D89-C64753E3EAAB}: Format(In/Out)=(IMC2,UNKNOWN) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=                     {5A54A0C9-C7EC-4BD9-8EDE-F3C75DC4393B}: Format(In/Out)=(IMC2,UNKNOWN) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=                     {335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(IMC2,UNKNOWN) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=                     {6CB69578-7617-4637-91E5-1C02DB810285}: Format(In/Out)=(IMC3,UNKNOWN) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=                     {F9F19DA5-3B09-4B2F-9D89-C64753E3EAAB}: Format(In/Out)=(IMC3,UNKNOWN) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=                     {5A54A0C9-C7EC-4BD9-8EDE-F3C75DC4393B}: Format(In/Out)=(IMC3,UNKNOWN) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=                     {335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(IMC3,UNKNOWN) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=                     {6CB69578-7617-4637-91E5-1C02DB810285}: Format(In/Out)=(IMC4,UNKNOWN) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=                     {F9F19DA5-3B09-4B2F-9D89-C64753E3EAAB}: Format(In/Out)=(IMC4,UNKNOWN) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=                     {5A54A0C9-C7EC-4BD9-8EDE-F3C75DC4393B}: Format(In/Out)=(IMC4,UNKNOWN) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=                     {335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(IMC4,UNKNOWN) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=                     {6CB69578-7617-4637-91E5-1C02DB810285}: Format(In/Out)=(S340,UNKNOWN) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=                     {F9F19DA5-3B09-4B2F-9D89-C64753E3EAAB}: Format(In/Out)=(S340,UNKNOWN) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=                     {5A54A0C9-C7EC-4BD9-8EDE-F3C75DC4393B}: Format(In/Out)=(S340,UNKNOWN) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=                     {335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(S340,UNKNOWN) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=                     {6CB69578-7617-4637-91E5-1C02DB810285}: Format(In/Out)=(S342,UNKNOWN) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=                     {F9F19DA5-3B09-4B2F-9D89-C64753E3EAAB}: Format(In/Out)=(S342,UNKNOWN) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=                     {5A54A0C9-C7EC-4BD9-8EDE-F3C75DC4393B}: Format(In/Out)=(S342,UNKNOWN) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=                     {335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(S342,UNKNOWN) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=       D3D9 Overlay: Supported            DXVA-HD: Supported       DDraw Status: Enabled         D3D Status: Enabled         AGP Status: Enabled-------------Sound Devices-------------            Description: Speakers (Conexant High Definition SmartAudio 221) Default Sound Playback: Yes Default Voice Playback: Yes            Hardware ID: HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_14F1&DEV_5051&SUBSYS_103C360A&REV_1000        Manufacturer ID: 1             Product ID: 100                   Type: WDM            Driver Name: CHDRT32.sys         Driver Version: 4.58.0000.0000 (English)      Driver Attributes: Final Retail            WHQL Logo'd: Yes          Date and Size: 6/5/2008 11:58:42, 222208 bytes            Other Files:         Driver Provider: Conexant         HW Accel Level: Basic              Cap Flags: 0xF1F    Min/Max Sample Rate: 100, 200000Static/Strm HW Mix Bufs: 1, 0 Static/Strm HW 3D Bufs: 0, 0              HW Memory: 0       Voice Management: No EAX™ 2.0 Listen/Src: No, No   I3DL2™ Listen/Src: No, NoSensaura™ ZoomFX™: No---------------------Sound Capture Devices---------------------            Description: Microphone (Conexant High Definition SmartAudio 221)  Default Sound Capture: Yes  Default Voice Capture: Yes            Driver Name: CHDRT32.sys         Driver Version: 4.58.0000.0000 (English)      Driver Attributes: Final Retail          Date and Size: 6/5/2008 11:58:42, 222208 bytes              Cap Flags: 0x1           Format Flags: 0xFFFFF

Yea , will it run Mass Effect2 ?

Looks like you figured it out.
I quoted this so people in the tech thread could help you out.

[Kevin Jay]

Looks like you figured it out.
I quoted this so people in the tech thread could help you out.

Thanks, originally "run" wasn't on my startbar. Weird it was on it not long ago. Maybe it was when Sid Meirs Atienam nearly screwed up my computer.
Also, I found the system requirements for Mass Effect 2, http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/25/mass-effect-2-system-requirements-revealed-restrictive-drm-remo/ .
Seems like I pass the minimum requirements .

[Jeffrey Lawson]

Thanks, originally "run" wasn't on my startbar. Weird it was on it not long ago. Maybe it was when Sid Meirs Atienam nearly screwed up my computer.

Yeah my bad, I forgot about how it's different on Vista/7.

[gemma]

Thanks, originally "run" wasn't on my startbar. Weird it was on it not long ago. Maybe it was when Sid Meirs Atienam nearly screwed up my computer.

1. Right click the Start button.
2. Click properties.
3. Click "customize" on the Start Menu tab.

And there ya go.

[Sarah MacLeod]

1. Right click the Start button.
2. Click properties.
3. Click "customize" on the Start Menu tab.

And there ya go.

Yea I did that, it was on the start menu not a while back.

[Nicholas C]

Yea I did that, it was on the start menu not a while back.

By default its not. No worries.

[Scotties Hottie]

Thanks, originally "run" wasn't on my startbar. Weird it was on it not long ago. Maybe it was when Sid Meirs Atienam nearly screwed up my computer.
Also, I found the system requirements for Mass Effect 2, http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/25/mass-effect-2-system-requirements-revealed-restrictive-drm-remo/ .
Seems like I pass the minimum requirements .

The 8200M G chipset is considered under min requirement though. It may still work, but I certainly don't expect the game to perform very well. Being as your system is a notebook, there isn't a way to upgrade that 8200M G either.

[Adam]

Alright, Overclockers claim my motherboard is in fine working order, but I'm still not getting any display on the monitor through either my graphics card or my flatmate's. I've tried with only the bare bones connected (GPU, RAM & CPU [+fan obv.]), but still nowt. Don't particularly feel like throwing more money at Overclockers to test parts, and the shop down the road has quoted me at ?50 for a full diagnostic, so does anyone have any ideas?

[Robyn Howlett]

I am in need of a new video card but I only have an AGP port with an AMD64 3200+ processor and 2GB of RAM. I am looking at 2 different cards from ATI, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125281 has 1GB of video memory but is only a 128-bit card with GDDR2 memory, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102730 has only 512mb of video memory but it is a 256-bit card with GDDR3 memory. Which one would be better for me?

[Jack]

Hey guys, I have a question about dying hard drives.

My dad has had is computer for about 6 years now (it's a Dell Dimension 2400) and I have reason to think the hard drive may be dying.

First of all, the computer has been getting progressively slower. We did a reformat about a year ago when it was just pathetically slow, which seemed to work until a few months ago, when it slowed down again. He doesn't get viruses or anything like that, which is reason for me to think the HDD might be going.

Second, the available space on the HDD is only reading as about 40GB, when in reality it's about 160GB large. I've down virus, spyware and adware scans, as well as defragging and doing a disk cleanup. Nothing has helped it.

Finally, he had an issue yesterday where when he started his computer, it said that no HDD was installed. I was able to fix it by going into the BIOS and resetting the boot priority, but he never would have done anything to cause that to happen.

Aside from that, I asked him if the computer had been making any clicking noises, and he said no.

So, what's the deal here?

[Blaine]

Who here hinks AlienWare is overpriced, and you would be better off with another brand, or, making you own computer (if you have the time).

Btw is XBLADE any good?

[dean Cutler]

Its always cheaper to build your own. Alienware is too expensive.


My HP laptop crapped out. I'm forced to go on the web from school. Anyhoo, I have this crazy idea. Hear me out.

So my laptop crapped out on me, but it was always running hot. Its fans were on the bottom because all the hardwar lies under the keyboard. That means, no matter what my computer was sitting on, it had bad ventilation. I had it sitting on a metal rack so it could breathe, but it still ran hot(it was also plastic and a POS). Why can't companies just make the keyboard heavier and put the hardware behind the monitor so the airflow can pump directly away from the computer?

[scorpion972]

I am in need of a new video card but I only have an AGP port with an AMD64 3200+ processor and 2GB of RAM. I am looking at 2 different cards from ATI, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125281 has 1GB of video memory but is only a 128-bit card with GDDR2 memory, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102730 has only 512mb of video memory but it is a 256-bit card with GDDR3 memory. Which one would be better for me?

The 1GB 4650 is badly out of balance, even though it is the faster GPU. If a game were to "think" it should use that full 1GB to load up with resources, it would take four whole frames (at 60 FPS) to do so.

The 512MB 3850 is better balanced, a better fit for the rest of the computer, and no slouch. I would be sure I had an adequate power supply for it, though: a good 300W power supply or better.

[Jessie Butterfield]

Probably a pretty simple answer, but I'll be damned if I can figure it out. I recently downloaded GIMP, and now every time I try to preview a pic from my camera's memory card it opens it through GIMP. How do set it back to the default pic previewer so I don't have to load GIMP every time I wanna preview some pics?

[Samantha hulme]

Probably a pretty simple answer, but I'll be damned if I can figure it out. I recently downloaded GIMP, and now every time I try to preview a pic from my camera's memory card it opens it through GIMP. How do set it back to the default pic previewer so I don't have to load GIMP every time I wanna preview some pics?

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/hwandprograms/filetype.mspx

[Samantha Wood]

Probably a pretty simple answer, but I'll be damned if I can figure it out. I recently downloaded GIMP, and now every time I try to preview a pic from my camera's memory card it opens it through GIMP. How do set it back to the default pic previewer so I don't have to load GIMP every time I wanna preview some pics?

Right click picture and select "Open with...."

Choose "Choose default program.....".

Tick the "Always use the select......" option.

Select program from list or point it to the one you want.

P.S.

Doh! Beaten and bested.