Plastic Nev

Thank you too for saying thanks, and also for being brave enough to admit what had happened. We all do sometimes confuse ourselves by forgetting something we did earlier, and all too easy to do with computers. Nev.

Hi and welcome to Extreme Tech Support - Free PC Help. So far I can find nothing myself, have you got the model number correct? Is this a desktop or a laptop/netbook machine, If desktop I may be able to help a bit more as I have one of the Imedia models, and could investigate by dismantling my own.:confused::D Nev.

Hi and welcome to Free Pc Help, If you are pretty certain there are no malware issues with this machine, there are quite a few other things that may be at fault here. Operating system problems, do you have a full XP disk to try a system repair? Overheating, that could be through dust clogged cooling fans, to clean out properly means at least getting the back off it, sometimes not easy with some laptops. Motherboard, or keyboard faulty connections, again may need dismantling. I can see no reason why your neighbour switching to BT from some other ISP could be the cause, unless they are using wireless and you are also, and using similar or the same channels unsecured. Nev.

For all folk having screen problems, though I have not replaced a screen personally, I have found a very good laptop repair site which may have some answers for you regarding repair and replacement of screens, have a look here= http://www.laptoprepair101.com/ Though I can see repair tips for LCD type screens, a search of the site may find repair tips for LED screens. Nev.

Right now and off the top of my head, the laptop drive that works is a two and a half inch drive I would think, whereas the two maxtor drives are three and a half desktop drives, there may be incompatibilities because the enclosure you have is only for the two and a half inch laptop drives hence why not working. I have found a docking station that does state it is compatible with both sizes. I am not advertising here, but it is available from Maplin at just short of £25, have a look here= http://www.maplin.co.uk/sata-hard-drive-usb-docking-station-222999 If you can find out a bit more about the enclosure you have it may help to decide if it is compatible with the larger drives. Nev.

Hi Alex, and welcome to Extreme Tech Support - Free PC Help, I am no graphics expert, but what I do know is that a lot depends on the present power supply power rating. If you have a look at the various cards on offer, they nearly all tell you what the minimum system power supply rating should be to run it. To advise further we could do with knowing what the existing PSU is rated at in watts or W, and if you are prepared or can afford to upgrade that at the same time. Nev.

Just to clarify Kens reply, we don't normally make any recommendation as to manufacturer, (unless we know one is known to be poor) this could be construed as advertising you see, so we will help in specifications where possible, but as to final choice between one make or another, it is up to you and what you can afford, or even what you may have heard as to reliable makes. I will say though that for just about every manufacturer and component made, there will be a professional revue of it somewhere on Google. Hope this helps, and you find the graphics card that performs as you want it too. Nev.

Now that is a difficult question, you just may find those changes and when in the Windows events logs, but it will be a painstaking search as those logs record everything going on. It also depends on how far back those logs go too. If a time limit of say six months is set for keeping the logs, then all those before then will have been deleted. Someone with better knowledge of registry may have better ideas though, so hang on till one of our other advisor's sees this. Nev.

Hi, and welcome to Extreme Tech Support - Free PC Help It does sound like a heat problem as it only cuts out during intensive running when playing the games, and yes that sound system is part of the mother board. I am a little surprised though that if you already have a decent graphics card, a reasonably decent sound card would complement it. Probably give you better and more realistic game sounds as well. Worth a thought and would possibly get you out of the cutting out problem as well. However for now, have a good look round inside the case for dust or dirt round the fans, if there is any, (it is surprising how the fans suck the stuff in!!) Turn the power off, then use a soft smallish paint brush and low pressure compressed air to blow it away, we don't recommend a vacuum, as that can create static that could blow something. I have also heard of a vacuum sucking the odd link plugs or plug in components off the board too. Nev.

Hi Monuis, that site has a very poor reputation according to WOT (Web Of Trust), be aware you may end up with something you don't want. Nev.

There just may be a recovery partition on the computer, I am assuming it is Windows7 on it? If so click on control panel, find "recovery" then click on the blue "advanced recovery methods" If there is a recovery partition you should then see "Return your computer to factory condition", click on that and follow any instructions, where it tells you this will delete everything, allow it to carry on. Nev.

Hi, and welcome to Extreme Tech Support - Free PC Help. I doubt a reformat of the hard drive is needed unless it is nearly full, in which case some space will need to be created. It does sound like a problem with the computer though, considering you say they are of HD format then those video's require quite a lot of memory or RAM to play well. Baring that in mind, it may be a failed RAM module at fault. Can you tell us the make and model and any of the specifications of your computer so we can go further with you. Nev.

Hi, and welcome to FPCH. OK I have to ask the obvious, are all the drives it won't recognise SATA? If IDE then that is why. Can you let us know, the make and model of enclosure, also all details of the drives it will and will not recognise, we may spot something in that. Nev.

Hi Patrick, it sounds a lot like a faulty motherboard, especially as you say you have tried it while resting on cardboard, that removes any doubt of a short circuit to the case. Being a new build and therefore new MB I would hope there is still warranty on the board for a replacement. Nev.

If there are files or other data you wish to keep, ideally it should be backed up as Randy suggested. However, with Windows 7, depending on the manufacturer it is sometimes possible to perform a Windows repair rather than doing a full recovery. It depends on the type of system it first came with, whether a disk, a disk you made after purchase, or directly from the recovery partition. Therefore we do need to know the make and model before we can advise further. Also it would help us to know why you wish to restore to factory condition, is it because you are selling it on perhaps or some other reason. Nev.

Links found Via IDF50. The two most popular searches on Google or other search engines are the Royal wedding, and now also the death of Osama Bin Laden. Some websites found are fakes hosting malware rather than the information sought. http://www.technologyreview.com/computing/37491/?p1=MstRcnt&a=f http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2011/05/02/osama-bin-laden-dead-so-watch-for-the-spams-and-scams/ Nev.

Hi Suzy, The name of the program could be quite important, however some specific company or commercial organisation software's come with a notice that it must not be divulged for copyright or patent reasons. If that is the case Starbuck or any staff member can receive such information by Private message where confidentiality is the reason. Please note this is the only reason staff will accept a PM and work accordingly. I also hope the next does not apply for you and your chance to work from home. There are some bogus and fraudulent operations who offer work from home, in some cases they ask for registration fees and give little or nothing in return, or send so called helpful software. This software in reality is possibly a trojan designed to infiltrate your system and then send private details back. Quite often resulting in stolen identity and loss of finances. It is for that reason that a name of this program will be helpful to identify if it is genuine or bogus. Nev.

Definitely going down a difficult road here, I am not sure on compatibility between CPU and motherboard anyway, but I can tell you that if a new motherboard is fitted that is different from or to the original MB, then Windows will see a new environment and refuse to boot. Providing you have a full Windows XP pro disk, or access to one, that can be sorted with a system repair using that disk. However the compatibilities business is way above my limited knowledge, so I suggest hanging on till one of our Processor and motherboard expert members can have a look. It would be helpful if you can give as much detail as possible about the CPU, and the motherboards, both the original and the proposed new one. Nev.

That's OK George, I meant a minimum, those extra's are for additional things such as graphics cards or other additions that may need a power supply. It depends on the model of power supply fitted and also the rating, the higher the rating, the more likely it will have additional spare plugs. Nev.

I will just pop in in case Starbuck is late in seeing this, for the moment don't do anything with those blocked entries until he sees this, also there is still more to do if only a clean up of things left behind, so please wait for further instruction from Starbuck. All the best otherwise and hope your system is back up and running well when finished. Nev.

Thanks for the update David, once you have the new one and fired it up, any problems with getting the old brain to co-exist with W7 let us know and we will be happy to help. I am running W7 and actually glad to have got away from XP, once you work out the differences and get used to using them, I hope you will agree. Nev.

Thats OK Randy, more or less what I would answer with anyway. There are a few possible causes now, one is the operating system is badly corrupted, the second is a duff hard drive, and though you may have done so any way, check all connections for the hard drive, both at the drive and the motherboard, Pull them off, check the pins are OK and replace, just might be a poor connection. As Randy pointed out, the working hard drive with XP on it would only work if the two computers were identical in every way. When Windows first opens, it checks its environment against what is recorded, if it sees a new environment such as different motherboard, it will refuse to go further. All part of Microsofts attempts to prevent pirate copying, or use against their license conditions. However we can check whether the hard drive is at least readable, this will need an adapter. As yet we don't know which type, is it IDE or SATA? whichever it is you will need an adapter to go from that to USB, then plug it into the working computer, that computer should see the drive and be able to access all files, documents, or other data on it if it is OK. Providing the hard drive is OK, and it is just a corrupt operating system, you will need at the least a recovery disk, do you have one for that computer? Nev.

A common problem with Firefox is use of memory, and the more tabs open the more it uses, therefore slowing everything else. I use Firefox myself but never keep more than two tabs open, if I need more, say for researching something and cross referencing, I will close them as soon as I have finished. So your discovery and fully closing tabs is most likely the answer. Nev.

Hi and welcome back, Can you get into safe mode? Tap or sometimes just hold down F8 as soon as the start button is pressed, once there it should open a page of choices, using the up and down keys select "do not restart after system failure", or words to that effect, click the enter key, the blue screen should then stay there so you can copy down and tell us what is on it. Nev.

Hum, it should be in control panel George, however, try this, Click on "Start" then "run", in the box type or copy and paste this= restore then click OK That should open a window with four things in it, one should be named "rstrui system restore application" double click on that and the normal system restore box should then open. Nev.