Plastic Nev

Hi, here is a link to Packard Bell support, you will need to input all the details, but that should then find you the way to order replacement recovery disks. Packard Bell - Support - Welcome Nev.

Hi Randy and a merry Christmas to you and to all our members here on Extreme Tech Support - Free PC Help. Here is a novel Christmas card to amuse and delight you all. Nev.

Hi, if you do find a way round or the software that tootech gave a link to works OK please do let us know. Because sometime in the new year I also will be doing the same and buying a new machine with W7 on it. I do have the original software disks and am allowed to have most of them on two computers, as long as only one is in use at the time. So that means I can legally have two versions. However the updates to at least one, are now no longer available and were installed to the program from a download, so if it is possible to copy over at least that one it would be great. (providing of course they will run on W7:rolleyes: )

Well at least it is sorted, even if we don't really know how. Thanks for letting us know Shrimply mate. Nev.

Hi Nankura, that is great, glad you got it going and thanks for the update. Nev.

Hi Steve, yes please do, or if possible a screen shot, so long as it is easily readable, even a shot from a camera of what shows up. It could save a lot of writing or even miss copying something if there is a lot on the screen. I think also we could do with knowing a bit more about your computer, if you can tell us the make, model number, and if possible how much RAM you have installed. Those details will be helpful for us to go further perhaps. Nev.

Hi DJ, It is an older motherboard, (2004) which is maybe why you are finding it difficult to get much info. This now depends on whether the motherboard has a small speaker fitted, if it has, do you hear any beeps from it? and if so is there more than one beep and if so in what pattern? Next is the PSU you replaced, was it because it blew up, and has the motherboard worked OK at all after replacing the PSU? sometimes when a PSU goes, it takes components on the motherboard as well. Nev.

Seems strange that a resolution change got rid of it, however keep us posted if it returns. Just on the off chance it may be malware related, give the system a scan with preferably Malwarebytes and/or Superantispyware. Both freeware to download, check out our recommended in the security section, the links are there. Nev.

Hi, I think from what you say Gibby you have already cleared the BIOS back to default, but the simplest way is pull the battery out for a few minutes, safer than messing with those pins. Lets go back to basics first, the new PSU, did it have exactly the same number of plugs and are wire colours and pin positions the same on all plugs? I think you mean this rig is a manufactured one rather than a home build, and like Dell, some manufacturers use their own proprietary PSU's with odd non standard connections, I would check that out first. if you have a voltmeter or multimeter check the voltages correspond on all pins, between the two PSU's. Nev.

Hi DJ and welcome to Extreme Tech Support - Free PC Help, I hope we can get you sorted, and if you need help in how to use this forum, have a look at the topic at the top of the Introductions page, if anything confuses you just ask, we won't bite any heads off. I can't anyway, I lost my teeth.:)

Thanks for the feedback and glad all is OK now, don't worry, you needed help and no question is silly when someone needs an answer, it looks like Dalo pointed you in the right direction. Nev.

Hi and welcome to Extreme Tech Support - Free PC Help. If the CPU is only running at that low a figure on average I see no real problem, however the shutting down when watching video or other intensive use suggests that there may be an overheating problem. This being a laptop it can be difficult to open up to clean any dust out which is the usual reason for overheating, so unless you feel confident in dismantling it yourself, I would recommend taking it to be cleaned. Go to a local technician rather than the bigger retailers as they nearly always charge more, plus because they have to send it away, take longer. Nev.

Hi Leekaiwei, welcome to Extreme Tech Support - Free PC Help. I have now found you have posted this question on at least two other forums, A few interesting questions about my graphics card - Cyber Tech Help Support Forums A few interesting questions about my graphics card Although up to now Match is the only person answering your question, we in general do not like to see someone posting the same question on multiple forums. The reason being that it can lead to confusion for you, because of conflicting advice perhaps, but also means that a helper on one forum may give exactly the same advice that a different helper may have given on another forum, meaning that one helper has wasted time that could have been spent on someone else. I hope you will understand this and either use this forum only or one of the other forums. Please let us know which way you wish it to be, and let either us know you are going elsewhere, or let them know the same. Nev.

Can you remember how you got to the sample rate control? if so you need to see if there is a default setting there. I can't at the moment find enough information on your system to advise how to get there, nor what it should be set at. I cannot even find it on my own machine as I am running a separate sound blaster card which has over ruled the original Realtek system, which may not of helped anyway as mine is the older AC97 basic system. Hopefully someone with more knowledge of your system can step in here. However I will be surprised if that returns the sound back to your game, I still feel the loss is coincidental, but you never know. Nev.

Computer dependency Computer dependency This proves how dependant we are on our computers these days. We follow everything to the letter don't we. This is a little check for you, are you male or female? To find out, look down. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I said look down, not scroll down. Blimy now do you see what I mean.

Ah, I think you mean the sample rate. I need to know what sound system you have, do you have a separate sound card plugged into a PCI slot or is it the motherboard based system? Go to "Control Panel" and open "Sound and Audio devices" Click the Audio tab and then on sound playback click the advanced button, and performance, it should give a you a button for "Restore Defaults" that should set it back to the original settings. Nev.

Hi Dave, did you disconnect the printer? you must pull the plug out before uninstalling the printer software including the drivers. Then reinstall the software, it should prompt you when to plug the printer back in while the software reinstalls. Nev.

No smoke here either, we are just trying to help a guy in trouble Rebecca, Dalo knows a lot more than I ever will, so lets see what Turnips Revenge can find to help us decide the next step.

Hi Daran and welcome to Extreme Tech Support - Free PC Help. I am not sure what you mean by altering the frequency, do you mean the graphic equalizer? This should not alter anything in one specific game, just alter the volume of certain sounds and pitches or frequencies only. You say sound works OK on other things, do you mean things like a CD plays OK or sound files play OK? If so, I would look at the game itself, is it an installed one and can you uninstall it, then reinstall? Nev.

As far as any seals are concerned, it may not matter and still be under warranty, it won't cost anything to try. If they are going to refuse to repair or replace it under the warranty they must tell you and why before actually doing a repair. The sandwich bag and freezer trick, is simply placing the drive in a bag of a type that can be sealed such as a sandwich bag, then placing it in a freezer for a couple of hours. Chilling it down to at least freezing point has been known to revive a drive for enough time to rescue all the data on it. Nev.

The only thing now, if you seem sure the smoke came from that area, would be to check the socket to see if there is any blackening near to or at one of the many contacts. If nothing is visible it could be underneath, which would mean removing the motherboard from the case to inspect. That inspection should give you some idea of whether you have the soldering skills to replace it. I personally wouldn't recommend it, things now are so small that it is too easy to finish up with solder bridging two or more connections which would probably cause even more trouble. Also removing the faulty socket, if such is the case, can do damage if not done with extreme care. The thing though is to go have a look at the link Match gave so you can identify which BIOS you have, and also find what the beeps code means. It is definitely saying there is a fault but the code tells you where. Nev.

Hi Mark and welcome to Extreme Tech Support - Free PC Help, and I do hope we can help you out. Nev.

Hi, Rather than adding to the confusion, a few questions. Do you mean that the mains power is normally turned off when the computer is not in use? From that do you mean that plugging into the mains power socket from then, nothing will happen or work at all until some time has passed? If yes to both, then you may be correct and the power supply may be faulty and require replacement. If you can replace it, that would at least prove it one way or another. See if you can borrow one known to be OK before spending money. Nev.

And here is another good one folks, wait till about halfway through when the music goes techno to see the lights at their best. YouTube - Christmas Lights Synchronized With Amazing Grace

Oh it is real, the first one which is done to the "Wizards of winter" by the trans Siberian Orchestra, was originally first set up by the house owner way back in 2004. He used some quite complex control gear to synchronise the lights with the music. The music is transmitted on a short range FM transmitter so that folk can park up, and watch and listen on their car radio. It proved popular enough that by 2008 he was erecting the set up in a local park as the traffic build up outside his house, prompted the local authorities to demand he stopped or moved his display elsewhere, so he did just that.