Plastic Nev

I have bought a second hand Acer Aspire laptop and so far quite pleased with it. You can of course stop reading now if no interest in how I got it and what I needed to do to get it to my liking. OK, if you got this far I will carry on. I have had it mind that a reasonable Windows 7 laptop to replace the old Toshiba XP machine I sold recently might be a nice idea. I certainly didn't want brand new as the choice now is W8 only with not many dealers having any W7 machines left in stock, so a refurbed second hand was the target. So bearing that in mind I had been looking round locally in the usual computer dealers who may have what I was looking for, but with little success as far as a reasonable spec one. Then on Monday afternoon I was passing one of those big chain second hand places, plenty of them about but the main ones are "Cash Converters" and also "Cash Generators", it was the latter that got my attention with this Acer in the window, with a price tag of £129.99. So I went in and asked to have a look at it. The saleswoman and as I found she was also the shop manager, got it out of the display window and set it up on the main counter, unfortunately couldn't get it to work, no charge in it's battery and the power supply, though lit up on its power indicator, was obviously not powering the thing. Next is a wiggle of the power jack to see a sudden flash of life, then nothing again, so some more wagging about to get a bit more power on for a brief second. I was ready to not bother at that point and said things on the lines of it being a common problem with power jacks working loose, and would need attention and repair. She offered it to me then at twenty pound off the price, and a bit more haggling that if it was going to cost more than it is worth then I would want my money back. That was accepted so I paid and brought it home. After a good inspection I noticed the cable from the power supply to the jack plug looked damaged at around a half inch from the plug, so stripped the insulation off to find one conductor broken. Soldering iron, then insulation tape fixed that and the laptop came to life. I then found that the entire Windows7 operating system had been taken back to factory settings by whoever, and suspect perhaps the store technician maybe, as the date was only three days previous, yet the date of first creation of said operating system was some time in 2009, giving the clue the laptop was around four years old. So the next thing is first to install Revo from a USB flash drive to junk all the pre loaded rubbish that Acer had put on with the original factory settings, including the usual Norton 90 day trial, that went as the first bit of junk to be removed. Next in line was turn on Windows firewall, then install MSSE as at least a means to safely connect to the internet. Once safe to go on line, I had the daunting task of downloading and installing all the catch up Windows updates, including W7 SP1, don't forget that the original factory install was four years old so a lot of updates were needed. The outcome though is a nice little laptop with quite a few useful things, a card reader, a finger print reader, (which won't be used or configured) the usual USB ports, a HDMI port, plus a few other odds and sods including the old firewire port. A nice little bargain for £110.00 Nev.

As RandyL says, we cannot help with passwords themselves, however there may be an underlying problem such as a virus or other malware. However because of the password issue, we can only recommend taking it to a reputable repair technician. I am sorry we cannot help further. Nev.

I agree with KenB, it is good service so I hope all will be well and wish you all the best with it. Please let us know what if anything DELL tells you and the final outcome. Hopefully a fully working machine with no further problems. Nev.

Hi, yes it is a little confusing the way it is worded. One way to double check this is to go to the Crucial website, download their system scanner and run it, that will tell you definitely what the maximum RAM sizes and speeds can be fitted. Download the scanner tool from here :- http://www.crucial.com/systemscanner/ My guess is that one 1066 stick at 4GB might be best, but go with what Crucial recommends if I am wrong. Please bear in mind that although higher speed RAM will make some difference in speed of handling graphics, it still won't be instant. As an example, I have a quad core CPU running at 2.3Ghz, and 4BG RAM running at 1280Mhz, yet a simple resize of a 4.2MB picture takes about 2 or 3 seconds to happen. To get any better I would possibly require a six or more core CPU running 3.4Ghz or higher, and more RAM at the highest speed available. Also a graphics card might help, but to do all that would mean a change of mother board. I am happy enough with what it does do, and prepared to wait a few seconds rather than spend all the extra cash that I haven't got. LOL. Nev.

Hi, thanks for the larger picture, however looking at it, the only thing you could do is to exchange the RAM for a higher speed, that would have some effect, but the processor is possibly the best that will fit the socket on the motherboard so not much chance of upgrading that, though 2.3Ghz isn't too bad. Without splashing out on a brand new machine with much higher specifications, there isn't much more you can do to improve things. The Paintshop Pro software is very resource hungry which is the case for these fairly high ended softwares, that is why they do such a good job in the first place. The Adobe Photoshop I am told really does need the best in hardware to get the best out of that software and it also can take some time to process large files if the hardware isn't fast enough. Nev.

Hi and welcome to Extreme Tech Support - Free PC Help, That is the first time I have heard of a deliberate overheating actually bringing a motherboard back to life, however though I am not saying it is wrong, as it obviously worked for the first guy. In your case, although it worked to some extent, I think the only full cure will be a proper diagnosis that it is indeed the motherboard at fault, and then a replacement motherboard fitting. Please bear in mind the problem may not exactly be the motherboard, it could be RAM, hard drive, or some part of the graphics. Hence why I recommend a proper diagnosis first before replacing the motherboard. That diagnosis and full tests is not that easy at home, especially with a laptop, due to the difficulty of taking them to bits. Nev.

The only good news is that although Microsoft are pulling out, the antivirus and antimalware companies will not be doing so, and will continue to keep their software compatible with older operating systems. Of course that in itself may not be enough protection against the so called zero day exploits, however those companies may still catch up on them pretty quickly. If you are still running XP as a full time operating system, make sure you are well protected with a good antivirus, a good antimalware, and most essentially a good firewall. If possible use a modern router with a built in hardware firewall as well. Couple all of that with sound common sense and you should be reasonably OK. After all, there are still a number of people still running Windows 98, or even 95 with little trouble from the bad guys, so Windows XP should still be OK if used with care. At the moment a lot of speculation, and of course scare mongering by those who will benefit from folk upgrading to W7 or W8, so I am taking it all with the old pinch of salt. Nev.

Hi, KenB may not get back soon as he is away from home, however if you are having to reset the time and date each time you boot up, then yes you need a new battery, it looks like the one you tried is also flat. Nev.

Hi, sorry but I just cannot read what it says, can you copy and paste the contents please. Without being able to read it, trying to expand or enlarge it just goes into pixels, I don't want to comment as I might guess wrong. However yes the RAM is a bit on the slow side, however I think it should be possible to fit two 2GB sticks of the higher speed, but not sure till I see what the report actually says. Also, the processor might be a bit slow, is it below 2Ghz? Nev.

Hi, the slow running, I assume you mean where you ask it to do something on a large file, it takes a few seconds or more to actually do it. That can be down to a multiple of factors, so yes the RAM and not just how much but also the speed at which the RAM can run at, but also the speed of your main processor can be a big factor along with how many cores it has as well, although the graphics card can also influence the overall speed, I doubt yours is a big factor in this instance. Then also the operating system itself, being only 32 bit, will also be playing a part. In your case not too much can be done except perhaps replacing the RAM you have with RAM of a faster speed, though on its own that may not improve much if there is a bottleneck in the processor. At least now you have upgraded the software, the original problem has gone. Nev.

I would be writing to them with a real letter asking for that MAC code, if it is on paper and written, they cannot refuse to supply that code, though as Ken said, if your original contract is still in date, they will charge for breaking it. Nev.

Hi Zoe, you say it is Paint Shop Pro 7. That software is extremely old if it was the original Pro 7, it may just be some incompatibility with the Vista operating system that is causing this problem. The latest version that should run well will be Pro X4 or X5. However if you have the original installation disk, it may behave better if you re install it. First make sure everything is removed from the existing version before installing again. Revo Uninstaller is good for that. Otherwise with very old software and trying to run it on versions of Windows after XP, some won't even install, or will run badly with faults. Nev.

Yes if you were trying to save to the E drive, it may well have been the reason that there was no paging file allocated. I also have a small partition, in my case a D drive, however I first save to my C drive then the important stuff is copied to D, then checked it is OK before deleting it on C. Let us know how you get on now with a paging file on both drives, hopefully all will be OK now, though the figures you set it to are a bit high, 5000MB would have been enough for the maximum, with say 2000 or 3000 as the lower size. Nev.

Hi and welcome to Extreme Tech Support - Free PC Help. I actually think it may not be any of the above, I think it is maybe the size of your virtual memory or paging file. Although I don't have Vista, I do have Windows 7 and as far as I know these instructions should be similar. I have added to some for clarity. [h=1]Change the size of virtual memory[/h] If you receive warnings that your virtual memory is low, you'll need to increase the minimum size of your paging file. Windows sets the initial minimum size of the paging file equal to the amount of RAM installed on your computer plus 300 megabytes (MB), and the maximum size equal to three times the amount of RAM installed on your computer. If you see warnings at these recommended levels, then increase the minimum and maximum sizes. go to control panel and open the "System" page. In the left pane, click Advanced system settings. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation. On the Advanced tab, under Performance, click Settings. Click the Advanced tab, and then, under Virtual memory, click Change. First thing to check at this point is there a tick or dot in the box for "System Managed", if not put a tick or dot in that box, then see if any improvement. If that doesn't work, or it was already ticked or a dot, remove it, then tick or dot in "Custom size". Under Drive [Volume Label], click the drive that contains the paging file you want to change if more than one drive listed, in your case it should be "C" drive. Click Custom size, type a new size in megabytes in the Initial size (MB) or Maximum size (MB) box, click Set, and then click OK. You should also see recommended sizes underneath, take note of them in case you need to go back to them. [h=3]Note[/h] Increases in size usually don't require a restart for the changes to take effect, but if you decrease the size, you'll need to restart your computer. Nev.

Although not a gamer myself, I have looked at the specification for that computer and in my opinion it is a very high end machine for a ready manufactured one, you would only get better than that either by building it yourself or paying much more than the price asked for that one. The Graphics card that it comes with is the XFX Radeon HD7850 2GB although just over a year since being introduced is still a very good card and retail price for that is around £150.00 just for the card. So bearing in mind the seller on E bay is the company that make these and seem to only sell on E Bay, you could perhaps take note of all the specifications and look round for other makes with similar or better specifications. However it would be my guess that you may not get similar for much less in price. Nev.

Hi Mitch and welcome to Extreme Tech Support - Free PC Help. Can you be a bit more specific about what type of files please, are they documents, and if so are they Microsoft office or works word files? Are they photo's or drawings, and if so what type of file, are they JPG, PNG, or other type? Indeed any other type of file as well, from video to sound, knowing that may help in diagnosing what may be wrong. Nev.

Hi, this could be another one of those older hardware problems associated with the newer Windows 7 operating system, many older printers will not work with it as an example. Most newer devices will work perfectly as they have been made, and drivers configured, to run properly on Windows Vista, 7, or 8, so you shouldn't have a problem with whatever you choose that suits your needs. I don't use a phone as such, at least not in the shape of the tradition telephone, I use a complete headset and microphone which works very well, with folk I talk to telling me the audio is great. The one I am using is a Plantronics 628, though they make many different types of audio devices. There are many other makes out there offering various types of equipment, so I can only say to look round till you find something you like. Nev.

It is with great sadness that I have to tell you all that Barry passed away earlier today. He bravely fought a short battle with pancreatic cancer. He was a frequent visitor here with a lot of good advice, he will be missed by many. Nev.

Thanks for the feedback, I did say replacing the power jack was easy and a tenner is a good price for that job, some places might have charged a lot more. Nev.

Hi, from what you say regarding the old motherboard, and providing the board is still OK and not damaged elsewhere, there is a good chance the broken DC power jack can be replaced, therefore rescuing the system that way. If you are confident in doing a soldering repair, and that is entirely up to you to risk doing the job yourself, if not I recommend taking it to a competent repair technician. However have a look here at this laptop repair specialists site :- http://www.laptoprepair101.com/laptop/2007/12/06/dc-power-jack-repair-guide/ Nev.

In actual fact, for safety of your data so as to not risk losing it in any form of system restore from the partition, it may well be best to get the new machine up and running, transfer all your data, then do a full return to factory settings then. Providing all data is saved to the new computer, you can safely do whatever you want with this one. Nev.

Well we can still use this thread for those odd video's taken by ourselves, just for general interest or even when lucky enough to have the camera running when something funny happens. However, nothing of humour, but is of general interest and is a trip up the fifteen inch gauge Ravenglass to Eskdale railway. Nev.

i use Photobucket as it will take photo's, GIF files like this below, and also video, unlike a lot of other photo hosting sites. The animated NEV in my signature is also on Photobucket too. http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/plasticpig/Windfarm2_zpsbcf18273.gif

High and welcome to Extreme Tech Support - Free PC Help Are you printing on the correct photo paper, pictures on ordinary paper will appear of lower quality and a little washed out. Nev.

Youtube is full of P*** takes like this, even motor generator sets that run for ever on nothing, you can bet many naive people try these things and wonder why it doesn't work. Nev.