Plastic Nev

That turns out to be a total disaster, I have used the router reset which reset the whole thing, however to get it back to connecting to my ISP I need to get into it and still can't. I tried the other temporary fix of altering the date, but that only worked briefly and not long enough to get anywhere. I am now currently using the old XP machine as that one still works with the old Zoom ADSL modem. That of course will not work with windows 7. Looks like I now have a duff router. Nev.

Hi again Jim, just to recap, you are getting or have got a new hard drive of the same size or bigger of the old one. You are buying a SATA to USB adapter cable. You are buying either a molex to SATA power cable as Steve suggested, or the SATA power splitter that I suggested, one or the other will do, you don't need both. You are going to go the route of cloning the old drive onto the new drive? Or are you going for the image route? I suggest the cloning being the first to try as it should be simplest. For cloning you need just this set up as per this diagram. http://i73.servimg.com/u/f73/14/68/69/96/sata_s10.jpg

Thanks guys for the input. One thing I found in the fixes in the link mentioned in your post Vr5fx was to hold the reset button in for at least 30 seconds. I will try that one first. However right at the moment I am running updates on the old XP computer as it hasn't been on for a while. Once it is fully updated, then I will try the reset button, as that does ring a bell that I pressed the reset when I thought there was a problem, only to find it was my ISP had gone down about two or three weeks back. I will report back after trying that and other fixes including firmware updates should they prove necessary. Nev.

Edit to add:- VR5FX beat me too it, thanks Steve, the connector you show can be used or the splitter I showed. Yes Jim, correct for the cable I showed, the one in your picture is actually a spare power connector for a graphics or sound card. If you carefully pull the cable off your hard drive, you will see there are quite a lot of fairly fine connectors rather than pins and socket holes, the SATA power connector is different to most other power connections. Nev.

This is a little strange, and must be a bad one for me to be cap in hand and asking for help. However I cannot get into my router settings, here is what is happening. According to instructions in the router manual which is common for most routers anyway, you enter the IP number 192.168.2.1. into Internet explorer address bar, this opens the first page requesting the user name and password, which the defaults are Admin and 1234. So I put them in and all that happens is the page flashes but stays there, nothing else opens up. Screen shot here of first page= http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/plasticpig/Routeraccess_zpsb802b368.jpg If I try any other password I get the usual message of incorrect password or user name. Full details of the router are- Edimax 150Mbps wireless ADSL2/2+ Modem Router. AR-7284WnA/AR-7284WnB. Any idea's any one as to how I can get further and access my router settings? I have accessed the settings previously in order to get and copy the manual, and also turn off the wireless function as I don't need it. So how do I get into it now, I have checked my Comodo Firewall, and MSSE antivirus, nothing shows up as any sort of block in them. I am reluctant to shut down the firewall as I shouldn't need to. Nev.

Edit to add:- just seen you have a spare power cable in the computer so ignore the below, though it may prove useful for someone else. This is a power SATA splitter cable, that you may be able to use to provide the power by splitting away from the hard drive or CD/DVD drive power cable Jim. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Akasa-AK-CBPW05-30-SATA-Power-Splitter/dp/B004BSFSVS/ref=pd_sim_computers_3 Nev.

Hi Jim, just looked and yes I am afraid it does need a separate power supply cable to run the hard drive as that cable you linked to is just data only. Have a look inside the computer first and see if there is a spare SATA power connector, it will be exactly the same as the one already connected to either the existing hard drive or the existing CD/DVD drive. If there isn't a spare cable and you are going to go the clone route, the CD/DVD drive power cable can be used, as you will not be needing the rescue disk. otherwise, I am sure I have seen a piggyback type of power connection extender that could be bought to use. I will look to see if I can find one. Nev.

Hi, there are quite a few confusing connectors around aren't there? Best thing is if possible take a picture of the connector on your computer graphics port and post it, we may be able to help better once we see it. Nev.

Hi, OK although it looks like all is OK in device manager, from what I have been able to find out the error code can still be drivers corrupt or hardware gone duff. Hopefully it is just drivers. So please go back to device manager, click the small arrow, then double click the next item to appear, it should open a box. Take note of the name of the box please as I may need to know whether it is Realtek AC97, or other make of sound system. Does it say "This device is working properly"? Then next click on the tab for drivers. Some options may be grey and unusable, however there should be one option that says either "Disable" or "Enable". If it says "Enable" please click on it to enable it and check the sound system then If it says "Disable" then please ignore it. "Update driver" is the next to try. If it says the driver is up to date, and there is still no change, to ensure the driver is replaced with one not corrupted, click the uninstall. Once Windows has removed the driver, shut down completely and then reboot the computer, Windows should then search for the correct driver and re-install the most up to date available. Let us know how you get on with that first, it may be all that is needed. Nev.

Hi Jim, you asked a couple of questions I will try to answer. (Edit to add:- Just spotted Ken posted some helpful stuff while I was writing, however here is some more for you.) First is regarding the restore or rescue disk needed for the Macrium reflect. As you will have seen you have to create this disk yourself using the Macrium software. You have a choice of either creating a simple Linux disk, or the more complex Windows PE disk. I will say now that creating the Windows PE disk is much the better disk, as it is more flexible for use with any Macrium backup you create where the disk will be required. The only drawback is the size of the file which has to be downloaded, and depending on internet connection speed, can take a a long time. However I recommend doing so as I found the simpler Linux disk can sometimes not recognise the external hard drive, depending on the make of hard drive. So what exactly is this rescue disk? The answer is that it is a small but complete operating system, plus a copy of Macrium reflect, which is needed to be used, in order to handle the transfer of the image from your external hard drive, onto the blank and new internal hard drive. Is the simplest way of describing what the rescue disk does. You may have read about running any of the Linux operating systems directly off the DVD disk rather than installing the Linux system. The rescue disk is just using the same principal to run an operating system, plus the Macrium software, as until the transfer or copy of your image is complete, the new hard drive and therefore the rest of the computer, doesn't have an operating system, but there has to be one somewhere. The rescue disk is it. All the above is for using an external hard drive to first copy an image onto from the entire internal hard drive, this image is compressed though complete, and includes the complete operating system as well as all files and folders of photo, video, music, and document data. You do not need the original Windows XP/Vista/7 operating system disks. It is all there in the full image, providing of course you selected the option to create a full system image. A system image, being compressed takes up slightly less room on the external hard drive and is why an image is preferred as a means of backup protection. Within Macrium Reflect there is also the option to create a full system clone, now a clone is a different type of system copy and is a totally complete copy that is not compressed, unlike an image which is compressed. I tried to explain earlier that this clone could be used directly, and here is how. First you obtain the replacement new hard drive which will replace the risky old hard drive, and first put the new drive into either a complete enclosure, (sometimes called a caddy) or cheaper still, obtain a SATA to USB adapter, and use it to connect the new hard drive to the computer. Using Macrium Reflect you create a clone copy of the old dodgy drive which is put on to the new drive in its adapter or enclosure. Being a clone and fully complete on the new drive, you just remove the new hard drive from the adapter or enclosure, throw out the dodgy old drive and fit the new hard drive in its place. If all went well, the computer is back up and running off the new hard drive. Next question you asked. The hole or slot on the left in your first photo, looks like a possible docking slot for an extra internal hard drive, it may possibly be used for either a floppy drive, or if big enough, (hard to tell from photo) it may also take an ordinary CD/DVD drive. One of those things where one needs to be there to fully examine the case to be exactly sure, unless of course you have seen one elsewhere before. No doubt Ken can offer more help next time he is on line as I have to go now, but hope I have helped you in understanding a little more of what we are doing. Nev.

Hum, one of the problems that just might jump out is the original size and therefore partitions that are on that 500GB, (468GB) existing drive, so to transfer an image of it to a much smaller drive may not actually work. Don't quote me on that though as I don't honestly know having never tried it. It may work if a partitioning tool is used to reduce the existing partition to a size that will fit, thus leaving a large "Unallocated" space on the original drive first. Therefore the 64GB memory stick should be OK. (Where the heck did you find one that big???) Nev.

Hi and welcome to Extreme Tech Support - Free PC Help Alan. Can you have a look in device management please, to get there click "Start" then "Run", copy and paste this below into the box and click OK. devmgmt.msc When the device manager box opens, scroll down the list till you find "Sound, Video and game controllers", click the arrow on the left to expand it. Are there any red or yellow marks against anything in there? It depends on what you find there as to which way we go next. Nev.

Hi Jim, you will first need an external hard drive, or a caddy/enclosure or USB adapter for the new drive you intend to use to replace the old one. Depending on which you have the methods are slightly different. If you have neither, a caddy/enclosure or adapter is perhaps the best and quickest, and also cheapest. Next is to download and install an imaging program, there are a few about that are free or at least free versions of pro paid for. I use one called Macrium Reflect plus an external hard drive for major backup purposes. What these programs do is to make a complete and exact copy of whatever is stored on your internal hard drive, which is then transferred to an external hard drive. That copy can then be used to re-install everything on to the internal hard drive should there be any major problem, being the normal uses. You already have the major problem looming up in the near future of course so a complete image of the existing hard drive is getting to be a bit of an urgent thing. Using Macrium, you can do quite a bit but in your case we need to look at two alternatives. If you already have a fairly large external hard drive that has enough space to accommodate the contents of the internal drive, then a full image is the way to go. You then fit the replacement drive and copy the image back on to the new drive. The second option is to obtain your new replacement drive and a caddy/enclosure or adapter, then use Macrium to clone the existing hard drive on to the new drive while it is in the enclosure. Simply take it out of the enclosure and fit into the computer. For information regarding Macrium Reflect, KenB wrote a very good tutorial along with a little help from myself and you can find it here= click here Don't hesitate to ask if something isn't clear Jim. Nev.

Edit:- Seedy got there while I was writing, please follow his suggestions first if possible, then look at this post and let us know. Hi, sorry but a few questions, firstly, how old is the computer or when did you get it? Secondly, when did the problem start? Thirdly do you have Windows updates set to automatic, or turned off altogether. The time the problem started and the Windows updates questions may be important as Microsoft in their wisdom issued a bad update recently which caused problems on some computers that have an unknown as yet, software installed. So if the problem is recent, and within the last two weeks, let us know as near as possible the date it happened. Nev.

Thanks for the feedback Ian and glad to hear all is sorted. No problem about being late, life does sometimes get in the way and hope the emergency wasn't too bad. Nev.

Hi Ray, a screen shot, even taken with an ordinary camera, will at least give us chance to say "Blimey, I haven't seen that one before":D However it might give a clue as to what may be wrong. Nev.

Hi, there are to my knowledge no fuses on motherboards, though the component you may be looking at and labelled D3 and D2 are more than likely diodes, if it is a glass encapsulation and is discoloured like the inside of a blown fuse would look like, then it is probably blown, it may also have blown internals of chips as well, whatever it was that happened to destroy the diode. A picture of it will definitely help me to decide. What happened to make it pop by the way? However if so then I doubt the mother board is salvageable as we don't know what else is damaged by the high current that did that. So we get back to your first question, what else in the computer may be OK, what may not be OK. That now does depend on what caused this to happen in the first place, as surge currents can damage RAM, and if part of the supply for the CPU it could also have damaged that. Unfortunately the only way to find out is to try them on a similar motherboard and computer. That also goes for the graphics card. Even if they are damaged and will not work, it is unlikely to do damage on a new or other board, it just won't work is all. The hard drive should be OK and that can be tested on another computer by fitting it to a USB caddy or simple adapter, adapters are cheaper if no caddy. Nev.

Thanks for the feedback on that Jim, firstly glad you found that the sound track itself must therefore be in mono, but why it wouldn't play while in Stereo is a small mystery, However I will look this up as I have a feeling it may be something in the D to A chips, (That's the bit that converts the Digital signal to an Analogue signal the amplifier can handle.) There just maybe some confusion when it sees a true single channel mono signal. I could of course be way out, but I will try and find out for my own curiosity. Nev.

Hi Jim and welcome to Extreme Tech Support - Free PC Help. Can you let us know the full model number of your PC we may be able to find something of help for you. No promises mind but sometimes we can turn up a dealer you might have missed seeing. If this power adapter is similar to most as in mains power in and low voltage out, and there are any details on it such voltage and power in Watts or amps, there may even be an alternative that can be used. Let us know the details if there are any please. I doubt if it could be refurbished or repaired as these things are usually sealed with little or nothing replaceable inside, even once you have broken your way into them. However do give it a good looking over, if you can see either screws or other fixings, perhaps hidden under a label, there may be a small chance. Let us know what you find and we will see where we can go from there. Nev.

Hi Ray, here I am again, as continuation from Ken, the 15" LCD screen should also have a power connection, either direct from mains or through a small power supply, is that connected? If no power the backlight can't work. Q 2, I think Ken has covered that, though rare for a new cable to be faulty, it can happen. Though if the cable is OK, there may just be some oddity regarding the resolution of the TV screen against the resolution the laptop graphics can provide. Q 3. There are plenty of third party system image making applications, myself and Ken use one called Macrium Reflect, we can give more information if needed. Q 4, not sure what you mean and a screen shot would help, does it do this on your desktop monitor when using that? Nev.

Hi and welcome to Extreme Tech Support - Free PC Help. First is a whoa, slow down a bit, lets first be sure it is the motherboard, fair enough to say a popping sound can be bad news, but it may be elsewhere and not the motherboard at all. Have you firstly had a good look round the board, not just on top but have you had it out of the case and looked underneath as well? Is there any black marks, capacitors showing leaking gunge, any other components looking burnt? If there isn't any signs of damage there is a good chance there might not be, and the next thing to look at would be the power supply. Have a look through the vents, do not take it apart even if the power is fully removed, but can you see anything inside looking burnt or is there a burnt smell from the power supply? it can be tested, but the best test is try the power supply on another computer, or try another power supply on this one. The second is better and safer, as a bad power supply can in rare cases cause damage to another board. Let us know what you find, and if possible post a picture of anything you are suspicious about. Nev.

Hi, so what we are looking at is temperature high it crashes, temperatures much lower and it runs OK. Considering this is temperatures felt at the back of the case, which I assume must be near the power supply, it may be the case fan not running when it should, or if the power supply has a fan it could be that, or even the whole power supply faulty. Check the fans are running first and also at a speed fast enough to do some good, if they are OK then the only other check is try a different power supply. Nev.

Hi Jim, if it is a codec issue try this site. http://www.windows7codecs.com/ I have to ask are these DVD disks copies of an original or are they originals? If copies there may be a DRM issue where the original has buried coding preventing a full copy being made, in which case the sound just isn't there, so no clever software will be able to retrieve it. Nev.

Hi Jim, it may actually be better to first try a different, and free, player first. Have you tried the VLC Media player? it can handle quite a lot of different file and codec types that Windows Media and other players can't. You can download and try it from here= http://www.videolan.org/ Give that a try and let us know. Nev.

Hi Ray, I had a similar HP all in one printer that kept throwing up a similar message, I discovered the fault was the flexible ribbon cable that connects the print heads to the rest of the machine, the constant flexing had eventually cracked a conductor. I hope in your case it isn't that bad as the cable is not something I could find as a spare, and fitting would need special tools if I could. I was forced into buying a new printer. Please be aware it may be the same fault, though I hope in your case it is only a faulty cartridge. Nev.