Plastic Nev

Hi Ray, at least that works, and like Ken suggested an increase in the amount of RAM, may help. I suggest having a look at the Crucial website, then run their scanner, it will tell you how much extra RAM you can fit and what type is needed. http://www.crucial.com/ look for their System scanner, if using Internet explorer it should work directly I think, or if using a different browsre such as Firefox, you may have to download to run the scanner. You don't need to buy from them, but take note of what they recommend. Nev.

Hi Ray, it would be interesting to know how well this works, first go to Google's main page, then at the top click on Maps, if you then hover your mouse pointer over the small map icon on the top right, you should see first the Google earth, click that and the window opens asking you to download the GE plug in, ignore that, you should see in the place of "Earth", the word "Satellite", if you click on that it will give you at least the ordinary satellite photo's. From the photo's, zoom in to wherever you want and provided on a public road it should go to "Street view" it isn't of course the full 3D, but at least you can view places and things directly from your browser. Nev.

Hi, being more a hardware than software man, my take is that considering the Intel ® Wifi link 5100 AGN having now returned to showing as connected according to your device manager, yet previously wasn't there at all. That is to the point of not being seen enough to even give a usual red or yellow warning, and I assume would not have been found if a search had been done, suggests a poor connection, perhaps on the motherboard or if the WIFI unit is a separate card, the socket it is plugged into. The fact the laptop was not used, and maybe lid folded down and moved somewhere out of the way, could have been just enough to jolt a connection back into being good enough for it to work. Let us know if it happens again, and if possible a check of any connections can be done then. There is a possibility of there being a removable panel on the underside of the laptop to gain access to the WIFI unit if it is a separate plug in thing. Plus of course, next time, we know it is the Intel wifi link we will be looking for, and if it is connected, the Speccy program Ken linked to will find it. If no sign of it in Speccy, it is more than likely totally disconnected. Nev.

Hi, firstly glad to hear all is OK now. However, I must warn that we never recommend using registry cleaners, without a very good knowledge of the registry they can do serious harm. Have a look at these two different articles and read why the authors do not recommend registry cleaners. They say a lot more than I can. http://www.edbott.com/weblog/2005/04/why-i-dont-use-registry-cleaners/ http://www.whatthetech.com/2007/11/25/do-i-need-a-registry-cleaner/ Nev.

Hi, those cream blobs, if set solid are usually an adhesive put there by the manufacturer to hold them in place. The readings on capacitors must only be taken and believed when it has been de-soldered from the circuit board, any reading you see while still connected could be other components. That holds true of any component on a circuit board, at least one end must be disconnected to get the true value. When removing the electrolytic capacitors, take note of the polarity, there should be a + sign near one of the wires, make sure it goes back the right way round, mark a + on the circuit board if not one there. If still a zero then that is the problem, being small low value capacitors, you may not see much of a charging kick on the multimeter readings, but if you do it is also good news. Did you check that fuse I pointed out and is it showing continuity? If that has blown due to a faulty component it will have to be replaced as well. Nev.

A bit middle of the road are "Trust" products, I have had some good stuff and some not so good from them in the past. As an example, a long time since I bought one of their data transfer cables so I could shift or copy stuff off my XP desktop to my XP laptop shortly after buying it. The cable worked brilliantly and did the job and many times since. However I have an ordinary desktop microphone by Trust and it is very poor quality, flimsy sort of construction and sound recorded is poor. Nev.

That is a good result and a quick turn round of the job from those people. A couple of hours at most as you posted in the morning before taking it in, and reported all was well again by 4-45PM. You know where to go or recommend next time and it isn't the first shop you went to. Thanks for letting us know. Nev.

Hi, yes you will have to actually remove it from the computer. If you haven't got one, you can get a can of compressed air, available from most computer and spares retailers. (You will need it) First turn off the mains power at the wall socket, then remove the main computer case cover. If I have got this right, this is your graphics card = http://www.trustedreviews.com/opinions/nvidia-geforce-8600-gts-msi-and-leadtek-head2head You will possibly find a small screw at the top of the metal strip that has the monitor ports on it. Remove that, then carefully lift the card out of the slot it is plugged into on the mother board, a slight rocking back and for may help release it. Once you have the card out, if the picture is correct, to get the best results the pressed metal cover can be removed by removing the six small screws, That should expose the fan and the cooling fins of the heatsink. Use the compressed air (Best done outside if weather is fine), in short bursts, to blow out any dust and other dirt accumulated, a soft small paint brush, (None nylon) will help loosen dust clogging the vanes of the heatsink or fan. Use short bursts from the can as longish bursts may send some liquid out. Once clean, replace the metal cover and refit the card back into the computer. If you follow that you should have no problems and is not as awesomely difficult as it may seem when we say "clean the graphics card". :D Nev.

And let this be a warning to any one else who thinks they are being clever or some sort of smart a***. We have seen it all before, many times. To prevent any abuse, or further foolishness, I am locking this thread. Nev.

Hi Konrad, the actual lamp tubes themselves, the only test is by putting the high voltage on them to make them strike across, they are a miniature fluorescent lamp with only gas inside, so no continuity at the low voltage of any continuity tester. However, thanks for the photo and I have a couple of suggestions and comments, first is those capacitors look perfectly OK, including the big light green one. I have copied and put some marks on the photo as you will see below. The black box things I have put a pinkish cross on are I think the high voltage transformers for the lamps as they are near what I assume are the output sockets, marked in red, that go to the lamps. They have a Danger warning and triangle next to them, which is a good indicator they are high voltage. However one thing I spotted that can easily be tested is a fuse and have marked it in green. What it says by the side of it is T2A meaning it is a 2 amp fuse. If that is blown, then it is a start in I hope a right direction. My Photo is hosted on Photobucket by the way. http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/plasticpig/Monitorboard_zpscac3c986.jpg

That's OK, let us know how you get on and don't hesitate to ask if needing help in dismantling stuff, as and when you get time to do it. Nev.

Hi I would remove the drive first before going for a caddy locally, that way you will know which type, IDE or SATA to buy. Nev.

Hi Konrad, for pictures there are basically two options, either use the forum file up loader, or if a possible future need to post pictures on other forums, you can join a photo hosting site. You upload the photo to the host site, then use a link provided by the host site which you then include in your post here. Photobucket is a popular hosting site used by many, including myself. However if wishing to use the forums own file up loader, first click the usual "Reply to thread" button, then under the reply box you will see, "Go Advanced", click on that. After writing your post, scroll down to "Attachments" and click the box "Manage attachments" The window that opens, click "Add files", then "select files" you can then browse through your computer to find the picture you wish to post. Nev.

Hi, and a welcome to Extreme Tech Support - Free PC Help from me, as I know you have another issue elsewhere. First is a word you will like and it is YES. It will of course involve removing the hard drive from the broken machine first, though if you know which end of a screwdriver to hold, it is quite easy to do.:D Next is to buy either an adapter, or for a little more expense an enclosure, sometimes called a caddy. These will connect the old hard drive to a USB connection on your laptop, which you can then use to access all files and documents on that drive. Here is an adapter as an example= http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bipra-SATA-Adapter-Power-Drive/dp/B001A5SK56 As yet I don't know if your old hard drive is the older IDE standard or the newer SATA standard, however with that kit it will connect to either. If however once you have retrieved all the data you want from it, and then wish use it as an external hard drive as extra storage space, it may be better to obtain a caddy. Here is one, http://www.ebuyer.com/store/Storage/cat/Hard-Drive-Accessories/subcat/Caddies-&-Enclosures though a search around most retailers will possibly find one cheaper, but you maybe will need to know if the hard drive is IDE, or SATA. To find out is quite easy, once you have opened the old computer and found the hard drive, the data cable (Not the power) gives a very big clue, IDE is a broad flat cable, usually grey in colour and about an inch and a half wide, If it is SATA the cable is much smaller, may still be flat, but is only around half an inch wide. You may get lucky and find an enclosure that will work with either IDE or SATA, but they are usually more expensive. If needing help in finding the hard drive within the old computer let us know, we can help with that. Also once you have removed the hard drive and need to get rid of the remains of the computer, most council run waste disposal sites will take it. Nev.

Hi Timmy T and welcome to Extreme Tech Support - Free PC Help. Does this warning come up associated to Adobe? Flash player or other? Have you run any security scans? If not please download Malwarebytes free version from here= http://www.malwarebytes.org/ Click on the free button, it may take you to a mirror download site so once again make sure you click the free version. Once downloaded, install it, making sure any unwanted tool bars are not ticked, and then open it. Make sure you then update it first and then run a scan. Once the scan has finished it will produce a log in notepad, please copy that log and paste it here. If anything looks wrong I will ask one of our security experts to have a look for you. Nev.

Considering the old originally MSN and now Windows live messenger is soon to close, I downloaded and installed Skype via the links Microsoft themselves provide. Bearing in mind that full VOIP is available in excellent quality, I bought this headset and mic at the local Maplin shop- http://www.plantronics.com/uk/search/index.jsp?term=Audio+628&page=1&siteSeachSubmit= Very well made bit of kit for a manufacturer I had never previously heard of. Nev.

OK, so long as you are aware of the high voltage risks, especially if plugged in to the mains which for voltage checks, being mains powered it will have to be, I wish you the best of luck. However my betting is that all capacitors will be OK and the fault is either an open circuit winding on the mains transformer, a bad soldered joint, or other components, including the previously mentioned lamp or lamps. By the way that high voltage capacitor is there for smoothing the high voltage needed to make said lamps light up. The voltage is usually created in what is called an inverter circuit, part of which usually has a much smaller transformer than the mains one, I have heard of them frying to extinction but also the transistor that powers it going duff. Add to that, there could be other faults on the rest of the circuit that handles the raw data, and convert it to enable the screen to show it. Nev.

Hi Rupert and welcome to Extreme Tech Support - Free PC Help. I am not sure if any differences with Windows 8 to my Windows 7 regarding this, but it should I think be similar. Lets see if we can get this computer into the advanced boot options screen, sometimes called "Safe Mode". Restart the computer and start tapping the F8 key on the Keyboard. Hopefully you should see This screen. Using the up and down keys to move the highlight, select first the "Repair your computer" as in this screen shot, and hit the enter key. See how that goes first if you can get there. Nev. http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/plasticpig/Safemodefirstscreen.jpg

Hello and welcome to Extreme Tech Support - Free PC Help Maggieann.

Hi Ian and welcome to Extreme Tech Support - Free PC Help. As far as building a machine of your own we can help as much as you need, but bear in mind there is a tremendous amount of choice out there as to what parts will do what, with the only proviso that the more expensive, then the more likely it is to be faster, or more able to cover your needs. General advice is to first consider what you want the new computer to do, then look around the various suppliers and manufacturers for the parts that can at least cover your needs for the price you can afford. Otherwise do look round, you may find all the information you need in questions asked and answers given to others, however if something is hard to understand or different to what you want, do ask, we can normally answer. Nev.

Hi Konrad, I would forget the capacitors for now, if none have exploded or no gunge seeping out of the bottom where they mount onto the board, they are more than likely to be OK. How does the monitor get its supply? Is it from direct mains or through a power supply? If a power supply, it should tell you on its label what voltage should be coming out of it, a test for that at the low voltage end is next. If however the mains power goes straight into the monitor, I seriously recommend to not carry on any further as the risk of an electric shock is severe! Any further testing should only be carried out by trained service personnel. Nev.

Hi, now having had chance to do some research, this monitor is an LCD type, this means it will have an illumination lamp or lamps on one or both sides of the screen. Quite a good descrition from that guy as to how to get into the monitor, good find Ken. Do take notice of what he says about being careful with the innards Konrad as damage is too easy to do and difficult to make right. Quite often it is these lamps or the inverter that powers the lamps which fails. You may be able to obtain both lamp and inverter from specialist electronics outlets if no obvious capacitor failure can be seen, as it is easier to replace both than try and fault find on the inverter board. The lamp or lamps are often hidden under a reflective foil on one edge of the screen and when exposed looks like a short and very slim fluorescent tube. It will be the full length of the side it is on, and around 4 MM diameter. Follow the wires from the lamp to the inverter board to find the board. Nev.

A call to a computer help line. Caller- Hi, our printer isn't working. Service engineer- Hello there and what is wrong with it? Caller- Mouse is jammed! Service engineer- Mouse? Printers don't have a mouse!! Caller- Hummm, oh REALLY? I will send you a picture. http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/plasticpig/Printermouse_zps29ffe2c8.jpg Nev.

Hi, I assume this is a recovery CD that came with that computer when new, if it is a disk that came with a different computer, it will not work. However if it is the original disk that came with the computer, is it damaged in any way, scratches for example? If it is scratched, providing it isn't too deep, the scratches may be polished out by specialised CD recovery polishing machines. As recently discussed privately among our staff, any used games or used DVD/CD retailer may have one. May be a small charge for the service. Nev.

Do you have an external hard drive? If not I recommend you look round for one, preferably one that is equal in size or larger than the drive on your computer. You can then either transfer or copy data, in complete folders if you wish, onto that external drive as backup of individual files or folders each at a time when convenient. There is also a method normally called "creating an image", and storing that on the external hard drive. That does mean a little more work and time to do, but a full image includes every single thing stored on your computer including the full operating system, programs installed, in other words the lot. A full image should be remade at regular intervals, say monthly or more frequent if major new stuff is stored, and older images deleted, that way you will always be able to return the computer to what it was at the time you made that image. If interested in making an image we can explain further and how to do it. Nev.