Plastic Nev

Hi Jim, if a local lightning strike did damage to the local telephone exchange, that could be a reason, have you tried getting in touch with your Internet Service Provider (ISP)? They may know if there is an area problem, or at least test your own connection to see if it is just to your address only. Quit correct though about lightning causing railway problems, but nothing in this article regarding telephone exchanges. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-17777918 Nev.

Hi, From the Microsoft support that error code signifies a file fault. To be correct an NTFS file faulty, I am afraid that a disk is the only way unless someone knows otherwise. The disk must also be of the same Windows system, for example Windows XP Home, or Professional. You may be able to buy a new one at a reasonable price if a disk cannot be borrowed. Nev.

Hi and welcome, most if not all of us may have been a bit nervous when we first started, I know I was. Now they let me advise others like yourself :D Nev.

Hi Becky, This actually might be a FN key related issue. With some laptops you can turn the mouse pad off when using a USB mouse. Look for a symbol similar to the mouse pad on one of the keys, usually the top row F keys, once you think you have it, try pressing and holding down the FN key then the other key that you find. In my case on a Toshiba it is the F9 key. Try that one first just in case it is a standard. See if that toggles the mouse pad back on. Nev.

No expert in netbooks I am afraid as I only have a standard and now ancient laptop. However, have a look round, decide on price you can afford against specification you would like, then post links to what you have found and someone with better knowledge will maybe guide you on that. Nev.

After a look around the drive spindle speed is 5400, which should be fast enough. Data transfer isn't that slow from the spec I found here= http://www.techarp.com/showarticle.aspx?artno=663&pgno=2 So, unless there is some strange fault making it slow down now and then which the checks done so far haven't shown, I doubt it is the drive itself. That can only be proved by fitting a new one though. Nev.

How about free? Have you tried Open Office or heard of it? It is a completely free open source equivalent to the Microsoft Office. Open office does have word processing as well as many other good things., download to install from here= http://www.openoffice.org/ Nev.

Hi Kurt, If any of the above doesn't help, it may be worth while running it through a file converter to a different format, even WMV for instance. Here is a link to an excellent and free converter called "Adapter" http://www.macroplant.com/adapter/?utm_source=Adapter+%28PC%29&utm_medium=desktop+app&utm_campaign=Adapter+%28PC%29+1.0.3.0 If that can't dig the actual video out of the file, it isn't there to start off with, and you have got a bad copy. Yes, that can happen too. Nev

Hi Jim, from the checks you have done it does look like all leads are OK, so the only thing now is a look inside the printer itself. As soon as the lid is off, have a good sniff, any smell of burning at all means the likely end of the internal power supply. But if not, there just may be an internal fuse fitted which could have blown. Nev.

Hum, not knowing what exactly iy looks like, I am a little stuck, but I assume it must need some sort of adapter to go on the end of the power pack lead, that will then plug into the caddy, am I correct? If not supplied, the only thing is to get in touch with the supplier and let them know. If you can take some pictures of both the end of the lead, and also the hole or socket the lead should plug into, I might be able to advise further, but no promises. Some of these things are unique to the devices they are intended for. Nev.

If what you now say is true, this is definitely a case for the police. Don't mess around any more, that guy needs to be sorted by the law, not us. Nev.

Sorry, as Jelly Bean said, we cannot help regarding passwords themselves or means to crack them. My only other suggestion is to ask this person why has it been done and what purpose does it achieve. Nev.

Hi and welcome to Extreme Tech Support - Free PC Help. I have looked at the link and photo, unfortunately the photo is just not clear enough to see properly where those connections should go. Quite often there are markings next to connection pins and plugs as to what they are for, but sometimes may be too short or small to understand exactly what it may mean. Can you get any good close up photo's of the spare pins or plugs/sockets as I also cannot find much information or better view of the board. It is quite an old series of motherboard. Nev.

If it can be proved that the locking out of these charity owned laptops was done maliciously, I would at least recommend consulting solicitors/lawyers as this may be firstly a civil matter rather than criminal. Nev.

Hi Simon, just read back yet again and just to check, you have changed RAM to all new. You have changed power supply to one bigger. Have you looked at the paging file? Have you changed the primary hard drive? Paging file is a part of the hard drive that Windows uses as vitual memory when there may be a need for memory above what the RAM can support. Ideally this should be system managed. to find out and change it if needed, click start, control panel, system. In the left pane, click Advanced system settings. If you're 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. Clear the Automatically manage paging file size for all drives check box if there is a tick in it. 5. then put a dot in the button for System Managed Size. 6. click "Set" then OK. Nev.

Hi, XP black is not legal in any way. I suggest you look at the Microsoft license terms, you will find that any modification of their software is forbidden. In fact creators of similar modifications have already been successfully prosecuted in the courts. My own thoughts are what happened to the original Windows 7 installation or recovery disks and why not re-install that? Nev.

Good to hear you found the problem, for others following, check the risers are both correct in number, and also in the right places. In this instance a wrongly positioned and one too many was shorting the motherboard to the case. It is an easy mistake to make, you aren't the first to make it and possibly not the last matabhaine. nev.

Hi, that NVidea GeForce 9600 GT is according to what you said earlier about it, is your card that is showing and not the on board, this means that it must have automatically disabled the on board when fitted. Some Graphics cards do that, so at least we can now rule out any conflicts with the on board graphics I think. You don't need to disable anything, in fact if you did you would possibly not have any graphics. Nev.

Ah, I see, indeed a laptop hard drive is smaller at 2.5 inches so a caddy for that would be too small. Once you have the correct size, it is usually only a couple of screws to remove and replace to fit the drive into it. After that it is just a matter of plugging the USB lead into a working computer and then looking for the files you want in the same way you would if it were a pen or flash drive. Any problems with it don't hesitate to come back and ask. Nev.

Hi, just in case you may have the right caddy and not sure if you have things correct, let us know which ones you have bought please so we can advise further. They should be for a 3.5 inch SATA drive, is that different to what you have already bought? Nev.

Hi Simon, to disable the on board graphics, open device manager first, it should look something like this, http://i48.servimg.com/u/f48/14/68/69/96/device10.jpg As I only have on board graphics, the N Vidia is the only thing showing after clicking the expansion arrow as per the little red one!! In your case you should see both the on board and the graphics card. Only do this next move if you do see the separate graphics card and it shows as working OK, double click on the on board as mine is highlighted blue, you should then see this window, click on the drivers tab at the top as in my shot here= http://i48.servimg.com/u/f48/14/68/69/96/graphi10.jpg Then click on the disable button as arrowed and click OK. Nev.

Hi, the large amount of RAM isn't actually needed, I run Finale and for realism will bring in Garriton (GPO) and only have 4 GB RAM installed, you most certainly won't need a full GB for each instrument. RAM memory is shared in these circumstances, not split with a GB to each instrument, though the first GB may be needed to get the ball rolling so to speak. Nev.

Beginning to look like a duff motherboard, have you tried it with the motherboard out of the case as Ken suggested? That will at least prove if something in the case is shorting a connection. Nev.

Hi, blimey this is taking some time to sort out and bet you are near to tearing your hair out, :D You may have a point about compatibility though, so please post the make and model of both the graphics card, and also the full details also of your mother board, oh and for good measure the make and model of the CPU or processor, someone may spot something if those are known. Nev.

Hi, when I answered here, unfortunately I hadn't seen the thread you started here in XP related forum. http://extremetechsupport.com/threads/13354-audio-no-sound Jelly bean has given you some useful information and links to follow up. Please continue there and once you have got that code 10 error sorted, either Jelly Bean or myself, (or other member) can carry on from there. I will lock this thread as it is pointless and time consuming trying to follow two threads about the same subject. Nev.