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Posted by: Thomas Kaira Mar 14 2011, 05:27 AM

Due to some recent hardware woes being experienced here, I've decided it might be time to open a thread dedicated to PC Hardware. If you have questions about what to buy, are having system problems, or just want to brag about your PC, all that is most welcome here.

To begin, a response to mALX's recent BSOD issues:

PFN_LIST_CORRUPT means that something (usually a hardware driver) is screwing around with the Page Frame Database (which in layman's terms is how Windows keeps track of paged memory, or memory being used by applications, drivers, etc.). Given your experiences, it sounds like perhaps your GPU drivers are what's causing the breakdowns.

Problem is, the drivers you have are completely compatible with your card, so I am inclined to believe that this may be a warning sign that your GPU is dying.

Have you been having any other problems related to your GPU, like overheating?

Posted by: mALX Mar 14 2011, 05:53 AM

Yes. I had an enormous extra fan installed and a powerful motor to run it, and lately it has been running as fast as it will go periodically - even when no pages are open with lots of colors on them.

Posted by: TheOtherRick Mar 14 2011, 06:02 AM

I'll definitely let TK do the tech talk, but I have a layman's solution to overheating, and I won't say it is the best one by any means.

We have a computer here that had the same overheating problem. We wound up taking a side panel off the case and have had no overheating problems since then. This requires having some canned air handy at all times, to keep the dust off. We blow it out every morning before we turn it on.

Posted by: mALX Mar 14 2011, 06:51 AM

I am positive it needs to be cleaned inside, we live in a dustbowl - several quarry's in the area, farmland, etc.

I upgraded the graphics card, the power supply, and the fan when I bought it.

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Mar 14 2011, 07:08 AM

I do this all the time. It's a great quick-n-dirty way to keep your PC cool. Downside is, as you said, it requires more frequent dusting to do this, but Compressed Air dusters are cheap.



Yeah, you may want to look into getting a new GPU soon. Try going for the GeForce 9 series if you are on a budget, or look for my card model (8800GT). My card is quite good, and you can get it for very cheap nowadays.

Posted by: mALX Mar 14 2011, 07:17 AM

I think it has the NVidia GForce 8600 GT right now, just two years old. I only play Oblivion at half graphics - would that burn it out so soon? GAAAAH! I wonder if the extended warranty I bought is still active?

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Mar 14 2011, 07:21 AM

Taken from the Wiki on the 8 series:

I really hate to say it, but your card might be defective. Overheating GPUs can cause a slew of problems and BSODs. That's just speculation, but that's where all the evidence I've seen thus far is pointing. If you are under extended warranty, make sure to let nVidia know about that.

Posted by: TheOtherRick Mar 14 2011, 12:18 PM

If you have to replace the GPU, and you are not opposed to ATI...Might I suggest ATI Radeon 5770HD. You can get one from Newegg.com for around $130-$160. It is the card I am using and I can run Oblivion and Fallout 3 at max settings with no issues. It requires a power supply of 600W minimum.

Posted by: mALX Mar 14 2011, 03:46 PM

Thanks. I found the warranty paperwork, it is expired...bleah. I'm going to try to still bring it to the Geek Squad and hope they'll fix it even if it costs me, I don't know of any other PC fixing people around here.

Thank you so much TK, for looking up that info for me - I would have had no idea what to look for. You ROCK !!!!!

Posted by: mALX Mar 14 2011, 03:58 PM

When I said my power supply I added was massive - I meant big looking and heavy to carry, not powerful.

I have only a 400W power supply. GAAAAH. I'm going to bring it to the Geek Squad and if they won't fix it I may need to get another PC tower. (hopefully something that will be compatable with the POS HP monitor - and the printer (which I actually like except it goes through cartriges like a termite on Skooma. It's called the "all-in-one because it uses all of the cartridge up in one printing session).

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Mar 14 2011, 08:16 PM

A power supply will also degenerate over time and provide less power. If your power supply is 3 years old, for example, it may only be capable of providing 380 Watts (rough estimate).

My computer is equipped with a 1000 Watt supply to keep this from being a problem. If you do need to get a new GPU, I would also suggest upgrading to something around a 600 Watt PSU. That doesn't require a whole new PC, you just need to unplug and replug everything the PSU is providing for.

However, there is one outlying question I need answered: Is your motherboard PCI-Express 2.0 compliant? If not, then you are really looking at a new PC. You cannot buy a decent GPU without PCI-E 2.0 compliancy nowadays. *looks it up* I just looked it up, and the 8600GT is only PCI-E 1.0 compatible. Do make sure you have 2.0 available, because a MoBo upgrade is equivalent to a full system upgrade.

Posted by: mALX Mar 14 2011, 11:09 PM

I don't know how to find out, device manager? Anyway, it is in the shop now. Canned message below:

Just got back from the Geek Squad, had to leave it at the shop $255. just to diagnose the problem and sell me an external hard drive to copy files to so they don't lose them. (however, I have to sign a waiver saying if they lose my files I am USCWAP.

Then I bought a laptop, thinking they would nicely give me a copy of my documents so I'd have something to do while they have my pc - that was a fail.

So right now I am on my HUNDRED YEAR OLD HP that I had to keep reformating every couple days. The monitor is round, the pc is very slow. The mouse doesn't have a wheel on it. I can't read anything on this monitor. Too tired to set up the laptop yet.

I'm going to eat something and will get back on here later.




@ Rick -





Uh, if it is the graphics card I may have a problem. TK said the mobo may be a POS that doesn't take good graphics cards - well, it is an HP, so I would almost bet it won't take the great ones. I think they were sqeezing all the life out of the [censored]er when they sold me the NVidia GForce 8600 GT and installed it - I did tell the guy when I bought it that I wanted to be able to play OBLIVION on it. Gaaah.

So now the SAME STORE just talked me into a laptop that is supposed to be able to play Oblivion, Fallout 3, and SKYRIM (did you know the requirements list is out? I have a copy of it!!) - It is an Asus
G73S - now that I am home and not being pressurized by the salesman I plan to look it up and see how much I was taken in this time. It does say "Republic of Gamers" on it, that is what sold me really - the salesman could have been a talking squirrel after that.

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Mar 14 2011, 11:34 PM

Now hang on! I never said that your MoBo was terrible, I just said that it is rather important to have PCI-E 2.0 compliancy on a modern gaming machine (as well as 64bit, which I do not have). So long as it does, which it might )I don't know the ins and outs of PCI-E that much), it might be perfectly reasonable to think that a PCI-E slot could take both varieties. At least you have it!

As for the laptop, those are pretty difficult to game on, particularly because you don't have the same hardware flexibility as a desktop PC. Try cramming a GTX 460 into one of those little paving slabs! That card is as tall as some laptops are wide (minor exaggeration)!

Posted by: TheOtherRick Mar 15 2011, 12:21 AM

mALX...please do some research before purchasing an "in store" computer. I bought the computer I am using right now from an online company. The bare bones price (no monitor, no software) was well under $1,000. However, that doesn't include shipping. I was a huge Best Buy fan forever and the fellow geeks over at the BSGF forums talked me out of there and into online buying. I am so glad they did.

Let me dig up my spec sheet and I will post exactly what you can get and for how much. This way TK (who obviously knows his chit) can look at it too. I will also post a link to the BSGF thread where this all happened for me, if I can find it.

Posted by: SubRosa Mar 15 2011, 12:22 AM

I believe my GTX 580 is longer than most laptops, and probably weighs more too, and uses more power...

But yes, laptops are not ideal choices for gaming. You pay more and get less of everything, especially the ability to upgrade at a later date. Unless you absolutely have to tote your computer around with you to different locations (as I do at work, as I am Road Warrior), you should never buy one.

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Mar 15 2011, 12:50 AM

I must QFT here. ALWAYS buy your desktop PC custom-made. Alienware, Dell XPS, etc... all rubbish. You have no control over what goes into those machines, and you pay an extra shiny Septim for the brand name.

My PC was completely custom made by a local retailer. What exists inside it is being pushed to the absolute best it can be; absolutely nothing is holding my system's hardware back. You can't get the same by buying a pre-assembled tower. Who cares if you've got a glowy-eyed Gray on the front? What matters is what you have inside.

Make sure that you research everything you want to put into your PC. That is the bottom line.

Posted by: mALX Mar 15 2011, 01:49 AM

GAAAAH!!! It's too late, I already bought it ... BUT - I just played Oblivion at high graphics on it without a hitch, not one !!! My desktop with that upgraded graphics card and power system ran it at medium, when I tried to put it on high it stuttered the game - GAAAAH !!!! I am pretty excited about it (today anyway, lol).

OH !!!! And the tilde key works on the laptop - it never did on the PC, I had to get the "Ring of Console" on the PC !!! WOO HOO !!!!

Here is what it has:

Intel I7 2.0 Ghz
8 gig ram
1 gig dedicated to graphics
64 bit
Windows 7 Home Premium
NVidia GE Force GTX 460 M graphics card
2.0 Webcam
Intel WIFI Wimax6250
700 gig hard drive (7200 rpm)

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Mar 15 2011, 01:56 AM

But can it do THIS?





Glad to hear your laptop is working out okay!

Posted by: mALX Mar 15 2011, 03:05 AM

HOLY CRAP, TK !!! ROFL !!! - I haven't had any Oblivion gates open yet, I'll see how the framerates take a cut when they do. If it is too bad I'll drop the graphics down to medium. Can't wait to get some mods on my game though, the vanilla Maxical cat was ... vanilla.

It has a full keyboard, but when I pick up my PC I am thinking about getting a keyboard and mouse for it - all mine here are HP's and I don't want to curse my laptop by hooking them up, lol. If you have any particular gaming preference in keyboards and mice ... feel free to advise, otherwise I'll go with logitech.

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Mar 15 2011, 03:14 AM

If its just basic stuff you're looking for, Logitech is the way to go. They make some pretty decent mice and keyboards that will last you a while.

Oh, and I always take a performance hit when near Oblivion Gates. I think it's because of that heat shimmer shader effect, it's a killer. Kinda like the water reflections. You can turn that effect off, but it will leave behind graphical artifacts (black squares), because it seems to be a hybrid shader/particle effect. Basically the shader gives the shimmer effect to the rendered scene behind those squares and fills them in. Without the shader, the squares don't get textured and are left black.

Posted by: TheOtherRick Mar 15 2011, 03:23 AM

I won't ask what it cost. The specs look decent. You have twice the RAM that my desktop has, but a slower speed (2.0 Ghz vs. my 2.95 Ghz). If you didn't have Windows 7 before, you're gonna love it! It has the stability of XP with some of the better features that Vista tried. I have always been a desktop guy, so I know diddly-squat about laptops. My biggest fear with laptops has been overheating. It just seems like there couldn't be enough airflow to keep a serious GPU cooled in a laptop. But like I said, I know diddly about them. Not much point in posting the links and specs that I was going to now.

RE: Keyboards and mice - I have always stuck with Logitech. They have proven to be good equipment for the buck.

Here's hoping it all works out for the best...you deserve it after the problems you have had recently.

Posted by: mALX Mar 15 2011, 04:33 AM

Thanks !! I've got my fingers crossed. It has two gigantic fans sticking out the back, and it weighs enough that I will have to switch sides I carry it on frequently to keep from looking like Sigrid on one side and Amusei on the other from lugging it around.

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Mar 15 2011, 08:38 PM

Well... I'm having computer troubles of my own, it would seem now.

I was attempting to defrag my hard drive, but the program I was using crashed every time I tried, corrupting several vital files in the process. This rendered Windows unable to boot properly. Last time I use an off-standard defragging program....

I'm restoring a backup of my system now, which thankfully, I was able to import all of the data I wished to keep (game files, savegames, story drafts, pictures, etc.). I should be back up and running in about an hour or so. In the meantime, I've borrowed my mother's computer to type this out and keep me occupied.

EDIT: OK, I've finished my backup and got most everything back in the state it was when the crash occurred. I do need to re-install my sound card's drivers but that won't be too hard.

Posted by: TheOtherRick Mar 15 2011, 11:23 PM

I hope this isn't catchy...first mALX, now you...nervousness is setting in.

Posted by: mALX Mar 15 2011, 11:30 PM

ROFL !!!! I hope not too. If I have to spend much more time on this round screen monitor I will start swaying when I walk like a sailor on leave. I have to get a keyboard and mouse for my laptop - I rest my wrists right where the touchpad is and it is extremely sensitive. Just hovering over it makes it flip through stuff. On the Oblivion game I kept drawing my sword out and attacking people without realizing it. Thank goodness I was unarmed when I punched out Uriel Septim.

Posted by: haute ecole rider Mar 16 2011, 12:28 AM

You punched Uriel Septim? How dare you?

I would look to see if you can adjust the trackpad to ignore light touches. Mine (Apple Mac Book Pro - four years old) has a system setting that allows me to adjust the trackpad sensitivity.

Ditto on external mouse and keyboard. Using the built-in input devices on my laptop just aggravates my carpal tunnel.

Mine is starting to get hinky - I'm trying to figure if it's the recent system update that's buggy, or if my logic board is finally going. I've never used a lappie longer than two years . . .

But this one is soooo cool! I edit all my photographs on it, and all my writing (backed up to external disks and the cloud, of course).

Which reminds me, I've got to back up my Aperture library. I'm off now.

Posted by: mALX Mar 16 2011, 12:46 AM

Lol.

BOLD: Would that be in the control panel?

Posted by: haute ecole rider Mar 16 2011, 01:44 AM

Welp. I'm not near a Windows computer to verify, but I think that is correct. At least, it's where I recall all the system settings dwelling on those machines, anyway. But I've only used up to Windoze 2000 (sucks). XP was the best version I've used, and the version I'm most familiar with. But that's where I would look for it. If you want, PM me and I'll send you my email; you can then send me screenshots of the control panel contents and I can help you find the right place to go. Or else you can wait for TK or one of the other Windows users to chime in and help ya out. I'm used to clicking on things until I find what I'm looking for, so I don't always remember how I get there!

BTW, I've heard good things about Windows 7, and I mean really good things. Stuff normally reserved for Mac OS X (the best OS out there, though I can't vouch for Linux, never having used that one). So it seems you've finally got a MS product that actually does what it's supposed to do!

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Mar 16 2011, 01:58 AM

You've obviously never tried ME before. Why did M$ even bother to release that bug-ridden piece of trash?

And let's not forget the debut of Plug-n-Play on '98. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGLhuF3L48U

I don't usually use laptops, though, so I can't vouch for where the touchpad controls would be located. I hate touchpads, anyway, so the sooner you can get your mouse, mALX, the better.

Posted by: SubRosa Mar 16 2011, 01:58 AM

Touchpads for laptops often have a third-party app controlling them. Often it will put an icon down on the right hand side of your taskbar. See if you can find that, and change the settings.

Otherwise try Control Panel -> Mouse, and see if the pad is listed under connected devices, and try adjusting it from there.

If worse comes to worse, go to Control Panel -> Device Manager - Human Interface Devices. The touchpad should be listed there. Right click on it, and Disable it. That should shut it off completely.

Posted by: Acadian Mar 16 2011, 02:01 AM

I fell in love with 7. When I had to replace my Vista OS computer, the new one had 7. The guys were able to clone or port or whatever my whole old machine into the new one thanks to some whiz bang 7 feature. I don't mean transferring data files or whatever, I mean cloning an entire complex mod-enhanced installation and dropping it into the new machine.

Once they fired it up my whole patched, modded OB installation ran perfectly. Even my desktop complete with wallpaper was there on start up. A new computer, but no reinstalling. How cool is that?

Posted by: mALX Mar 16 2011, 02:06 AM

I got a wireless mouse and it works great! Calibrated the colors on the screen so this site looks brown/tan like it is supposed to (instead of neon purple) - now to figure out the touch pad. I didn't find it under control panel - I miss my icons that tell what is in control panel instead of these elegant looking phrases all bunched together under a heading. I wonder if I can fool with that and fix it the way I like it too?

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Mar 16 2011, 02:11 AM

I believe it might actually have been just as simple as plugging in your hard drive to a different computer and upgrade-installing Windows. Upgrade installs do not require a full reformat of the disc, see. If your Hard Drive follows SATA protocols (which nowadays most of them do), they are universally compatible. You can plug it into any computer and it will work without any need to tinker with drivers or any of that beeswax. Since your hard drives were not harmed when your previous machine kicked it, all that really needed to be done was take your drives, upgrade-install to Win 7 (which was possible because you previously used Vista), give you some nice shiny new hardware, plug in your HDD and kaboom!

Just in case you were wondering how that happened.

But what if you got a new drive in the bargain? Well, simple -- they did all the work on your previous drive... then cloned the data over to the new one. I use that sort of technology all the time (in fact, just today).

Posted by: haute ecole rider Mar 16 2011, 02:24 AM

I'm notorious for re-using my hard drives from dead/dying computers.

Most recently I upgraded the HD in my laptop computer. Instead of tossing/recycling the old drive, I bought a external HD enclosure for it (FW 800 compatible - I love speed), cloned it to the new drive, then re-formatted the old drive and now I use it for backup of all my photographs. It works just fine for that purpose.

I'm just geeky that way. Dad taught me to DYI, and I just extended it to my computers.

Posted by: TheOtherRick Mar 16 2011, 04:29 AM

Ugh! I remember WinME, and I couldn't agree more. I have come to believe that ME was to XP what Vista was to Win7. Just an experimental sandbox for M$ to try new stuff.

I do know that I love Win7. All the better features of Vista without that horrid memory hogging.

Posted by: King Coin Mar 18 2011, 05:02 AM

I am looking at a new motherboard and processor and I'd like to know your thoughts on this before I go out and drop some coin.

I was considering the Intel i7 2600
http://www.amazon.com/Intel-i7-2600-Processor-Socket-LGA1155/dp/B004EBUXSU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1300420457&sr=8-2

It appears to be no different than the Intel i7 2600K which is $30-$40 more.

Is this a suitable processor for gaming? Are there any others you would suggest?

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Mar 18 2011, 05:11 AM

Let's see, Core I7 2600...

Quad core, check.

Hyperthreading, check.

3.4GHz, check.

You're good.

I know this because I'm running on a quad core without hyperthreading at 2.40 GHz heavily modded without issue.

Do keep in mind that Oblivion is not really going to care much about the first two features, though.

Posted by: King Coin Mar 18 2011, 05:22 AM

Thanks for the input.

I'm thinking ahead to Skyrim and possibly other games. I wouldn't be buying a quad just for Oblivion.

What is the difference between the 2600 and the 2600k?

EDIT: it appears that the only difference is the onboard graphics. So, the 2600K is not really worth dropping the extra coin on.

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Mar 20 2011, 06:21 PM

Okay, just finished my backup.

Here's what I do: I make a full copy of my hard drive, exactly as it is, onto a separate drive that I keep on standby, disconnected from my PC's power grid most of the time. This ensures that no malicious programs have any hope of harming the contents of that disc.

What do I keep on that disc? Everything. State of Windows, games, etc. It is a perfect copy of my primary hard drive at the time the backup was performed. So good is it, in fact, that if I encounter a problem on my primary disc, I can still boot my computer into my secondary disc in case there's anything important I wish to add to the backup that wasn't there previously.

This sort of a backup is known as a disc clone. Every file, in exactly the state it was in, gets copied to a separate hard drive. If my PC's primary drive gets corrupted, I have a very effective and simple "undo" button.

Also, the software I use to make the clones is operated outside of Windows. It's the main reason I still have a 3 1/2in. floppy drive, actually.

Benefits?
-Extremely easy to do
-Provides a backup I can actively manage
-Ensures no data corruption or damage from malicious programs
-No need to pay for some shifty online service
-If all else fails, I can boot into the backup disc just in case it is needed

Downsides?
-It takes a while
-You need to remember to keep the clone updated, because reverting to an out-of-date clone can cause you to lose a lot of work.

Posted by: mALX Mar 20 2011, 09:04 PM

Speaking of which - I just got my PC back from the shop. They copied all my files onto an external hard drive thingy (375 gig). They were supposed to put them back on the PC when I got it back but had not done it. When I complained they said I could do it myself or leave it another few days (after I drove over an hour to get to their shop).

I took the PC and external drive - but don't know how to get my files back on there.

Then, the PC was filthy and filled with dust when they handed it to me. I said, "What's this? Why didn't they clean it when they were working on it?"

They said I didn't ask them to. So I told them to CLEAN IT !! I had to wait another half hour, they give it back to me, and as I am carrying it out, the case falls off. They didn't put the screws back into the case. I had to bring it back in, and they said, "Oops!"

Geek Squad, people. Take it as a warning.

Posted by: mALX Mar 20 2011, 09:05 PM

Speaking of which - I just got my PC back from the shop. They copied all my files onto an external hard drive thingy (375 gig). They were supposed to put them back on the PC when I got it back but had not done it. When I complained they said I could do it myself or leave it another few days (after I drove over an hour to get to their shop).

I took the PC and external drive - but don't know how to get my files back on there.

Then, the PC was filthy and filled with dust when they handed it to me. I said, "What's this? Why didn't they clean it when they were working on it?"

They said I didn't ask them to. So I told them to CLEAN IT !! I had to wait another half hour, they give it back to me, and as I am carrying it out, the case falls off. They didn't put the screws back into the case. I had to bring it back in, and they said, "Oops!"

Geek Squad, people. Take it as a warning.

Posted by: TheOtherRick Mar 20 2011, 09:34 PM

My mother uses her computer for work. She has a monster that I drool over every time I am at her house. She is a graphic artist for a company that makes beach towels, boogie boards, beach chairs and umbrellas, etc., so her computer is her life. She took it to The Geek Squad (she bought the machine from Best Buy and paid for the best warranty available) and they had the machine for 3 WEEKS!

Bottom line...Best Buy and The Geek Squad are pure crap for buying and servicing computers. I'll never buy an in-store pre-built computer again.

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Mar 20 2011, 10:12 PM

Now you can advise with experience. NEVER EVER EVER let the Geek Squad look at your computer. They have no clue what they are doing and their work ethic SUCKS. No professionalism whatsoever.

When it comes to computer maintenance, I always always always DIY. Either that, or let a trusted source look at it, and to earn my trust with my machine takes a lot of work; currently only two people have it (my step-father and his true son).

@mALX: For getting all the data off the hard drive, you will need a program like Symantec Norton Ghost, which is a disc cloning/imaging tool. I can't advocate which one supports Vista best, but if you were on XP, I would suggest 2003. Ghost 2003 has practically never let me down (though the Ghost brand has taken a dive in recent years.

What you should do, however, is go back, demand to speak with their manager if need be, and get them to give you your data back. That's personal info; you can sue if they refuse.

EDIT: It is also possible to clone your disc in Linux. If you can get your hands on a copy of Ubuntu Linux 10.04, I can help you through the procedure there. I recommend getting a version you can boot from a disc; that way you don't have to screw around with partitions on your hard drive.

Posted by: Olen Mar 20 2011, 11:00 PM

DIY is all very well if you know what you're doing but with more advanced things it takes a while (and mistakes) to learn. I wouldn't recommend learning on a computer which has data you need.

Before I did this stuff myself I found tiny little computer shops were the best. The ones which aren't part of a chain can't afford lots of advertising so rely on word of mouth and customers returning. They're not as cheap, but they do sort things out. Just ask around for recommendations.

Failing that find someone who knows, but give them something for their time (booze is a good bet, here at least). Once people think you know computers you get asked quite a lot, it's a lot easier to give an explaination you know is useless than to actually fix it.

Posted by: treydog Mar 21 2011, 12:39 AM

When I worked at the Computer Store at the University, we tried to always give people their money's worth. Helped that we were "cost-recovery" rather than "for-profit".

Do not know how close you are to Knoxville- or if the Computer Store still does repairs. But I would trust them.

Another alternative would be to see if a nearby technical school or community college with a Computer Science program could do the work...

I did my classes at Pellissippi State- and look where I am today! Drooling in a corner... no, wait.

Actually one of their former students is the head of IT for the Mercedes plant in Birmingham. So---

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Mar 21 2011, 12:53 AM

Just in case you weren't already convinced these guys are trouble... http://consumerist.com/2007/05/top-geek-squad-stories-to-date.html

One of them should look familiar to you, mALX...

Posted by: mALX Mar 21 2011, 06:03 AM

They sent me home with my files on something called "My Passport Essential 320 GB - thingy - but I had to pay retail cost for it, of course. But I'm not sure how to get the files off it. He said, "just stick them on your desktop in a folder and just go in and out of that folder whenever you need anything from your old files."

The thing is, when I was dropping it off, they said they would put it on this device for storage, then when my PC was fixed they would put all the info back on. I believed them, because that is exactly what Acadian's shop did for him when he brought his PC in for upgrades.

I had to re-install my email, internet access, printer, scanner, etc. - that meant digging through my house and finding the old discs for everything (thank goodness I had everything in one place.

They said they restored my PC to its original new state (which had a bunch of 6 month free trial stuff on it - including Norton anitivirus, which is almost like giving yourself a virus in itself). They deleted all access to the 6 months free, but left Norton on the PC - even though they all carry "Norton removal tools" on a thumbdrive around their necks. I asked him to take it off, he said no. He said I had to go home and do it myself, that they didn't do that out of hand without an order for it. I said ... But you are the one that put it on there! GAAAAH !!!

My son said if my PC was food, the geek squad would have spat in it before giving it back to me. (because I was getting very ticked off).

@ Treydog - Is the PC shop you are talking about on the UT campus? (Where? - pant, pant) - UT is like an hour away, I know most of the campus though. (well...I know the strip, UT hospital, the Vet hospital, and 17th street - Ft. Sanders Hospital, lol). I may or may not have climbed a telephone pole on a dare on the strip at one point in my early twenties ... not admitting to anything though.

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Mar 21 2011, 06:39 AM

:facepalm:

You have left me well and truly speechless with horror. "Just put the files on a folder and drag the ones you want off to the desktop?" I need to shoot that bozo right now.

mALX, take it from me, do not return to the Geek Squad, ever. If I received my PC back with Norton on it, I would have marched straight back and demanded it be removed with much vigor and anger. That thing is such a resource hog and is so difficult to remove it's like a malignant tumor.

You still have the external drive they put all your data on, right? I suggest finding someone who knows his stuff (ask around, they rely on word of mouth for business), and have him figure out what's on that external disc. Afterwards, if all looks well there, have him WIPE your hard drive as it is now to EVISCERATE Norton with extreme prejudice, and clone the contents of the external drive back onto your disc. However, I still fear for you. Knowing the geek squad, they may have screwed that up, too.

Really, how hard is it to run a simple disc clone? It only takes about an hour or two.

I beg this of you mALX, never ever ever ask the Geek Squad for help again. They'll just take your problem and make it ten times worse. They are a horrible blight on the computer market and deserve to die a slow and painful death.

Posted by: King Coin Mar 21 2011, 06:53 AM

I didn't like the Geek Squad just because they are Best Buy but they sound truly terrible.

If you need to find a place I recommend just getting on google maps and typing "computer repair near [your town and state]" I did that for my town and I found lots of small places.

Posted by: treydog Mar 21 2011, 11:48 AM

Apparently the Computer Store (in the Student Center) does not do much PC repair anymore. They use PCS Computers, located in Louisville. (Literally within walking distance of where I grew up).

Anyway- to echo the above- generally smaller shops are better. But how do you know until you have had an experience with one of them? In future, you might ask small businesses/professionals you frequent who they use and are they happy with service. Every office has computers now- and someone has to be maintaining them.

Really sorry for your experience, mALX. Even though I am more a "hobbyist" than a technician, it gives all computer repair a black eye to have someone treat you like that.

Posted by: mALX Mar 21 2011, 02:58 PM

I've been up all night. I loaded in Oblivion, then (just copied) files from that external hard drive into the Data folder. So far - I still have Maxical and Shivani (YEAH!) - but the "Ring of Console" is not working. That means I can't access the console anymore. I can still get that mod at TESNexus though. The basic instincts mod is working well. (haha).

The Pirates and Werewolves mods are not working. Shivani appeared in the Tiber Septim hotel. (I'll live with that).

I had to reinstall EVERYTHING - email, internet connection, printer, scanner, Kaspersky Antivirus, had to re-register everything including my word docs before it would let me on to them. It was ridiculous.

Each one of those things has a code you have to have to re-register them, so I had to dig all through the house to find the original paperwork with those codes on it - and the codes are glued onto the little white paper disc covers, not always in great shape when you find them. GAAAAAH !!!

The good news is, Maxical is still Maxical, and Shivani is still Shivani !!! WOO HOO !!!


@ TK - Oh, the Geek Squad had def lost me as a customer after this crap. They used to be very good here, but all the people I always dealt with are gone now. The ones that have taken their place don't know, don't care that they don't know, and could give a crap about the customer in general.

I agree totally that Norton is like a malignant tumor, you can't get rid of it once it is in and it drains the life blood from your PC. Kaspersky is quit a drainer too, but at least it doesn't crash your PC. Wait, my PC did just crash! GAAAAH. It'll be Trend Micro for me from here on out, never had a problem with them.

@ Treydoggie - The closest PC shop to me (that I could find) was around Callahan and I-75. I went in there and they sell PC's that they have repaired (supposedly) - my PC ran better than any of them when it was crashing. Everyone of them was filthy - I decided to drive the whole [censored] way to Best Buy - which is like ALMOST as far west as you can get and still be in the ANNEXED part of Knoxville. I found another small one (before going to Best Buy) over in the middle of town Merchants & Clinton Hwy - their shop was clean, but they didn't have a single gamer in there, and when I asked a few questions (that I know the possible or probable answers to) - the guy kept saying, "A yuk...der...I dunno." - which is why I went to Best Buy, lol. - I would LOVE to find one that handles gamers, but I'm sure that is just dreaming, lol. I would settle for someone that knows the case gets screwed shut at this point.

@ King Coin - Oh, that is a great idea. I may need to find a way to rate them though - maybe just go in and ask them how many Geek Squad's does it take to screw the case on a PC - (answer: none, because they forget it needs them to stay together....gaaaah !!

@ Olen - DIY is out for me. I already pictured that. Forgetting to unplug the PC before sticking a screwdriver in was the least of it. Trying to vacuum the dust out and having the metal vacuum cleaner nozzle sucking the motherboard into pieces while the PC is plugged in - that was about when my thoughts of doing it myself hit a big NO!!! GAAAAAH !!! Lol, and my vision of how I would do was probably as accurate as it would be if I tried.


@ Rick - Three weeks! They had mine one and I became a surley monster. If your mother goes on a nice vacation and leaves you minding the shop - I'll bet she comse back to find Oblivion on her PC, lol.

Posted by: TheOtherRick Mar 22 2011, 01:17 AM

LOL....I already have it on her machine. But I don't get to play it much there. She usually has it balled up with her work. Plus, she won't let me put mods on her machine. She is uber-tight when it comes to downloading ANYTHING on her computer. I told her I could bring it over on a flash drive instead of downloading anything...but....

Posted by: mALX Mar 22 2011, 03:31 PM

Lol, I can see it now...she gets up from the PC to use the rest room and hears mysterious noises coming from her home office. "For the Empire!" "CLACK CLACK!" "I've fought mudcrabs more fiercesome than you!"

Posted by: King Coin Mar 22 2011, 06:29 PM

Quite frankly... it sounds like anything at this point would be better than the Geek Squat. Small places need to do their job well because they can't afford to piss off customers. Best Buy is big enough that pissing off everyone doesn't really hurt them. (At least not right away)

I use McAffee anti-virus. It seems to do well.

Posted by: mALX Mar 22 2011, 09:56 PM

I never had a problem with Trend Micro as far as coverage on my PC went - it did a great job. The company made one of their products obsolete while I was using it once, and I got into a big huff with them over it because I still had 6 months left on my subscription. They didn't want to upgrade me to their new product unless I bought it first - which I refused to do because I knew down the road they would short me the 6 months I had already paid for.

We argued back and forth for a month before they upgraded my service, and I refused to go back with them after that. However, seeing as I've tried all the others and their products aren't near as good as Trend Micro - I am willing to try them again. I got it for the new laptop - just have to wait for the Kaspersky to end in like 233 days before the PC's get it.

Posted by: King Coin Mar 24 2011, 06:43 PM

My Intel i7 2600 and Gigabyte P67A-UD3-B3 motherboard have arrived! Just waiting for the new memory to come in now!

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Mar 24 2011, 06:59 PM

Keep in mind you will need to re-install your OS if you perform a MoBo upgrade, King Coin.

Posted by: King Coin Mar 24 2011, 07:03 PM

Time to hunt down that external HD then.

Posted by: mALX Mar 28 2011, 05:33 AM

I had some mod files GHOST'd on Wrye-Bash when my PC went to the shop a while back. They transferred all my files to an external drive, then just handed me that and told me to put them back on my PC by myself. (after charging me for the external drive).

I put the Wrye-Bash files back where they were originally in the Oblivion/Oblivion Data/ and Desktop - but Wrye-Bash and Boss won't open - they are trying to reinstall instead. My mod list is showing in Boss, but the files that were GHOST'd are all missing except a few misc. files from some, the .esp's from others.

Does anyone know how I can recover GHOST'd files from Wrye-Bash under these circumstances?



** IF I can't recover them, (after I am done crying and smashing my PC) - I plan to "Uninstall" and then "reinstall" Oblivion to start with a clean slate again (since for some ODD reason my landscape has all disappeared and my character is running around on a green and purple rubber mat suddenly).

Is this hard to do? Can anyone give me tips (step-by-step instructions would be welcomed and appreciated) on how to do it?

Thanking in advance for any help !!

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Mar 28 2011, 05:42 AM

Could you get a screenshot of the problem? Purple(ish) landscape can take several forms and there are multiple reasons for it occurring.

Posted by: mALX Mar 28 2011, 03:24 PM

I got a screenshot, will upload it today and post a link.

Posted by: mALX Mar 28 2011, 05:54 PM

Here is the best example I could find in the screenies I took :

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Mar 28 2011, 07:58 PM

Ah-ha!!!

That, my fair maiden, is a sure sign your shaders are broken.

You can get fresh shaders http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=20348

Posted by: mALX Mar 28 2011, 08:18 PM

Thank you !!! I DL'd, will let you know if it fixes the problem !!

Posted by: King Coin Mar 28 2011, 09:22 PM

memory came!

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Mar 28 2011, 09:56 PM

Not really, when it comes to purple landscape, there are two common causes:

1. As you see above, broken shaders. This causes the game to tile on the texture and normal for the Landscape LOD quad you are currently in instead of the normal terrain textures, making the terrain look bluish-purple.

2. The textures are flat-out missing, resulting in a very bright pinkish-purple color. This means you didn't install the game properly or you have a badly implemented BSA Alteration Archive Invalidation occurring.

Posted by: King Coin Mar 28 2011, 10:09 PM

My post was actually unrelated to mALX's computer problems. The 4G of RAM I ordered came in the mail today.

http://img857.imageshack.us/img857/2118/p3280036.jpg

Posted by: mALX Mar 29 2011, 01:00 AM

WOO HOO !!! Are you building it tonight?

Posted by: King Coin Mar 29 2011, 05:09 AM

Just got done with it in fact.


new specs

Manufacturer: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
Processor: Intel® Core™ i7-2600 CPU @ 3.40GHz (8 CPUs****), ~3.7GHz
Memory: 4096MB RAM
Hard Drive: 500 GB @ 7200 RPM
Video Card: ATI Radeon HD 5770


**** I have a quad core with 8 threads, not an Octa-core

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Mar 29 2011, 05:15 AM

Yeah, yeah, yeah... too bad Oblivion ain't gonna care.

[/envious rationalization]

Posted by: King Coin Mar 29 2011, 05:43 AM

Want to hear something funny TK? I put the new motherboard/processor/RAM in and hooked it up to my HD without reinstalling 7 and it did NOT blue screen! and I had an AMD processor in there before! It ran like crap but it ran! I have since reinstalled the OS and it runs great!

Posted by: mALX Mar 29 2011, 03:05 PM

** mALX slips in a puddle of drool **

Posted by: King Coin Mar 29 2011, 03:11 PM

Posted by: TheOtherRick Mar 29 2011, 03:26 PM

Our machines are almost twins...Same MOBO, same RAM, same graphics card, but different processor. I have an AMD Phenom II x4. I am curious as to which AMD processor you had because this one runs great. It is a hair slower then your i7 (2.80 Ghz vs. your 3.40 Ghz), but once you get up near 3 Ghz, the difference is barely noticable.

Posted by: King Coin Mar 29 2011, 06:33 PM

I had an old Athlon 64 dual core. I have no particular affinity for either brand, the Intel just seemed like a better deal cost/performance. This board has a turbo feature that Intel processors can take advantage of that temporarily over clocks the processor.

Posted by: TheOtherRick Mar 31 2011, 07:29 PM

OK...this is really a software question rather than further hardware discussion, but I need advice. My McAffee subscription is going to run out on 5/10/11. I am tired of paying $85.00 a year for it. Plus, money is really tight right now. So, can anyone recommend a good, reliable, FREE internet security suite?

Posted by: SubRosa Mar 31 2011, 09:38 PM

I have used Avast! for several years now, and have no complaints.

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Mar 31 2011, 10:35 PM

Mozilla Firefox with Ad Block Plus is very helpful with filtering out those horrible, virus-ridden Flash ads.

As for the AV Software, AVG is reputable and has a free version available. I'm using a paid version of the software, myself, and it with the above means I am quite safe surfing the web. I'd imagine the free version would be very helpful, too.

Although recent reports have said that AVG is getting a bit off-key, so do please only select what you think is best for you.

Posted by: SubRosa Apr 1 2011, 12:15 AM

Is there anyone who doesn't use Firefox? Foolish mortals...

Posted by: King Coin Apr 1 2011, 12:38 AM

Chrome is faster!

Posted by: treydog Apr 1 2011, 01:49 AM

Another vote for AVG- it does quite well- especially for a free version- and has none of the bloatware annoyances of Symantec.

Posted by: TheOtherRick Apr 1 2011, 08:16 PM

This one doesn't use Firefox...yet. Still using IE8 here. I found a free internet security suite though. Got good ratings from cnet, PC Magazine, and Bright Bulb. It is called COMODO. Installed it last night.

Posted by: haute ecole rider Apr 1 2011, 09:00 PM

When I have to use Windoze, I really like Firefox.

Google Chrome is intriguing. I probably will get more familiar with it as I work on developing the website for my church.

I will not have IE8 (or any iteration of IE) on my computers.

As a Mac user, I run Safari, of course. Love that it's fast and quite streamlined. Haven't yet compared load speeds with GChrome yet, though.

Man, I've come a looong way since Netscape!

Posted by: haute ecole rider Apr 1 2011, 09:00 PM

When I have to use Windoze, I really like Firefox.

Google Chrome is intriguing. I probably will get more familiar with it as I work on developing the website for my church.

I will not have IE8 (or any iteration of IE) on my computers.

As a Mac user, I run Safari, of course. Love that it's fast and quite streamlined. Haven't yet compared load speeds with GChrome yet, though.

Man, I've come a looong way since Netscape!

Posted by: Olen Apr 1 2011, 09:01 PM

Have you tried firefox with adblock plus (I hate banner ads), quick java (great for stopping scripts from sites you don't trust) and flashblock (quick java technically can block flash but it's not as pretty about it)? Add in FireGestures for mouse gesture navigation and you have my base set-up, the other twenty or so add-on explain the massive weight of my install.

It's one of those things that you didn't realise you needed until you get it. Chrome is ok, but there aren't as many addons and I've found it a bit unstable.

As far as Anti-virus goes my advice would be:
Free trials of the better ones: NOD32 (the best by a long way IMO), Kaspersky, BitDefender and Panda are all good and free trials can keep you going for a while (though are a faff on).
The cheaper system I use now is:
Avast! Personally I prefer it to AVG, it doesn't catch everything and gives the odd false positive and is a bit heavier but AVG misses more and is a bit clunky. However it isn't as good so where getting a virus is likely I use Linux which doesn't get viruses (well tends not to, use something weirder if you're that worried).

Posted by: King Coin Apr 2 2011, 05:30 AM

Any way I can get around this?

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/4710/mech32011040123225679.jpg

It worked fine on Vista, but on windows 7 it doesn't. I've ruled out the GPU.

Posted by: mALX Apr 4 2011, 04:50 PM

WOO HOO !!! Finally got it working, thanks TK !!!

The directions on the mod tell you to copy the file to Oblivion/data/shaders - they really need to detail that for people like me who don't know. You have to open the file "select all" and copy THAT to the Oblivion/data/shaders - (and replace all)

Posted by: Burnt Sierra Apr 4 2011, 05:07 PM

Well, I'm having a nightmare with my pc gamewise at the minute, and was just about to start a new topic when I saw this - and it kinda fits I suppose.

Some games (DA:O, DA2, Risen) I'm having no problems with, others (The Witcher & COD) crash with this message displayed:

"Display Driver NVLDDMKM stopped working and succesfully recovered"

I've done a google search, and there are thousands of posts going back to 2007 with this same problem, yet no solutions! Obviously it's the Nvidia card, but I'm just looking for a way to fix this.

Anybody else had this problem? Did you find a solution, or do I just forget about certain games until I buy a different graphics card?

Any help appreciated.

Posted by: Olen Apr 5 2011, 11:12 PM

I'm guessing you will have but have you downloaded and installed the most recent drivers from nVidea? Windows often moans about them not being approved but they tend to be better.

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Apr 6 2011, 02:59 AM

Well, this is random...

My computer doesn't seem to like my joystick anymore. When I plug it in and start my computer, Windows BSODs on bootup...

...but when I unplug my joystick, the problem vanishes.

Yay Windows.

Posted by: mALX Apr 6 2011, 03:05 AM

Can you reload the software for it?

Posted by: Burnt Sierra Apr 6 2011, 06:27 PM

Yeah, I have. To be honest I think it's just an issue with the combination of Vista & Nvidia, especially seeing how many people have been struck with it. But, getting on for four years since the issue started getting reported, no fix has come about from either Microsoft or Nvidia.

I'd upgrade to Windows 7, but people are reporting the same issue on the Nvidia and Witcher forums with Windows 7 as well, so...

I'm at a loss - not a clue how to fix this. I've gone back and installed previous drivers, latest drivers, just about every suggestion made on all the forums, and I still cannot get past the first frickin' cut scene at the start of The Witcher. Frustrating as hell. It's not like I can play it on console either, as it's PC only. Hate paying money for a game that I cannot actually play!!!!

/end rant

Posted by: Olen Apr 6 2011, 08:34 PM

Dual boot XP?

Failing that run it under wine? By the time you've got it working(ish) the next version of windows will be out and two more sequels to the witcher and the problem will be moot anyway.


Does anyone know a decent program which records video from a webcam? I just got one and the software which came with it is predictably awful.

Posted by: haute ecole rider Apr 12 2011, 03:21 PM

Though I'm a proud Mac user (and MS-phobe thanks to my work experience), I have been following this discussion with great interest.

The console game has been interesting, and the DLC on Xbox Live has kept TES IV fresh for me, but as I'm writing my fiction, I've been growing increasingly frustrated by the limitations of the format.

Now that my Mac Pro (professional level tower) is out of warranty, I'm ready to crack the box open and install some upgrades. I'm adding 8 GB RAM (for a total of 12 GB - not the max the 'puter can take, but the max I can afford!). I'm also installing two new HD's, each 1TB in size. Because of my photography, web site work and newsletter publishing, the original 325 GB HD is filling up fast. I like the idea of internal HD's (the Mac Pro has four HD bays). Because it is an Intel Mac, it has the capability to run Windows under Boot Camp. I just never liked the idea of having Windows on the same HD as the MacOS. But thanks to my tax rebate --

Guess what that means?

I pick up the hardware today. I'm so excited!

Posted by: King Coin Apr 12 2011, 08:09 PM

Good that you have a tower. The ones that have the computer and display as 1 unit are a pain assets to do anything with. To add RAM you have to actually take the display out. Facepalm.

Posted by: haute ecole rider Apr 12 2011, 08:13 PM

Yeah, the iMacs are for those who don't touch their 'puters except to turn them on and off.

I've had towers (pro-level) since the G3 iteration (blue and white). Wouldn't switch to iMacs for anything. The towers just make better financial sense. And I love the DIY aspect of them.

What made me go ahead and get the PC installed inside my Mac was the fact that I already have a vid card that runs Oblivion just fine according to comments earlier in this discussion (GeForce 8800 series).

For 400 bucks I've got a whole new computer added to the trusty workhorse I've already got!

Still a Mac geek here, but I hear Windows run better on Intel Macs anyway, so there! *sticks tongue out*

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Apr 12 2011, 09:36 PM

So, hautee wishes to play Oblivion on the PC, it looks like?

You will not regret it.

And yes, I am running Oblivion swimmingly well with numerous graphics enhancing mods and several high-res texture packs on an nVidia GeForce 8800GT, so you are definitely good to go on video hardware.

Oh, by the way, my computer has only truly BSOD'd once over the four-year period I've had it, so there! Indie towers aren't that bad, either!

(That above escapade doesn't count, it was because of an outside source screwing with Windows' operation).

Posted by: haute ecole rider Apr 12 2011, 09:53 PM

Well, it's done. Most of it anyway.

It took me longer to blow out the dust out of my box than it did to install the actual components themselves. The hard drives are ridiculously easy to put in. The new RAM booted up without a peep.

So now I have the original 320 GB HD, two 1 TB HD's, and one more empty drive bay. Gee, wonder what I could put in there? A Linux OS?

I've also upgraded from 4 to 8 GB of RAM.

Windows 7 was almost as expensive as the RAM, but also ridiculously easy to install thanks to Boot Camp. So now I have a HD dedicated to just Windows (one of the new 1TB's) that will be running Oblivion. Skyrim? I'm not so sure. We'll see . . .

I've just got back from the game store with my Oblivion GOTY PC disc. After supper I plan on installing that sucker on my MAC and firing it up!

Then it's modding time (loading 'em, not coding 'em!)!

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Apr 12 2011, 10:03 PM

"loading 'em, not coding 'em!"

Shame, this is so much fun, and I have to admit the CS is starting to hook me in. I might try my hand at a few villages and quests of my own if I can get enough experience at some point.

And remember, if you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask in the thread.

Posted by: SubRosa Apr 12 2011, 11:12 PM

Computers are a lot easier to work on now than they used to be. I remember having to position hard drives in the right spot on the IDE cable, and moving around jumpers to put one as master and the other slave. Things like SATA make life so much simpler. Not to mention cases are designed much better now, usually with an eye toward making it easy to pop drives in and out.

I hope the rest of your PC gaming experience goes just as swimmingly! Oh, here is a thought. Once you are done installing Oblivion, copy the entire game folder and everything in it to a new folder somewhere on your drive. You have plenty of space, so no worries there. Call it something like Oblivion Vanilla, or Oblivion Backup, etc... That will give you a fresh version of the game if you ever screw something up royally with it. Rather than reinstall the game, all you would have to do is delete the contents of your Oblivion folder, and copy over everything from the backup folder.

Except of course your savegames, and .ini file, which are located in the Users\<User Name>\My Documents\My Games\Oblivion folder.

Posted by: haute ecole rider Apr 12 2011, 11:35 PM

I will probably upload it to my backup disc as well as elsewhere on the Windows drive, just in case this drive tanks. It shouldn't - Hitachi came highly recommended by my local Mac gurus. I trust them - I've been doing business with them for sixteen years (an eternity in computer time!) and they haven't steered me wrong on all the upgrades I've done.

And yes, you're right. I remember replacing the HD and installing additional RAM in my blue-and-white G3. I was so scared I'd break something! But now everything is literally plug-and-play (and Apple perfected it! ) - you don't need a degree in computer engineering (which I don't) to DIY your machines!

Well, I'm off now to have some fun! See you when I reemerge from Cyrodiil!

Posted by: King Coin Apr 12 2011, 11:46 PM

Take SubRosa's advise AND keep a copy of each mod you download in a separate location too. That way if you do have to dump your game, it's a lot easier to restore your game than searching for mods online all over again.

I'm not a fan of Macs but that's probably because I grew up on Windows.

Posted by: haute ecole rider Apr 12 2011, 11:49 PM

Lucky you! I grew up on DOS. That's why I ran screaming to Macs!

Posted by: Olen Apr 12 2011, 11:59 PM

Glad to hear things went well Haute. As for linux, personally I doubt you'd want it. Mac is better for graphics, doze is better for running proprietary software and most open source stuff is availible for both. Linux is only really useful if you need high performance (and with that rig you probably don't unless you run simulations or something) or reliability (web server style). If you do decide to run linux give a few versions a try before you settle, Ubuntu is a favourite and has good support but is grossly lacking otherwise IMO, Arch Linux is good, as are Slackware and Debian. If you want to push things a little further FreeBSD is brilliant, it's astonishingly stable and compiles software locally if you use the ports system which improves performance. It does feel a bit old fashioned though.

How about a DOS partition? DOS was cool back in the day.


Some cases... The one I has various design issues, admittably I got it on the cheap because someone had squashed it but some aspects are really stupid, like putting the hole for the chassis fan over the CPU socket. That was great ten years ago when one fan would do both but these days heatsinks are so big there's no space for a chassis fan there... It's aimed at high performance too so there's no excuse.

Here's a question for any of you who've gone over to quad/hex core - was it worth it? They're brutally expensive and I wondered how much better they work.

Posted by: SubRosa Apr 13 2011, 12:06 AM

My i7 920 is without a doubt faster than anything I have ever had before. You will not see a tremendous difference with old software like Oblivion, that was not made to take advantage of multiple cores. But multi-core apps and processors are the future, so do not hesitate to buy one.

Posted by: haute ecole rider Apr 13 2011, 12:32 AM

Mine is a Quad Core Xeon (2 processors) and runs graphics insanely. I love the way photographs look on it.

Beyond Apple's Aperture (photo management software - pro level), I haven't really done anything to push the processors. But I did notice a huge improvement in rendering between that and the earlier chips.

If you do a lot of video editing, multi-core processors are the way to go. Skyrim might also take advantage of it. I wouldn't know, but I would expect it to just because it oughta be light years beyond Oblivion in graphics.

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Apr 13 2011, 02:12 AM

Light years? You forget that Skyrim is also coming to the consoles you were so desperate to escape from, hautee. I am expecting nothing more than higher resolution textures, better animations, better lighting, and improved Distant LOD, myself. Everything else they are showing off in terms of graphics tricks (water rapids, illuminated windows) are things Oblivion was already capable of doing. Still, you'd be surprised what a console can do if you try hard enough, but I'm not seeing anything in that trailer that wowed me.

What I need right now, though, is to upgrade my PC to Windows 7. Skyrim is supposed to be able to use DirectX 10 on PC and my GPU is compliant, but not my OS. I'm sorry to say it, but XP is now starting to hold my PC back, and as much as I like it, I have to let it go.

Posted by: haute ecole rider Apr 13 2011, 10:34 PM

Welp, here's the latest.

Windows 7 is running beautifully on my Mac. Even better yet, Oblivion is running awesomely. The graphics are better (partially because my monitor is a higher resolution than the 1050p LCD TV the Xbox is connected to), and the game runs much smoother.

I've restarted the MQ with Julian. She and I are discovering the joys of the command console. We've already renamed Paint, Red and Jasmine, and we were overjoyed to learn we could do the same for the generic Imperial soldiers. So all of the Legion riders we've met so far (and a few of the city guards) will be getting their own names!

I know it's such a simple thing to be excited about, but Julian and I have hated that we couldn't do that on the Xbox. Rediscovering Oblivion this way is like playing a whole new game. I am no longer drooling, and instead am jumping up and down in my chair squealing in delight like a dumb blonde over a new pair of shoes (and I'm not blonde, BTW - just sayin'). No offense, Buffy, you're not dumb!

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Apr 13 2011, 10:42 PM

He he he. there is so much more you can do now, as well. Let me give you a few samples...

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=20053

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=16360

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=37903

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=13987

http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=oblivionmods.detail&id=3813

And best of all...

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=5296

However, please note that modding this game is a very involved process, and it takes time to learn the ins and outs of this game and how it works. However, if you will forgive my lack of modesty, that is where my experience might help you.

Posted by: King Coin Apr 13 2011, 11:10 PM

I was the same when I finally got Oblivion for the PC.

You will let me know if the named guards stick, I have a feeling that you will never see them again however.

Posted by: SubRosa Apr 13 2011, 11:46 PM

So does this mean we will be seeing screenshots of our beloved snow-maned Redguard?

Posted by: haute ecole rider Apr 14 2011, 12:05 AM

Welp, it's a possibility. I mean, once someone tells me how!

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Apr 14 2011, 12:12 AM

Follow these simple steps:

1. If you are not using HDR lighting, turn off the in-game anti-aliasing, otherwise the screenshot function won't work. If you are using HDR, the game's built in AA cannot be used alongside it, so you'll be alright if that is the case.

2. Open the file Oblivion.INI, you can find it under Documents/My Games/Oblivion (this is also where the game keeps your save data).

3. Find the setting 'bScreenshotEnabled=0', change this to 'bScreenshotEnabled=1'.

4. Save.

5. Enter Oblivion and hit the Printscreen button. If done correctly, the screen will lock for about 1/4 of a second as the screenshot is saved, and a message 'ScreenshotX saved' will appear.

Addendum: Open the console and type TM to get rid of the HUD and de-clutter the screen, as well.

Posted by: haute ecole rider Apr 14 2011, 12:26 AM

Okay, then a couple of newbie questions:

What exactly is HDR lighting?
And where are the screenshots saved?

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Apr 14 2011, 12:48 AM

HDR = High Dynamic Range. It is the lighting technique used by most modern games. It's primary feature is the ability to dynamically adjust the brightness of the lighting similar to how your pupils fluctuate when looking at bright light sources. You can experiment by looking from down a the ground to up into the sun and back down again. Notice how the screen brightness adjusts itself? That is HDR at work. Console Oblivion did not use this lighting technique, it used Bloom, and HDR actually provides a number of enhancements to the lighting that you don't get with Bloom.

Downsides: You need a Shader Model 3.0 compliant GPU to use HDR (and with an 8800 model nVidia, you do), and you have to force Anti-Aliasing if you want to use both at the same time.

The screenshots are placed in the base Oblivion directory.

Posted by: Captain Hammer Apr 14 2011, 12:52 AM

HDR Lighting: Also known as HDR Rendering (based on who you ask), it's basically part of the game engine that allows for higher contrast ratios to be used. I.E. (and the guys at Nvidia said it best, so allow me to quote them) "1) Bright things can be really bright, 2) Dark things can be really dark, & 3) Details can be seen in both."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_dynamic_range_rendering

What it means: A good graphics card (and good monitor) will be able to run an advanced game engine which features both bright lights (High noon in Imperial Plaza District of the IC) and creepy darkness (Cave areas without a nearby torch or other light source) while showing realistic detail.

Where Screenshots are Saved: They're saved as .BMP files in the Oblivion folder, once you've created them. Default Directory is "C:\Program Files\Bethesda Softworks\Oblivion" and you'll find them numbered sequentially.

Here's a http://cs.elderscrolls.com/constwiki/index.php/How_To_Create_Screenshots_Using_Oblivion for those with only minor to middling Computer linguistic fluency.

Note that the advice they give about converting the files in Paint to .JPG format can also be used for .PNG format as well, depending on your preference.

Hope it helps.

Posted by: haute ecole rider Apr 14 2011, 01:04 AM

Thanks to both TK and Bam Bam for their quick replies.

I'm thinking my own Mac image-editing program may be able to do the conversion. I'm comfortable with its more advanced features and quirks. But I will have to take a few screenshots, switch over to MacOS, and look for the BMP files from there. As they're all in the same box, it shouldn't be hard to find.

I think I do have HDR turned on already - I'm noticing things with the lighting and shadows that I never saw on the console. Pretty cool stuff indeed. And things look so crisp on this monitor (Apple Cinema Display)!

I did download FRAPS, and I've been watching the counter. So far it's running right around 60 fps, though when I pass a dead body it slows down to about 55. Otherwise it seems pretty smooth and not choppy at all.

Well, I'm off to try the screenshot thingy.

Posted by: King Coin Apr 14 2011, 01:07 AM

Since you have Fraps you might as well use that to take screen shots. I believe the default key is F10.

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Apr 14 2011, 01:20 AM

This is a known issue with the game. Simply put, it sucks at NPCs, period.

Known problem spots for FPS in this game include the Waterfront and the IC Market District. There's always a bunch of NPCs hanging around there, so framerates are guaranteed to take a dive in those zones.

Posted by: haute ecole rider Apr 14 2011, 03:22 AM

Hey, got some treats for Julian's fans!

She looks a little different in this game than she did on the Xbox. It's hard to duplicate something I created a year ago and have no recall how I got there! I also chose a slightly different hairstyle too.

http://i862.photobucket.com/albums/ab186/hauteecole/Old%20Habits%20Die%20Hard/1OntheRoadtoKvatch.jpg

http://i862.photobucket.com/albums/ab186/hauteecole/Old%20Habits%20Die%20Hard/2EnteringKvatchCamp.jpg

http://i862.photobucket.com/albums/ab186/hauteecole/Old%20Habits%20Die%20Hard/3TheGreatGate.jpg

If she looks intimidated in that last screenshot, believe me, she was!

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Apr 14 2011, 08:07 PM

So I have discovered yesterday that the current upload speed for my internet is averaging about 1/2Kb a second... and it's apparently been like that since we first purchased this network. This house should be at 256Kb/Sec Up, so that means something is seriously wrong. The person we talked to say that two things might be causing this:

1. We are on DSL, so something might be generating noise in the line that is dragging the connection down. This was confirmed when our download speeds increased when we unplugged our house phones. This could also be because of a problem with the wiring, so my step-dad is probably going to be playing around with our phone lines later on.

2. The carpet guys damaged our interior phone lines when they were installing the new carpets. This one is going to be a bit hard to prove, but we have to entertain that this might have happened.

If anyone else has any ideas about why my Up speed is so low right now, I'd love to hear them.

Posted by: haute ecole rider Apr 14 2011, 08:52 PM

I have actually looked into DSL for my internet connection.

I rejected it when I found out the fastest I could get was still slower than cable's slowest upload speed. Uh-uh.

It makes sense that the house phones could be generating noise - after all, they share the same infrastructure as the DSL. It's supposed to be a superior delivery system compared to cable (hey, fiber optic versus copper?), but the signal degrades so rapidly the further you go from the relay station. As I understand it, it doesn't maintain signal strength the way cable does.

Around here the cable network is so good that I rarely see a slowdown in downloading/streaming, even though I'm sharing the same bandwidth with a lot of other people. It takes something major like the earthquake in Japan to ding the bandwidth enough that I can't stream hulu.com.

I would be looking into how far you are from the nearest relay station. Distance does matter. I believe if you're more than 1500 feet away (I might be off on the number, but for some reason it's the number sticking in my head) your signal strength isn't going to be so hot, and your speed will suffer seriously.

Posted by: haute ecole rider Apr 14 2011, 09:00 PM

Oh, and I have a question of my own. I'm aware of the patches that fix bugs in Oblivion PC. I got the GOTY version, which patches, if any, do I need to install?

Posted by: SubRosa Apr 14 2011, 09:37 PM

The GOTY will come fully patched. At least officially so. You will only want to download the http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=5296, which fixes a zillion bugs that Bethesda could not be bothered with. On that page you will also find links to the Unofficial Shivering Isles Patch, and one for the other DLC.

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Apr 14 2011, 10:38 PM

And be sure to top that off with the http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=27710, as well. That way, you will have pretty much every bug in this game that is not engine related fixed up real nice.

Also, I can't go to cable. None of the ISPs in my area offer cable service. The best we could find was Qwest DSL (and if that horrifies you, I can really understand).

Posted by: haute ecole rider Apr 14 2011, 11:44 PM

I should install all of the Supplemental files or just certain ones. I have UOP v 3.2 (the latest) installed right now, I don't have the one for SI or other DLC's installed yet (as I haven't installed SI or KOTN).

I tried reading the description hoping that it would tell me which one I needed (as on the UOP page) but no dice.

And Qwest? My heart bleeds for you, TK!

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Apr 15 2011, 12:20 AM

Install order:

1. Install the full Unofficial Oblivion Patch v3.2.0

2. Install the full Unofficial Official Mods Patch v15 for whichever official DLCs you are using (Knights for sure).

3. Install the full Unofficial Shivering Isles Patch v1.4.0

4. Install the v3.3.5 Supplementals for each Unofficial Patch you are using.

I would also recommend you invest some time into learning Wrye Bash, particularly its installer toolset (BAIN). You can find some links to get you on the right path http://chorrol.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=4633

OBMM does have the OMOD installer method, but it does not respect proper install order. BAIN does, and is a lot easier to use once you've learned how it works.

Posted by: haute ecole rider Apr 15 2011, 02:19 AM

I do not plan on installing the DLC's or even SI and KOTN at this point (though KOTN might be under consideration later).

I'm more interested in the original Oblivion game and what I can tweak out of it.

Thanks for the links to your modding thread. I'll be posting on that one instead of here whenever I have stupid questions about mods.

Right now I'm trying to get the CS downloaded and installed. It's not going so smoothly and I'm trying to figure out why.

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Apr 15 2011, 04:09 AM

You're going to have to bite the bullet on Knights and SI, I'm afraid, because the patch you want is bundled with them and you need it in order to install the CS.

Unless you feel like downloading 1.2.0416 for non-SI usage. You can find it over at the TES official site.

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Apr 15 2011, 04:54 AM

OK, now I am really getting mad about the current internet problems. According to my step-dad (who manages the tech in the house) "upload speed is meaningless."

Is he a Martian? I'd like to know what exactly was going through his brain when he came to that conclusion. How else does he think our modem talks to the web servers, magic?

We are running on 2Kb/sec upstream right now (I am not making that up), why does he continue refusing to admit something is wrong with our connection?

Posted by: Captain Hammer Apr 15 2011, 05:44 AM

H.E.R.: As somebody that played through Oblivion w/out wanting KotN or SI installed (it ruins the F#*%-ing story, Bethesda!), I sympathize.

That said, from a practical perspective, install them and follow TK's advice. BUT, and this is the key, do not activate them as plugins when you boot the game. As long as they're not active plug-ins, you can play the game, fully patched, without having the Anvil chapel get desecrated or a stupid island appear in the middle of the Niben Bay.

As a user of both OBMM and Wrye Bash, I'm with Thommy on this one. If you're not using any of the DLC mods, you don't need their corresponding UOP's. But installing the GotY edition and then de-activating the mods you don't want is, in my own experience, a safer option.

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Apr 15 2011, 06:34 PM

@Mjolnir: I do use all the DLC, but I have also installed a little mod called SM Plugin Refurbish which delays them from starting until certain requirements are met.

Unfortunately, I that strategy is not going to work for Shivering Isles, because the ESP provided for SI is, to be very honest, completely empty. Shivering Isles gets installed directly into Oblivion.ESM, which means there is truly no possible way to stop it from activating, because turning off Oblivion.ESM is rather obviously a stupid idea. Just turning off DLCShiveringIsles.esp will not stop the island from appearing, but it WILL generate a lot of missing mesh markers and swimming NPCs, because although that ESP is empty, it is still necessary (that ESP tells the game how to find the SI resources).

Posted by: Captain Hammer Apr 15 2011, 06:43 PM

@Tommy: Really? Huh, that explains a few things.

I had started off with SI active, and then deactivated it, only reactivating it after I had beaten KotN. All I had done was reset the appropriate actors, but I thought the problem was from removing an active plugin from a saved game file, and then putting it back in later.

I'm definitely going to get SM Plugin Refurbish, since I'm building a new tower this summer and will want to create a new character. Thanks for the advice.

Posted by: King Coin Apr 15 2011, 08:27 PM

And I thought our DSL was bad. We had Verizon which was alright, but they (in our area) were bought by some place called Frontier and it is TERRIBLE. At best our DL speed is 120kbs and upload I calculated to be around 47kbs. Ugh. Sometimes when I upload a video I just take it to the uni with me on a flashdrive and upload from there. It takes less than 3 mins instead of upwards of 90 mins.

Posted by: haute ecole rider Apr 15 2011, 09:45 PM

Huh? So I can't run Oblivion without SI and that stupid island? I hate seeing the message about a door that has opened in the middle of Niben Bay in my journal and would rather not have it onboard at all.

I am still having trouble opening the CS application. Every time I try, I get error messages that it could not find the sky, and a few other resources, then it crashes.

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Apr 15 2011, 11:45 PM

Nothing much can be done about the island, I'm afraid. It's always going to be there.

However, you can use the mod http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=11474 to prevent the first SI quest from starting, so you won't be bothered by any annoying messages about a strange door.

EDIT: Also, let's move this discussion http://chorrol.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=4633&st=60 because we're dragging this thread off-topic.

Posted by: mALX Apr 19 2011, 02:31 AM

Boy do I wish I had been given this advice before I messed up my game by not knowing what I was doing with the mods, ROFL !!!

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Apr 20 2011, 08:05 AM

So, we had to spend a good deal of yesterday without our cozy little gathering under the Great Oak, it would seem.

Unfortunate, but nonetheless, I am glad to see the site is back up.

I wonder what happened? Did the site exceed its bandwidth, or perhaps someone DDoS'd us?

Posted by: Olen Apr 20 2011, 11:59 AM

I doubt it was that dramatic. Probably just the server freaking out or DNS things failing. Even a power outage or exchange failure could do it. Most likely Terence ran out of hamster food and had to go get more.

Given that Alex runs the server for this site himself (I think) it's damned reliable, that was the third outage I can remember...

Posted by: haute ecole rider May 26 2011, 07:41 PM

I hope I'm not doing necromancy here

But I figured this is the best place to recount my own sad tale.

My desktop that has been running MacOS X and Windows under one hood just had a nervous breakdown.

Last night while sleeping (in the MacOS partition), it froze and wouldn't wake up. I turned it off via the power button. Normally it's no big deal, it restarts right back up. But this time it didn't.

Oh, sure, it started up, showed the Apple Logo and the spinning pinwheel, but then it froze. Never made it to the desktop.

I though, okay, corrupted system file somewhere. Let's see first if it starts up without the third-party peripherals. No dice.

Then I thought, lets see if it starts up into Windows. It let me choose the boot volume on start up, but still no go. Computer froze before completing startup in Windows. Uh oh. Not a HD failure, as MacOS and W7 are on separate hard drives. Tried starting up from the install disc that came with the computer. Nope. Reset PRAM, thinking bad settings. Nope. Removed the new HD's and RAM that I installed a month ago, leaving only the original HD and RAM in place. Nope. Still no go.

I was able to run Apple Hardware Test off the install disc - all tests passed successfully. But I still believed it to be a hardware problem.

Took it to the Genius Bar (having taken the online Apple Care Tech course, I know these guys really know their stuff, unlike the ungeeks at Best Buy). He verified the problem, pinpointed the approximate point in the startup process that was hanging, and tried to start up from their diagnostic external HD's. Still no dice. He agreed with me that it was likely a hardware problem, and that the logic board is probably somehow involved.

So I had to leave my Intel Mac there for some more diagnostics and maybe corrective surgery. It was almost as hard as leaving my kitty in the care of the folks at the emergency clinic! Hopefully in five to seven days I'll get it back in good working order. Fortunately it's still under warranty . . .

And no, I'm not blaming the HD's, the RAM or W7 that I installed a month ago. The HD's and RAM are from a very good source (I've done business with them for over ten years and have had no complaints about anything), and I know I installed them correctly. I'm careful that way.

So that means no Windows for me for about a week. And that means no Oblivion. At least the story is on my laptop and is not affected.

Sixteen years of owning macs, and this is my first hardware failure . . .

Posted by: SubRosa May 26 2011, 09:25 PM

Ouch! It does sound like hardware, and as you said, since each OS is on a different hard drive, the likelihood of both being bad is very slim. It sounds like a motherboard or possibly processor issue (although usually with those you get nothing at all. Not even a partial boot up). Or maybe it something simple like a bad memory module. Another possibility is it is overheating. I had that happen once because my cpu fan died, it brought everything to a halt shortly after the initial POST.

Posted by: haute ecole rider May 26 2011, 09:45 PM

I thought of the fans, too, but no, they work fine (and blow nice cool air out the front, so overheating's not a problem).

It could be a bad RAM unit from one of the original Apple modules, if so, Apple will replace it. I already proved that it's not the OWC modules I installed a month ago - problem persisted after those were removed.

I'm thinking temperature sensor failure as the diagnostic module at the Genius Bar reported unexpected results from all four sensors. Since that's part of the logic board, that whole thing's gotta go.

We'll see if I'm right. If so, I'm getting a job as an Apple Tech at the Genius Bar! At least computers don't bite! (Though CRT's can blow up in your face - oh well, nothing's ever perfect)

Also, I just installed the Mac HD into my old G5. It can't boot up from an Intel-configured volume, but it can see and recognize the files on it, which are just so darned important at this time. So no, def not an HD failure.

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Jun 4 2011, 11:06 PM

I have begun shopping for a new GPU.

I have set my sights on purchasing an nVidia GTX 460 card, because I am not looking to increase performance any for my computer, but rather to increase the amount of VRAM available to my GPU in preparation for Skyrim.

VRAM is really the only area of my current machine that could be improved at this point. Going any further would require a brand new machine, and I think I can still get some good life out of the one I have now.

Posted by: mALX Jun 5 2011, 05:22 PM

That is the problem I have with my desktop - it is HP junk and can only be upgraded to a certain point without a whole new motherboard, power supply, fan, etc - and I had already upgraded both of the last two just to put one Nvidia 8600 GT into it. My laptop has a better graphics card than that.

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Jun 5 2011, 08:33 PM

Considering that I have been using two 8800GTs in SLI for some time now, I have heard from a few reliable sources that the GTX 460 will match that power on its own.

Tell you the truth, that will be an improvement, because having all that power on one card is a much better option than splitting it between two cards.

Posted by: mALX Jun 6 2011, 03:52 PM

GAAAAH !!! ARGH !!! (drool, drool) !!! You SLI dog you !!! ARGH !!! ROFL !!!

Posted by: Olen Jun 10 2011, 02:54 PM

I'm looking at upgrading my system for a couple of reasons, firstly so it will convincingly run Skyrim and secondly because 2Gb memory doesn't sit well with vista and manipulating big images, in fact it tends to be catastrophic.

Currently it has:
2Gb of PC2-6400 C4 memory, I'm looking at adding another 2-4Gb
a horrible dying Gigabyte mobo (no intentions of replacing until the magic smoke comes out)
AMD Athlon X2 6000+ (dual core 3GHz) CPU
nvidea 8600GT graphics

Either I need a new machine, however I'd like to put that off until the next gen consoles come out, or I need to upgrade ram and graphics. Is it worth upgrading? I'd need a bigger PSU to power the graphics too.

Also how much do different versions of the same graphics card vary. For example both Gainward and MSI make GTX 460s with some difference in price - is the MSI one significantly worse.

Posted by: mALX Jun 14 2011, 10:33 PM

I was up all night running copies of 2347 sound files through the "Switch" converter to change them from (MP3 44100 Mono) to (WAV 22050 Mono).

I had to convert each file by hand, it did not scan through them automatically. 2347 files !!!


Twice the converter mysteriously defaulted itself to WMP for some odd reason. Once I had hit the arrow down key, the other time there was not any catalyst for it to happen that I could see. Both times I caught the difference within 3 files and went back and re-did them.


I checked every setting all through the process so I know I had the settings right. So this morning before (finally) getting to go to bed I pulled one of the "Converted" files - it was a WAV file, but was at 44100 !!! I checked some more, they ALL were !!

Does anyone know if that (WAV 44100 Mono) will work in Oblivion?

I checked the settings on the "Switch" Converter, and they were still showing what I set them at, the correct setting for them, 22050 !!!

So I go to contact the company and complain, it turns out that if you are using the free trial basis, they will not let you contact their support, you have to go onto their forums and read through other people's complaints about their product.

So needless to say, don't use "Switch" - it is freeware junk.

@ TK - I just downloaded Audacity, that seems to be what everyone is using. I'm going to see if it will correct the WAV files to the right format - once I get done weeding the old MP3 files out of the folder. It seems the "Switch" also ignored my command to overwrite the MP3 files. GAAAAAH !!! Lol.


PS. : I also downloaded a Sound Set of Annah Torment files I found on "the Sorcerers" Planescape Torment/Baldur Gate" site. The sound set is all WAV formats, but can't be opened for some reason. I tried to open them with Windows Media Player, "Switch," and some Audio Editing Software - none could open them. They are compressed oddly or something. Do you have any idea how to crack the egg so I can get to the yolk? Lol. (sorry, long day and no sleep last night)

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Jun 16 2011, 06:26 PM

Bad news, I'm afraid.

Last night, as I was shutting down for the night, my PC suddenly decided it was done working, and is now bricked.

The only sign of life is the power light blinks at me whenever I switch on the power supply, but other than that, absolutely nothing. No fan activity, no monitor activity, nothing.

I think I need to get a new power supply.

Posted by: treydog Jun 16 2011, 08:37 PM

Definitely sounds like a PSU. Have had 3 GX620's do the same thing in the last month. (Naturally, the warranties expired in February).

If you have a known good PSU that will fit, even if it is "underpowered" for your complete setup, test that one. Just disconnect everything except video, hard drive, mouse and keyboard ports.

If it is the PSU, consider PC Power and Cooling- I hear lots of good things about them.

Posted by: haute ecole rider Jun 17 2011, 04:21 AM

TK, I feel your pain.

My Intel Mac needed a new MLB and RAM riser. I got it home and the display starting acting up. I thought WTF? Did they not put the graphics card back in right after replacing the MLB (to get at the logic board, you have to remove the graphics card first)?? I checked the connections - rock solid. Disconnected my third-party peripherals. The problem was intermittent, and I couldn't be sure what was triggering the white flash and pixellation of the display. But the Windows side kept telling me the NVIDIA driver stopped responding, so I felt it had to be the graphics card.

Then yesterday it failed to boot up. Again. Ran the hardware test - no useful information. Took it baaaack to the Apple guys. Now we're thinking the graphics card is the original source of the problem and is messing up the MLB and eventually the RAM risers. So they're going to order a new card and test that first. We'll see.

In the meantime I"ve appropriated my mom's MacBook for school and forum browsing, as my own MacBook Pro is starting to get hinky as well. It's out of warranty, and to replace the logic board/graphics card in it would cost almost as much as a new MBP! So I'm just nursing it along, firing it up only to retrieve a bit of data here and there. Eventually I hope to have the whole drive cloned to an external drive, then it won't matter anymore when the thing finally dies.

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Jun 17 2011, 03:15 PM

Okay, good news and bad news.

Good news is, the PSU was definitely fried. After exchanging the power supply for a backup, I was able to turn the computer on again.

Bad news: Unfortunately, the computer is failing POST (Power-On Self Test), which means that the PSU's death may have damaged my system's hardware. And this is where it gets really angering, because the idiots who built it for us did not bother to place beep codes onto the MoBo, that means I have no way of knowing exactly where the POST test is failing.

I may be forced to send this one to the shop, and that does not make me happy at all. However, since I at least have power now, that did allow me to dunk into my DVD drive and retrieve my Oblivion game disc (which was trapped inside when the old PSU died).

Posted by: treydog Jun 17 2011, 03:51 PM

Somewhere around here, I have a PCI POST card- can't remember what I paid for it (over 10 years ago probably). But it is a handy device...

Other thing- pull any peripheral cards you do not use- as well as all but one stick of RAM...

See if it POSTs

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Jun 18 2011, 01:42 AM

Okay, I finally found a way to get picture (PC was actually POSTing), and this has led to a number of revalations:

1. One of my PCI-E slots has been fried. Upon switching to the second video card in a different PCI-E slot, I was able to get picture back. Tested the other card in there, as well, and it worked okay.

2. My system is not able to boot from ANYWHERE. It demonstrates very erratic behavior when I try to boot from the Hard Drives, from simply freezing, to restarting, but always failing to boot. Furthermore, attempts to boot from a Windows disc fared no better, with the computer simply freezing as it tried to load all the files off the disc.

This means the probability of Motherboard failure at this point is quite high. To be absolutely certain, I am going to be sending the PC in for a shop test, but the question is no longer IF the PSU's failure caused any damage, but what.

EDIT: Final test, I tried a Ubuntu Linux disc, and that failed, as well.

Because of that, it's time to make this official: MY RIG IS DEAD.

I no longer have any choice in the matter. I must begin shopping for a new PC.

Posted by: Captain Hammer Jun 18 2011, 06:51 PM

TK: Consider, instead of buying a new rig, how about building a new rig?

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Jun 18 2011, 09:44 PM

I'm not going to buy a whole new PC, I'm going to salvage what I can from the old one and upgrade a few outdated parts in the process (namely the CPU and OS).

It's my stepdad who's pushing to buy a new prebuilt, but as it is my computer, and therefore my decision, I am going to say no.

I will not ever purchase a system from someone who forces me to have Norton stuffed into my Hard Drive... ever.

Posted by: SubRosa Jun 18 2011, 11:56 PM

Salvaging your drives and video cards is a good idea. Some mom & pop stores and internet sites will sell barebones PCs with just case, power supply, mobo & cpu all put together. You could buy one of those for a couple hundred, and then put all of your old stuff into it. Or just do it yourself of course. Sometimes its just not worth the hassle though, especially if the motherboad manufacturer does not include a decent manual explaining where/what all the jumper settings and connection points are. I had one like that, where I literally had to figure it all out through trial and error. Not fun.

Posted by: Captain Hammer Jun 19 2011, 05:46 AM

Eh, I feel ya TK. My dad eventually forced me to get a whole new rig after years of dutifully maintaining a loyal Dell desktop that I nursed through Windows 2000 and XP. By the end of it, I think that only the original motherboard, CPU, and case remained. I went through a new sound card, new graphics card, and two hard drives before I realized I had to upgrade.

Of course, I then found out that my new machine was a Vista, purchased as a gift/replacement and thus unable to be unloaded/given away/sold for spare cash. Since then, I've only ever built or custom-ordered machines so I know what I'm getting. Worse, it was a laptop. It's dead now. And not worthy of Sovngarde.

Posted by: King Coin Jun 19 2011, 06:03 PM

Well whenever I get back from a vacation it seems I always have computer problems. This year is going to maintain the trend.

My computer will start to boot for about 3-5 seconds, then shuts itself off. Then repeats the process until power is manually turned off.

Posted by: Acadian Jun 19 2011, 06:28 PM

KC, I'm so sorry to hear about your puter. I know it is a huge deal since that is where Aravi lives. Maybe it just misses you when you are gone and gets cranky? Have you tried offering the puter a sweet roll? I hope you can get it back to happy little lights and whirrings and puter stuff.

Posted by: King Coin Jun 19 2011, 06:39 PM

Different power supply appears to have fixed it. Going to have to buy a new one cause I kind of yanked this one from another computer.

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Jun 19 2011, 09:54 PM

Lucky you.

Anyways, I think I've decided on the components. I'll need to replace several components to make up for various incompatibilities, but I should be able to maintain a decent budget for this.

MoBo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130574&cm_re=msi_p67a_-_gd65-_-13-130-574-_-Product -- ATX Form Factor, Intel P67 NB, USB 3.0, SATA 6Gb/sec

CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072&cm_re=intel_core_i5-2500k-_-19-115-072-_-Product @3.3GHz

RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145261&cm_re=corsair_xms3_8gb-_-20-145-261-_-Product, 8Gb (4x 2Gb) @1600MHz

OS: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116986&cm_re=windows_7_home_premium-_-32-116-986-_-Product

Purchasing all those components, final cost (including shipping) if I DIY this one will be $603.00. However, that may change, because I'm trying to figure out if it is worth it to purchase the OEM version to save $90.00 off the Retail (I can't repair install off the disc and if this MoBo goes down, I have to buy Windows again).

Posted by: haute ecole rider Jun 22 2011, 03:48 PM

KC and TK, sorry to hear of your computer problems.

My own Mr. Speedy had to go back to the Apple Hospital again. When I got it back, it was booting up fine, but I was having this intermittent but disabling screen flicker/flash. W7 was giving me messages that the NVIDIA driver had stopped communicating. The driver software was up to date. At first I thought it was loose connections on the video card (NVIDIA GeForce 8800), since in order to replace the logic board you have to remove the video card. Nope, all connections snug and tight. Problem persisted on both display ports, in both systems, though it would run fine for several hours then start up again. Finally a week later it failed to boot up again. Ugh. So back we went.

This time I told them of the video issues, and that I felt the graphics card was the original source of the problem and fried the logic board. They replaced the video card, ran the computer through some pretty rough testing (including rebooting every five minutes for several hours) and verified that the problem resolved before calling me back on Monday. I've had it up and running since Monday afternoon and no problems so far. Finally!

So after I finish my two finals this week (today and tomorrow) I plan to rescue the data off my failing laptop (out of warranty, at least $2K to fix - get a new one for that!) so I can keep writing and having fun with TES IV. I have a week off after finals before the next session starts July 4.

Hopefully that will end this rash of computer problems and everyone can get back to writing and playing and living!

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Jun 22 2011, 06:37 PM

Slight change of plans for me, I've decided to switch from four 2Gb sticks of RAM to two 4Gb sticks clocked to 1333MHz (which is more agreeable with the CPU I've decided on). This will leave two RAM slots open for upgrades should they become necessary, but most of all, doing this will shave $15.00 off the price tag for all the parts.

All that's left to do now is actually order the parts, but I've decided that can wait until my Stepdad finishes his annual inspection of his Cessna (yearly checkup on airworthiness).

So, that means I'll likely have the parts shipped this weekend.

In the meantime, I've taken to disassembling my computer to get ready for the rebuild, The only components left in the case are the MoBo and CPU, now.

While I'm at it, I would also like to take this time to reformat my hard drives to get rid of any junk that may be there, so that means I can likely look forward to a data retrieval session this weekend, as well. I'm probably going to need to do this anyway, since I'm not buying an upgrade package of Windows 7, so might as well get it out of the way.

Posted by: treydog Jun 22 2011, 09:27 PM

That is excellent news! And- I am caught up on OHDH- now I just need to get my notes and highlights into Word. Maybe I can just download the Clippings file from the Kindle to the PC...? Hmmm

I think the video card overheating is what fried my previous rig- the one that COULD handle Oblivion. One day I will get a PCI-E card for the refurbished machine... When actual bills for things like food and whatnot become more manageable. Danged responsibilities....

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Jun 30 2011, 08:45 PM

My new PC parts have arrived.

Posted by: King Coin Jun 30 2011, 08:57 PM

Posted by: Acadian Jun 30 2011, 09:30 PM

WooHoo! How exciting. Is the new (rebuilt) puter going to have blue lights? I think that makes it fast. Although, I've heard that if it has red lights it is even faster. Does it have fans and lot of gigastickjuice and stuff? It sounds like it. And Seven seems good; my puter likes it.

Oh, and are you going to have to reinstall Oblivion, or do you know a spell so you don't have to do that?

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Jun 30 2011, 09:48 PM

Well, let's see... my power LED is blue, which will match the blue-black-silver color scheme of the main board (which means my CPU heatsink will match, too). I do not think I have any red lights, but since they would clash with my current color scheme, they would do more harm than good.

Salvaged parts include my case, my GPUs, my hard drives, and my sound card. Everything else needed to be upgraded/replaced/removed due to incompatibilites.

It has 8Gb of Gigastickjuice, coming from two 4Gb GigaSticks of DDR3 set up for Dual Channel config.

I have four fans, one for the case, one for the CPU, and two for the GPUs (one each). That is actually one less than my previous build (bye bye Northbridge fan). I'm surprised my 'puter hasn't tried to go airborne so far.

I will need to reinstall Oblivion (the OS upgrade will necessitate a hard drive wipeout), BUT my patented Clone Disc spell will ensure that none of my mods or savegames will be lost. All I need to do is reinstall Oblivion as it is on the disc, then I can just plug in my other hard drive, copy the contents of my Oblivion and My Games folders over, delete the Oblivion.INI (more likely than not it will need reconfiguring), and voila! One revitalized install!

As an added benefit, I can also cast a special spell on the Oblivion.EXE that will allow it to use more RAM than before, because since I am using a 64bit OS now, I can do that. It's called Large Address Awareness, and it allows for 32bit programs to make use of up to 4Gb of RAM (as opposed to 2Gb) if the program is being run on 64bit architecture.

I did a lot of planning for this build. The CPU is much more powerful than before, I have now completely ditched IEDE and those gigantic ribbon cables, gone up to DDR3 RAM, and I now also have a grand total of four USB 3.0 slots available (as well as ten USB 2.0, two eSATA, two IEEE 1394, one LAN, and an onboard sound chipset that will likely never be used due to me owning a dedicated sound card).

I know a lot more about computer hardware now as a result of this build. All in preparation for a future career, most likely.

http://i.imgur.com/A4sVp.jpg As you can see, I have taken anti-static precautions (PC rests on a rubber mat, the floor is tile, and the grounding bracelet is in view). VERY IMPORTANT that you do that. One static discharge is enough to fry a PC component. Don't risk it, do not assemble on carpet.

And finally, the new specs:

MoBo: MSI P67A-GD65
>Intel P67 Northbridge
>SLI Ready
CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K @ 3.3GHz
>Quad Core
Memory: 8Gb DDR3 @ 1333MHz (2X 4Gb)
>Dual Channel
GPU: nVidia GeForce 8800GT
>512Mb GDDR3 VRAM
>2 Way SLI
PSU: 700Watt
Audio: Creative SB X-Fi Titanium

I am back in line with modern tech now!

Posted by: King Coin Jun 30 2011, 10:03 PM

I just checked out some of the components you bought and you got and I'm pissed! A few months ago when I did my overhaul I got 2 2gig sticks of RAM for like $140! I might just order that RAM here. If so, then I'll need an OS upgrade as well (running 32 bit right now).

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Jun 30 2011, 10:21 PM

Your CPU determines if you can go 64bit. I believe every Sandy Bridge model processor is 64bit ready, so you shouldn't have a problem there.

I purchased http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=20-231-402&SortField=0&SummaryType=0&Pagesize=10&PurchaseMark=&SelectedRating=-1&VideoOnlyMark=False&VendorMark=&IsFeedbackTab=true&Page=2#scrollFullInfo, in case you are wondering. Why? It was tested by MSI on my MoBo, for one. Second, I get 8Gb for 85 bucks (nyah nyah ) from a reputable manufacturer, and thirdly, you get that super-cool shark tooth heat dispersal unit.

Posted by: Acadian Jun 30 2011, 11:04 PM

TK, it sounds fabulous! I agree you can't (nor should you) abide clashing colors. I'm so glad you have a way to easily get Oblivion going again on it. It all sounds beautiful. Well, maybe not the picture with the poor thing's guts all hanging out and stuff. Congrats!

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Jul 1 2011, 02:36 AM

SHE LIVES!!!!

First boot was a success, Windows 7 has been installed, and the device drivers for my main board are now installed, as well.

Unfortunately, I have hit a brick wall here. To proceed any further, I need to connect my computer to the internet, and my previous wireless adapter will not work with Win7. I have a new one on the way, but it is shipping via USPS so I'm not sure when it will get here.

Oh, and Acadian, you and Buffy will also be pleased to hear that there are even more pretty blue LEDs mounted on the board, as well.

Posted by: King Coin Jul 1 2011, 02:40 AM

YEAH!

..Oh that sucks. Get a long line of cable and do it that way lol.

Posted by: Olen Jul 1 2011, 09:01 AM

Seriously I'd consider this, waaay less packet loss, faster, vastly more secure and less faffing around with poorly made wireless stuff. Just grab 30m of cat6 cable off ebay for a few quid (or more appropriatly bucks) and some cable pins and run it from router to computer.

Good to hear she lives. Colours sound rather more tasteful then my frankenstein of a machine too. Beige media drives in a (squashed and repaired) black box anyone?

What are you going to win7 from? I'd be interested to hear what you think of it as vista is rubbish and I've been thinking of upgrading (or getting another drive and dual-booting something else which works).

Posted by: haute ecole rider Jul 1 2011, 01:50 PM

How can you do that? I have Oblivion running on 64-bit Win7. Any way to optimize the improved architecture would be great. Please share (or PM me if you prefer).

And don't wear anything polyester! Blue jeans and cotton T-shirts (without the caked-on designs that crackle in the wash) are de rigeur when repairing computers. Leave the Victoria's Secret stuff at home. And always ground yourself first before working with the delicate innards. Not much difference from veterinary surgery, if you ask me.

Olen, I'd say get Win7. Don't waste any more time. It comes in both 32 and 64-bit architecture, so it should run fine with your machine (as long as the CPU and memory are up to par). I've never personally used Vista, but have had friends who do. Only those who got Vista preinstalled on new boxes have been happy - those with older machines have been extremely unhappy with its memory hogginess and instability. I myself consider it a very poor imitator of Mac OS X. However, I've been quite happy with Win 7 on my machine. Except for a few minor details, it runs nearly as flawlessly as OS X on my Mac partition, and that's saying a LOT. But for $200, I consider it less a bargain than Mac OS X ($29 for the new upcoming Lion update).

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Jul 1 2011, 08:08 PM

I skipped Vista, and went straight to 7 from XP.

Also, rider, you can purchase a single-license OEM edition of Windows for only $100.00 if you need to maintain a budget. You will need to re-purchase Windows if you buy a new computer or your old one fails, but if you're on a tight budget, it's a great way to save money.

Anyways, yesterday's activities included:

- Assembling the rig
- Performing the first boot
- Installing Windows
- Installing main board drivers

One look at the RAM Windows is seeing (8Gb) is enough to tell me I am indeed running the 64bit version, and considering Windows was fully installed in a timeframe of roughly 15 minutes, I think that speaks a lot for my choice of CPU.

Today's activities will include:

- Installing and configuring AVG Antivirus
- Getting the computer networked (wireless or not)
- Installing Firefox
- Downloading and installing GPU drivers
- Downloading and installing SFX drivers
- Downloading and installing Creative ALchemy (due to Win7 no longer supporting hardware-accelerated audio)

Posted by: haute ecole rider Jul 1 2011, 09:22 PM

I was looking at the OEM version, but decided against it due to the age of my desktop. In hindsight, it was just as well, as I needed a new logic board within a month. As I understand it, a new logic board is just like a 'hole 'nutha 'puter, and I would have had to buy another OEM Win7 anyway, so it worked out.

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Jul 10 2011, 04:29 AM

At long last, my disc clone backup is finally complete.

No more worrying about having to start over if things go south, now.

And that means I am now officially off on a clean slate on this machine. Every last trace of my Windows XP build is now gone.

Posted by: King Coin Jul 13 2011, 04:15 PM

I installed some new memory (the same stuff TK got actually at $70) and am now on 64 bit Win 7. I'm finishing up with installing software and making sure everything is up to date.

Posted by: grif11 Jul 30 2011, 09:40 PM

OK, this isnt a computer problem. Its a PS3 problem. Still, I hope someone can help!

Ever since Ive had it the fans been extremely noisy. Is there any way to help, or if not, how much would a repair be?

Posted by: treydog Jul 30 2011, 10:22 PM

A possible easy fix is to simply get the unit raised up on something that allows better air flow to the base (which is where the intakes are located).

Something like a wire baking rack would be ideal. Improved air flow should mean the fans do not have to work as hard.

ETA- Reminds me of working at the university and having to warn students about not using their laptop PCs on the bed- at least not for long periods of time. Blankets block air flow = overheating.

Of course- college students getting overheated in bed is a different sort of issue- but we did not deal with that.

Posted by: King Coin Jul 30 2011, 10:55 PM

Does the loud sound persist? My Xbox sounds like a freaking jet barreling down the runway when I turn it on, but after a few minutes it quiets down a lot.

That's a job for the health department.

Posted by: grif11 Jul 30 2011, 11:53 PM

Yes. It definately persists. It starts off silent, but after a minute it gets a bit louder. then louder still. After 5 minutes its at jet engine stage. Also, it happens faster when playing a game (that might be my imagination). Ive heard that it could be the "Themal paste" whatever that is.

No, Im not a tech pro at all.

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Jul 31 2011, 03:20 AM

Thermal paste is the magic compound that allows for ideal heat transfer between a hardware component and a heat sink (for which the fans are providing airflow for). If it was applied incorrectly or insufficiently, then the transfer of heat between hardware components and the heat sink (which diffuses the heat and keeps your hardware cool) may not be ideal, and as such the fans are going to be working overtime to try and make up for it. Bad quality paste, or paste that has worn out, can also be to blame.

Posted by: grif11 Jul 31 2011, 03:33 PM

Trey, I'm afraid the "elevated with nothing beneath" idea didnt help much. It just made it take longer to overheat.

I guess this means a call to sony for a repair job then...

Posted by: Olen Aug 1 2011, 08:25 PM

How many other PS3s have you come across. All the ones I have have been pretty loud, might be nothing wrong with it. Or it could be dust (depending on how much you hoover), that certainly lowers heatsinks' ability to do their job.

As for repair, all I can imagine they'd do is clean it and maybe replace the fans or thermal paste if one or other is known to go. You could try an external cooling unit if such things exist for PS3s, no idea what they do to the warrenty though.

Posted by: grif11 Aug 1 2011, 10:31 PM

Oh boy. Tomorrow I'll be using my "mini sucker" to hoover up all the dust inside it. :/

Also, one of my mates has the same model and its whispering quiet.

Also also, I think I did see an external fan for sale in argos. There go my skyrim savings so I guess its Back to Part time jobbing

Posted by: grif11 Aug 3 2011, 11:37 AM

This is the stupidest idea I've ever thought of, but it just might work.

What if I were to put an everyday offic fan behind my PS3? Would that help at all?

Posted by: haute ecole rider Aug 3 2011, 02:02 PM

I doubt it. The fans used in electronics are to draw hot air out; that means they have to channel that heat and pull it out through the vents. My XBox has one of those external fan thingies on it - it sits right on the external vents at the back and literally suck the heat out of the box. Makes it good for about an hour longer before the thing overheats.

All I can see the office fan doing is waft air around the PS3; it won't directly affect air flow through the machine. Sorry.

Posted by: treydog Aug 4 2011, 01:40 AM

So in the spirit of

Quis custodiet custodes? (Spelling?)

Went into work Monday and my computer would not boot. Since I am the tech- thus the question above. Or to put it another way- "Who fixes the computer tech's busted computer?"

Now I could have simply done a re-image- I have the disks for that. But I also have files I would rather not lose--- and- true to form, my last backup was several months ago... Hey- I just GIVE the advice- I don't listen to it.

Anyway- the hard drive tested fine- so I got a handy dandy hard drive to USB adapter today and am currently saving off all my files. (The work computer is a laptop- otherwise I would have simply pulled the drive and put into another machine as a secondary.)

And of course- I now have a backup- which I will probably not update until the computer croaks again...

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Aug 4 2011, 01:57 AM

C4.

Actually, that's a semi serious response. If its a laptop, hardware problems usually mean time for a new one.

Posted by: treydog Aug 4 2011, 02:29 AM

Believe me- I would be THRILLED to get a replacement. I already put a new mainboard in this thing last year.

But- it is a government agency computer- AND my users are limping along with 7-year-old PCS... so, prospects for replacement are dim.

Posted by: mALX Sep 3 2011, 03:57 PM

In the last 4-5 times I've gotten on the game, one or more of my saves seems to be corrupted - lights flashing around (exactly like Fallout 3 did in places when it first came out). I've deleted that save, but it is wittling down my number of back-up saves lately since it is happening with more frequency. What would cause this suddenly? It never happened before in Oblivion.

Posted by: Cardboard Box Sep 5 2011, 06:10 AM

My old nVidia card finally kicked the bucket almost a year ago, and I ended up replacing it with a Radeon 5670 with 1GB of onboard memory.

When I got FO3 up and running again, at full 1280x1024 resolution as opposed to 800x600, all textures maxed out... well, that was the first of many eyegasms, lemme tell ya!

Posted by: Kazaera Sep 5 2011, 11:37 AM

Cue jealousy on my part! I've only got a home laptop and a work laptop (which is a) something I would rather not install games on even if there's nobody stopping me and a Mac) and the home laptop does not... do graphics very well.

In fact, I seem to have overheating problems myself - the fan *really* works overtime, and also the computer crashes if I do anything too CPU-strenuous. Like try to play Dragon Age (*sob*). I assume it's because of overheating because I can hear the fan working very hard, and also there's no error message, the computer just turns itself off, and it happens both under Ubuntu and Vista (I have a dual-boot). Keep meaning to call in the warranty that still lasts another two months to have a look at that. But even without there's massive lag for graphics-intensive things - I've been tempted to get a proper computer that can at least handle modded-up Morrowind, but the laptop isn't even three years old yet and I am not made of money.

...although actually the main thing that's been annoying me lately is that for no explicable reason my Mac's decided to switch my keyboard language to German whenever I open Word. I learned to type on a US keyboard, but I keep an alternate German one when I want to type something in German and need the ä, ö, ü and ß. The problem is that when it switches without telling me it means that I start typing and the next line looks like: zou see, thereäs actuallz manz differences between the twoö the z and y are verz obvious, but none of the punctuation is where zouäd expect either )with one or two exceptions=. Can zou guess how annozing this can get if zouäre used to touchßtzping and donät realiye whatäs happened for a while_

*thwaps it*

Posted by: haute ecole rider Sep 5 2011, 02:28 PM

Kazaera, if your Mac is an Intel Mac Pro, you can run Windows & Morrowind and yes, 'Blivion on it. That's what I've done with my Mac. I have a second internal hard drive installed with Win7 and 'Blivion on it. I boot up into Win7 whenever I want to do my schoolwork or play TES. Since I did this in April, it's been running great, and 'Blivion looks great with my nVIDIA 8600 graphics card.

As for the keyboard issue, it sounds like your System Preferences got a little twisted around. I'm assuming you're running Snow Leopard? Go into your System Preferences and select Language & Text. On the first tab, Language, make sure English is at the top. If Deutsch is at the top, that may be why your keyboard keeps switching into German on you. Also, look at your modifier keys. If you're touch-typing, it's easy to hit control or option instead of shift, and command instead of the period or x. Believe me, I do that all the time. It's possible that you are hitting one of the modifier keys at the bottom of the keyboard at the same time you're hitting another key, and that's causing the keyboard to switch to German if you have it set to switch on a certain combination of keys. Clear as mud? PM me if you need more help - I'll try to help you out with that as much as I can. As for the laptop overheating issue, better call to have that looked at before the warranty runs out. If your laptop is anything like the MacBook Pros, you'll need to have the motherboard swapped out, and that can easily cost as much as a new laptop. That's the reason I've pretty much stopped using my MacBook Pro. I'm saving up for one of the new MacBook Airs, but it'll be a few years!

Posted by: Ahrenil Sep 5 2011, 04:08 PM

I also am having some laptop heating issues. It's all the rage nowadays it seem.s

The fan sounds relatively fine to me at the moment, but what tipped me off was my audio crackling after a while. I ran some tests and found out i'm running an internal temperature of around 50 degrees, sometimes kicking up to 60. Which is obviously not good.

So i'm off to try and find some compressed air to blast any dust in the fan with, but my question is could I just blast the fan through the outlet, to dislodge any dust, so it'd be extracted next time the fan starts running. Or should I open the laptop up and void the warranty to get at the fan a bit better?

Posted by: haute ecole rider Sep 5 2011, 05:44 PM

In order to thoroughly clear out any dust within your laptop, you'd have to open it up. Sorry.

Posted by: Kazaera Sep 6 2011, 10:46 AM

Thanks! And my Mac's a MacBook, so I don't know if that will work? *knows sooo little about computers* Also, although nobody cares if we have non-work stuff on our work computers (officemate of mine has WoW on hers, the general attitude is "they're PhD students, they can structure their time themselves) I sort of want to try not to get used to doing too much non-work stuff on it... although I suppose that's more or less hopeless by now anyway. >> It's worth a shot, because it's very hard to play stuff on my home laptop - because of the crashing issue and the graphics issue and the space issue (when I set up the dual-boot I allocated most of the hard drive space to Ubuntu, which means I have... some space problems playing games under Windows.)

Re: keyboard, I found something under System Preferences (System Preferences > International > Language) that had language preferences set, but that actually had English on top and German too far down. I also can't see how it could be the shortcut because it's every time I switch to Word (which I do by mouse, generally!) and literally /only/ when I switch to Word. I keep looking to see if Word has some weird default-language option but I can't find anything. I guess I could just install OpenOffice (would be useful anyway because I use it on my home comp and Word can't do .odt files last I checked) and see if that helps. Or someone's suggested just getting rid of the German keyboard because there are handy shortcuts for umlauts and esszett with Mac, but that's a bit frustrating and I'm worried that because I've also got a Chinese keyboard installed (I did Mandarin last year and wanted to be able to type up vocabulary) it'll then start switching to *that* instead.

Posted by: King Coin Sep 6 2011, 02:12 PM

Office can do .odt files. Open Office is pretty good, but when I used it I found it to be a resource hog on my computer. It took a little longer to login with it on my computer.

Posted by: Kazaera Sep 6 2011, 02:22 PM

Yeah, I use OpenOffice on my other laptop (can't say I've noticed a resource problem? strange), but my Mac came with Word and I couldn't be bothered installing OO because for work I only use LaTeX anyway and so don't actually need any text editors other than TeX-specific ones... except that now I've been doing some ficwriting during the breaks and it gets pretty annoying when Word does the keyboard switch *and* it can't open the files I've worked on on my home comp because they're .odt. And although I suppose I could write fic in LaTeX I'm not sure my readers would be too enthusiastic at me presenting each installment in downloadable-PDF format.

Posted by: King Coin Sep 6 2011, 02:34 PM

What version of Word do you have? I just opened a .odt that I had left over from when I used OO.

lol I think many of your readers wouldn't be happy about a PDF.

EDIT: for clarity

Posted by: Jacki Dice Sep 16 2011, 09:25 PM

So I'm getting ready to buy my first new computer. The only thing is I'm a little confused about memory. The last computer I had had very, very little. I don't know how much but I do know it was a Windows 98 tower :/ The one I'm planning to get will need to be able to play videos (the last one couldn't) and hold a couple thousand songs on itunes and maybe (hopefully!) be able to play Sims

Here's what I might be getting:

Operating system Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium [64-bit]
Processor Intel® Pentium® dual-core processor G620 [2.6GHz, 3MB cache]
Memory 6GB DDR3-1066MHz SDRAM [2 DIMMs]
Hard drive 500GB 7200 rpm SATA 3Gb/s hard drive
Office software SAVE $40 on Microsoft® Office Home and Student 2010
Security software No additional security software
Graphics card Integrated graphics - Intel® HD graphics [DVI, VGA]
Primary optical drive SuperMulti DVD Burner
Networking Integrated Ethernet port, No wireless LAN
Productivity ports 2 USB, front audio ports
Sound Card Integrated sound

Does that sound like enough for what I need? Or do I need less?

Posted by: King Coin Sep 16 2011, 09:38 PM

Well, which Sims?

The processor is weak but should be ok. You do not have a graphics card though. That will hold you back on any new games.

Posted by: Jacki Dice Sep 16 2011, 09:52 PM

Sims 2 or 3. Its not a must though and I figured I can always get a graphics card later (I'm not really a big PC gamer)

Posted by: King Coin Sep 16 2011, 10:15 PM

Well you should have plenty of memory for what you want to do.

The hard drive should be alright too. I have a 500GB and I'm using just over 300GB. For some people a 500GB won't be enough but for you I think it will.

I think you will need a graphics card for the Sims 2 or 3, but if you already own the games you could try installing and playing them once and see if it works or not.

Posted by: grif11 Oct 26 2011, 11:12 PM

I'm wanting to buy a new laptop soon and was wondering what a good model would be.

I need it to be able to run most games on at least low graphics, but don't want my pockets to be TOO light. Any ideas?

Posted by: Feralikazam Oct 30 2011, 08:41 PM

Hey guys I want to know if my new laptop can run oblivion at a decent framerate and graphics. Heres my specs.

Processor: Intel® Core ™2 CPU T5500 @1.66GHz

Memory: 1.99 GB

I've got over 80 gigs on my harddrive so I'm sure thats enough to hold it. I'm tired of having to use my ps3 as I HATE having to restart if I catch vampirism. So can I run it at decent graphics and framerate?

Posted by: King Coin Oct 30 2011, 08:59 PM

Nope, sorry. Your laptop has the specs of a netbook.

Posted by: The Solo Rollo Nov 17 2011, 06:34 PM

Guys, how does http://www.amazon.co.uk/Toshiba-Satellite-L650D-111-notebook-Turion/dp/B003LJX73E/ref=dp_return_1?ie=UTF8&n=340831031&s=computers sound? Do you think I could run oblivion? (Yeah, seems to be the big question here)

Oh, and I'm going to be taking advantage of steams "midweek madness" and get oblivion for £4! is it possible to transfer it over to the new laptop when I get it, or is it stuck on the laptop I download it to? Please answer quick!

Posted by: jack cloudy Nov 17 2011, 07:50 PM

Well, it sounds better than mine in all aspects, and my laptop could run Oblivion on the medium settings with reasonable fps. (then the dvd drive broke ) Anyway, the one thing that definitely needs to be checked is the graphics card. I couldn't find it on the quick amazon summary.

As for Steam, I think you can redownload games that have been bought. I don't use Steam though, so read the faq first. The answer is probably in there somewhere.

Edit: I'm replying to Solo's toshiba. Yeah, the one with the intel-core is probably underpowered. Intel graphics cards aren't all that hot either.

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Nov 17 2011, 10:58 PM

Any game you have licensed to your Steam account can be re-downloaded infinitely from your Steam profile, whether or not you purchased a digital copy or bought the hard copy.

And no, don't buy a computer with an Intel graphics chip if you intend to play games on it. Ever.

Posted by: The Solo Rollo Nov 17 2011, 11:47 PM

Well, thanks for the info on steam, but one of my mates is going to give me GOTY anyway!

Oh, the graphics card is ATI Radeon HD 4250.

I love the processor name! Turion II X2 Dual Core P520 = Awesome!

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Dec 25 2011, 07:40 PM

My new card is in!

nVidia GeForce GTX 560 Ti.

This completes a long computer overhaul, as my last major component has now gone up to modern hardware.

Before I was on an aging 8800 GT. Now, I'm back with the times.

But before I do anything other than benchmark (and I did get a nice performance boost in Skyrim), I have Christmas dinner to worry about.

Posted by: SubRosa Dec 25 2011, 08:11 PM

Congrats! That is a serious card. You can crank up the AA and anisotropic settings to max. I have them set to x32 and x16 for Morrowind.

And now you are ready for DX11 games. Which I don't think exist because everyone is making their games for 5 year old consoles.

Posted by: King Coin Dec 25 2011, 08:30 PM

Nice card TK! That's the one I wanted... Ended up with a weaker card, but I'm happy with it. Right now I'm thinking of getting a SSD next for my computer. Maybe in a few months.

My gift this year is a Acer laptop. AMD A8 quad core, HD 6620G (still trying to figure out how good that card is), 4GB RAM.

Posted by: The Solo Rollo Dec 27 2011, 06:46 PM

I'm now posting from the brand new laptop I got for Christmas!

it's not the L650 I thought I would get, but a much better model. the Toshiba Satellite http://uk.computers.toshiba-europe.com/innovation/product/Satellite-C660-2EL/1113654/toshibaShop/false/

Here's the quick important stuff:

CPU - Intel Core i3-370M Processor

Graphics - Intel Graphics Media Accelerator HD

RAM - 4GB (DDR3)

HDD - 640GB

Operating System - Windows 7 Home Premium (64 - Bit)

Posted by: King Coin Dec 27 2011, 07:42 PM

That processor looks decent. Dual core with threading.

My A8 3500M is what AMD is calling an APU that contains both the CPU and GPU in a single chip. It seems to deliver pretty good performance and Skyrim autodetected High graphics settings on it. I haven't had a chance to actually play Skyrim on it yet, but I'll try that in a few days here and see how it runs.

EDIT: Looks like the processor will only get up to 1500 MHz. Those of us with an i7 know that it idles faster than the A8 3500M can work at full speed. lol.
Oh, and no threading either.

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Dec 27 2011, 11:26 PM

Looks like a very nice all-purpose laptop there! Not good for gaming, but I'm fairly sure that was not why you bought it.

Should be great for long trips.

Posted by: The Solo Rollo Dec 28 2011, 12:21 AM

Ive watched a couple movies and some HD videos on youtube and it ran with no problems.

Gaming wasnt my top priority, since the only things I will probably be playing are minecraft, TF2 and some WoW. So far TF2 and WoW work, but I cant get minecraft working.

Its the dreaded "HS_ERR" problem. if anyone knows a solution, please help.

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Dec 28 2011, 06:30 AM

Yay... TDRs.

Looks like I am running into a well known and very well documented bug with nVidia GTX 400/500 cards: browsing the web occasionally (though for me, thankfully infrequently) causes my GPU drivers to time out, causing Windows to deliberately hang them and restart them.

It's a feature called Timeout Detection and Recovery (TDR). For some reason, lots of people have been experiencing TDRs being tripped numerous times while doing nothing more GPU intensive than browsing the web. For me, they only seem to happen when I am browsing. When playing a game, the GPU functions as it should.

I am now experimenting with ways to get around the problem until nVidia discovers the cause of the fault and fixes it. My first experiment: setting my driver profile for Firefox to prefer maximum performance.

Posted by: King Coin Dec 28 2011, 06:39 AM

I used to have that crap happen a lot. I don't remember when it quit though... perhaps with an update...

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Apr 8 2012, 12:02 AM

I just had an episode where one of my hard drives simply didn't work. As in, I start the PC, and it didn't even see the drive (my HDD access light didn't flash).

This means I may have a hard drive that is on its way out on my hands here. I was able to get it working again after fiddling with the connections, but with hard drives, better safe than sorry.

Tomorrow, I'll be looking into finding a way to back up the data and start looking for a replacement. I am not taking any chances here, even if this was a fluke, the hard drive is seriously THE last PC component you want to have malfunctioning (as it is THE most important).

While I'm at it, I'll also be looking at updating the tech, as well. My MoBo has SATA 6.0Gb/s (SATA III) support, so I'll probably be shopping for those specific drives. And a capacity upgrade would be nice, but it might also complicate the disc backups (I'm at 500Gb now, so upping that would bring me to 1Tb).

Posted by: SubRosa Apr 8 2012, 01:20 AM

I just had this happen to me a few hours ago, while I was writing an email. Nice to know what it is! It happened while a notification message was popping up in my email app's window (I use Thunderbird). So I think that is what tripped it.

Posted by: Thomas Kaira Apr 8 2012, 01:38 AM

Oh, by the way, that proposed solution worked. You will use more power, but it should stop TDRs from occurring. Best you can do for now, since nVidia has no clue what is wrong (and they've been looking really hard, too).

Posted by: haute ecole rider Jun 12 2012, 05:46 PM

I am now eyeing a new laptop to replace my fried MBP (2006 model), and am curious to know what y'all think of the specs:

Processor: Intel Ivy Bridge Quad Core i7 2.6 GHz with Turbo Boost to 3.6 GHz and 6 MB shared L3 cache
Graphics: Intel HD 4000 plus NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M with Kepler architecture (not sure what that means, will have to research it) and 1 GB GDDR5 RAM and auto-switching capability

RAM: 8 GB 1600 MHz

Storage: 512 GB Flash drive

Display: capable of resolutions from 1024x640 up to 2880x1800 (twice the resolution of a HDTV).

Comments? Questions? What d'ya think?

Posted by: King Coin Jun 12 2012, 05:55 PM

Processor sounds like a winner, I have a desktop variant of the i7 and I love it. I wouldn't expect it to turboboost to 3.6 very often if at all due to it being a laptop.

I don't know much about mobile graphics, but it looks like the memory for it should be good. I consider my card to be mid to high range and it has 1GB of DDR5. I have no idea what the processing power of that model is though.

512 GB Flash drive? Do you mean Solid State? I've heard those are iffy. They are fast, but have a high failure rate it seems.

Posted by: haute ecole rider Jun 12 2012, 07:14 PM

here is a linky for the http://www.geforce.com/hardware/notebook-gpus/geforce-gt-650m

I will talk to my techies and see what they say about the solid state drives and confirm what you said. I'm still a fan of the ol' platter drives, but these specs, especially that display, are making me drool soooo much!

Posted by: King Coin Jun 12 2012, 07:48 PM

If it were me, I'd risk it. But I don't want to tell you to go for it and then have it fail.

I'm right there with you drooling over those specs! I'd expect that thing to handle Skyrim very nicely.

Posted by: SubRosa Jun 12 2012, 09:09 PM

It looks pretty good. I have a desktop with an i7, and have had not complaints. The graphics card looks decent too. 1gb of ram seems a bit small these days. I have not shopped laptops in a long time though, so I am not sure what they usually come with.

The flash drive also sounds iffy to me. Do you mean it has flash memory, like on a thumb drive? I would never go with something like that. It is not very stable. If you mean a solid state drive, I have never had one, but I know they are the best thing out there for performance, so people seem to like them for high end gaming rigs.

Posted by: haute ecole rider Jun 12 2012, 09:42 PM

The hard drive is a solid state drive. Like I said, I'll consult with my techies and see what they say about its stability. Otherwise I'm getting a more traditional external hard drive as backup!

Yes, compared to the desktop equivalent, 1 GB of RAM for the graphics card seems puny. But compared to the other laptops in the lineup, it is high end. And if it can drive a 2880x1800 pixel display like I've seen it in the demos, it is more than enough to become my main photography machine.

My 2008 Mac Pro (my desktop) has an NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT with 512 MB of video RAM, and it runs Oblivion (and Nehrim) fine at higher resolutions. Native resolution is 1680 x 1050, and that's what it runs TES IV on.

I'm still on the fence regarding Skyrim. I don't want a Steam account just to play the game, so I may still pass. But I am considering running Windows under Parallels or VMFusion and trying TES IV just for the heck of it.

Posted by: ghastley Jun 13 2012, 02:51 PM

SSD's in laptops are a better bet because they're much more shock-resistant than HDD's. Platters are good for bulk data, so desktops and servers will keep using them. An SDD has a limited life because of the maximum number of rewrites any cell can take, but that's more than the lifespan of the rest of the laptop these days, so irrelevant.

I'm about to order a new desktop for gaming, and I'll almost certainly get both. SDD for fast loading, and HDD for bulk storage. I want to get a multiple-monitor setup, anyone have experience of using that?

Posted by: Acadian Jun 13 2012, 02:57 PM

Just make sure that whatever system you get has blue lights. My puter works wonderfully and I'm convinced it is because of the pretty blue lights. Oh, and fans - nice little whirling fans that hum along with the in game music!

Posted by: King Coin Jun 13 2012, 03:29 PM

I know someone that bought a SSD for his desktop and it failed in less than a year. The manufacturer send them a new one at no charge, but still...

H.E.R. should talk to her friends about it like she said.

I have never tried multiple displays. I use one BIG monitor instead.

Posted by: ghastley Jun 13 2012, 03:41 PM

I'm using a "Main + auxiliary" setup with a 21" CRT and a 15" LCD at the moment, and I like the way I can have a full-screen display of an image on the 21" while all the tools are on the small screen in GIMP. There are several other programs that let me work the same way, and drag the tools over to the small screen.

But that machine is failing, and needs replacing, so I'm think of getting an nVidia Surround setup with 3 x 24" LCD's which will let me have a logical extra-wide display for games, as well as the main + aux setup for "work".
I've had issues with the ATI cards on my current machine, mainly with not supporting DirectX and OpenGL properly in the same driver. I'm reluctant to use their Eyefinity alternative.

I have other machines, so my current workflow runs Blender and NifSkope on a machine where OpenGL works (but the CPU is slower and the video memory is insufficient for gaming) and play-testing under Directx on the faster one (where OpenGL fails). It will be nice to work on only one again.

Posted by: haute ecole rider Jun 13 2012, 07:27 PM

My techies tell me they've seen very few, if any, issues with SSD's since the MBA first came out.

My only issue with them is the cost per GB - to get anything close to reasonable storage size is outrageous. But maybe this new laptop will be the beginning of a serious price drop on those things.

ghastley, you are absolutely right about SSD's in laptops - I actually recommend the MBA for families with small children because I have a mental picture of two little tykes yanking that laptop between them in a struggle for ownership. As I see it, the MBA can withstand that kind of trauma much better than the MBP, which still used the platter drive. The MBP's are better for college students in spite of its greater weight, and for serious professionals and hobby gamers (the Mac Pro's and high end iMacs are better for the serious stuff). One of my techies actually plays Call of Duty on a 17 inch MBP, but he did trick it out to the max.

I got my hands on a demo of the new laptop I'm looking at yesterday, and I have to say that I'm impressed by it. The decision has been made, I will be getting a new one soon!

I'm not horribly familiar with the multiple display options open to you, ghastley. I think it depends on the graphics cards you have. I know the Mac Pros (the professional level desktop that requires a separate monitor - like the one I currently have) have slots for two graphics cards, which theoretically can allow up to four monitors to be connected at one time (each card handles two). I have never tried connecting a second monitor to my Mac Pro to see how it handles it (NIVIDIA GeForce 8800GT w/512 MB) simply because I've never felt the need for one. I did have my old MBP connected to the HDTV via a DVI-HDMI adapter and it worked great. Speaking of which, the new laptop I'm looking at has an HDMI port!! Whoo hoo!

Posted by: King Coin Jun 13 2012, 07:43 PM

Sounds great. It may have been an issue with a specific manufacturer then.

Now I want to start looking at new GPUs.

Posted by: King Coin Jun 30 2012, 04:52 PM

I'm checking out a GeForce GTX 670 which calls for a PCIe 3.0 slot. My Motherboard only has 2.0 slots. Anybody know if the card will still work? Some quick googling suggests they will, but does anyone here know? I'd be disappointed to drop $400+ on a card only to have the damn thing not fit or work.

Posted by: liliandra nadiar Jun 30 2012, 06:21 PM

If my own experiences with PCI2 cards in my PCI1 slots is anything to go by, it will work for a month or so before it fails.

Posted by: ghastley Jul 16 2012, 03:18 PM

The new machine finally arrived - and it has ridiculous quantities of blue lights. Even the red-eye mouse has a blue light

I'm now spending all my time trying to configure the UI to work on a 6040 x 1080 resolution (spread across three monitors). Most of it is OK, but I'd like to move some more of the HUD items onto the center screen, and stop the game from trying to use the whole width for the maps. I'm learning a lot more about the menus xml files than I intended.

The extra screen space is great for the Construction Set, which likes to open new windows for everything. I can use a whole monitor for the cell render, and still see all the other stuff at the same time.

If I can't find any tutorials etc. on the triple-screen issues, I may end up writing one.

Posted by: Acadian Jul 16 2012, 04:11 PM

ghastley: Blue lights and three screens! Woot! I can imagine what you mean about having three screens to tinker around in the CS.

Posted by: SubRosa Jul 16 2012, 10:44 PM

Congrats ghastley. Glad to hear you are getting a handle on the three screens. It does sound like it would be handy for using the CS. Just using a second monitor helps me immensely when going between spreadsheets and databases at work.

I have been thinking of getting a new machine soon too. My current one is starting to get tired. I still have not quite made up my mind to replace it yet though.

Posted by: King Coin Jul 16 2012, 10:51 PM

Extra screen space for the CK/CS would be wonderful. Congrats on the new system.

Posted by: The Solo Rollo Jul 17 2012, 05:05 PM

I'm quite a regular complainer here!

So, I'm trying to run Thief 2 on my laptop, but it refuses to load the disk. It doesn't crash, but when I put the disk in, all my PC does is make some odd clunking noises. It isn't a problem with the disk drive, since it will run other disks and has never made this noise before. Any ideas?

Oh, and the disk is a Sold out version, just in case thats the problem.

Posted by: King Coin Jul 17 2012, 07:21 PM

Odd clunking noises? Well if the disc isn't ruined, you could try opening My Computer and see if the computer thinks there is anything in the drive.

Posted by: mALX Jul 17 2012, 07:26 PM

My PC did exactly that when I put Oblivion in before I upgraded the PC to handle it. Check the game minimum requirements and your PC's - possibly it can't handle the graphics.

Posted by: ghastley Jul 17 2012, 07:29 PM

Good point - if there's a graphics issue, it might not think it can even display the "fail" dialog!

Posted by: haute ecole rider Aug 12 2012, 01:21 AM

Well, my old MBP finally died.

And I have my new one - with the same specs except for the display and hard drive. The display is the high-resolution version of the standard display, which can go up to 1680 x 1050 - pretty respectable. The HD is the standard platter drive - 750 GB.

I decided to go with this one instead of the one I was looking at earlier because the display on this is proven, while the display on the other is really new tech. Typically I'm not an early adopter - I prefer to let someone else work out all the kinks on new technology before I get into it. So that's why I got this high end MBP instead of the MBP with Retina display.

I just picked this baby up on Thursday and so far am very happy with it. It does not have HDMI (like the Retina does), but it has Airplay capability which lets me use my HDTV as a second monitor wirelessly. So hopefully I'll be able to get back into writing once again, now that I have something portable.

Posted by: McBadgere Sep 24 2012, 04:27 PM

Hello...

I give permission to treat me like a complete numpty where computers are concerned... ...I said where computers are concerned... ...

Aaamywho...

I'm being hassled to buy Oblivion and Skyrim for the PC...

Sooo...I know you can create alternate users...One each for me, boy and girl...

Reet...If we each create a character or so, does the fact that these users are seperate mean that the autosave won't save over each other's games?...

Aaaaand...

Knowing the boy, he'll want to mod...And probably, so will I...

Sooo...Can we run different mods on the seperate users?...As I can't remember how the turorial that Subrosa sent me said about turning them off or on each time you use the game...

Please use small words... ...Like I said, other than push button, press here to make internet/itunes/word I don't know, really, what I'm doing...


EDIT!!!..Oooh, OOohh...Can you use the PS2 lookalike controllers to play Oblivion and Skyrim or do they not support it?...Ta vm...

Posted by: ghastley Sep 24 2012, 04:48 PM

If you're getting Oblivion and Skyrim then be sure to get a few of the helpful tools, such as Wrye Bash and BOSS installed to take care of the mods.

Wrye Bash has a useful feature called profiles (essentially it just swaps folders) to keep characters separate. They can run different combinations of DLC, mods etc. as the plugins list is part of the profile. WB is essential if you're installing and uninstalling mods to make sure they don't remove anything you need that's shared, and that replacement files don't prevent the originals from being restored.

BOSS makes sure that your mod list is in the right order, and you're not trying to use incompatible ones.

There are a number of others that I consider essential, but most of those are involved in making your own mods, so they can wait until you get that bug!

Edit to match yours, yes there are controllers you can use with PC TES games. See the Hardware forum at Bethsoft for threads on how to make them wok.

Posted by: King Coin Aug 16 2013, 03:05 PM

http://www.infoworld.com/t/microsoft-windows/microsoft-botches-six-windows-patches-in-latest-automatic-update-224988?source=IFWNLE_nlt_sec_2013-08-15

I found out why computer quit working after the latest round of MS patches...

Posted by: mALX Aug 17 2013, 07:28 AM

How do you get back on your PC to remove the patches or install the updates to fix them? (just in case).

Posted by: King Coin Aug 17 2013, 03:07 PM

I was able to do a system restore.