Computer Questions Not Worth Their Own Thread II
- Thread starter Methos
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J-man
Deity
Does Steam use ram/otherwise slow down your computer even if you have disabled it from automatically running when the computer starts? (ie is there anything more you can do to contain it?)
Start task manager and check if it's there.
Hm, a "Steam client" is in the task manager list, but apparently it's not active (has no option to stop)...
It seems this is how I have it set up too, and in the task manager I am only given the option to terminate something that is running. The process does appear on the list, but as inactive (so I am wondering why it is even on the list). It isn't set to run automatically, and you have the option to "start" it from the list but not kill it.
Has twitter anti-hotlinking measures broken stuff for everyone or just for me?
It used to be that you could copy image links from twitter and embed them in posts here. Sometime recently this started failing for me, I think this was the first time I noticed it. Note the image link is https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FF6dmVBWUAU8eXs?format=jpg&name=medium and loads for me as a stand alone image but not within the page, where it is requested with the referer header field of civfanatics.com. It looks like this for me:
Around a similar time I noticed that tweets embedded in news articles seems to be broken. For example there are a load of tweets linked on this page, and they look like this for me:
I do keep my browser pretty locked down, without the closed source DRM codex's and no third party cookies and stuff like that, but I used to be able to see these things. I am just wondering if other people see the same thing, or is it just me?
It used to be that you could copy image links from twitter and embed them in posts here. Sometime recently this started failing for me, I think this was the first time I noticed it. Note the image link is https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FF6dmVBWUAU8eXs?format=jpg&name=medium and loads for me as a stand alone image but not within the page, where it is requested with the referer header field of civfanatics.com. It looks like this for me:
Around a similar time I noticed that tweets embedded in news articles seems to be broken. For example there are a load of tweets linked on this page, and they look like this for me:
I do keep my browser pretty locked down, without the closed source DRM codex's and no third party cookies and stuff like that, but I used to be able to see these things. I am just wondering if other people see the same thing, or is it just me?
Gelion
Retired Captain
Thanks a lot, I'll try it out
It's been happening to other people as well.
Can someone explain this to me.
Civ 3 Conquests, installed from disk onto Win 10 in C:/Program Files (x86)/... run as localadmin.
In the game I can save and load files, and browse into and out of the Saves folder. With windows explorer I can browse to the install directory and see all the installed files, Civ3Conquests.exe for example. But I cannot see the Saves directory. I run command prompt as administrator and browse to the install directory and it is the same, "dir" gives Civ3Conquests.exe but not Saves. I try "cd Saves" and I get the file not found error. I create a directory "test" with the command prompt, and I can see that file in the game, by Load Game and going up one directory.
Civ 3 Conquests, installed from disk onto Win 10 in C:/Program Files (x86)/... run as localadmin.
In the game I can save and load files, and browse into and out of the Saves folder. With windows explorer I can browse to the install directory and see all the installed files, Civ3Conquests.exe for example. But I cannot see the Saves directory. I run command prompt as administrator and browse to the install directory and it is the same, "dir" gives Civ3Conquests.exe but not Saves. I try "cd Saves" and I get the file not found error. I create a directory "test" with the command prompt, and I can see that file in the game, by Load Game and going up one directory.
tjs282
Stone \ Cold / Fish
At the risk of trying to teach your granny to suck eggs (sorry!), this sounds very much like the perennial post-WinXP problem of Windows' VirtualStore sticking/hiding the "real" ../Conquests/Saves folder in the ../Accounts/[User] (?) directory instead of C:/ProgramFiles/.../Conquests/Saves ...?
@Puppeteer once made a video advising installation outside C:/ProgramFiles, for just this reason.
But if this is the problem, then you should be able to find the actual location of the folder by simply asking WindozeExploder to search your HDD for *BC.sav files.
Or you could have a look at this thread/utility, also from @Puppeteer: https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/virtualstore-detector.509202/
I'm curious how you're getting a CD-version of the game to even run, though? AFAIK, most CD-versions use(d) SecuROM, which needs secdrv.sys, which a Microsoft Security Update disabled in late 2015, and Win10-users aren't even given the option to roll back/ uninstall that...
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Search for *BC.sav in this PC did it, I should have thought about that. They hid it well, C:/Users/localadmin/AppData/Local/VirtualStore/Program Files (x86)/Fraxis Games/.....At the risk of trying to teach your granny to suck eggs (sorry!), this sounds very much like the perennial post-WinXP problem of Windows' VirtualStore sticking/hiding the "real" ../Conquests/Saves folder in the ../Accounts/[User] (?) directory instead of C:/ProgramFiles/.../Conquests/Saves ...?
@Puppeteer once made a video advising installation outside C:/ProgramFiles, for just this reason.
But if this is the problem, then you should be able to find the actual location of the folder by simply asking WindozeExploder to search your HDD for *BC.sav files.
I'm curious how you're getting a CD-version of the game to even run, though? AFAIK, most CD-versions use(d) SecuROM, which needs secdrv.sys, which a Microsoft Security Update disabled in late 2015, and Win10-users aren't even given the option to roll back/ uninstall that...
I am afraid I think I am unable to sate your curiosity within the rules of this site.
tjs282
Stone \ Cold / Fish
That would be this link here:
https://www.pcgames.de/Civilization...-Civ-3-Vollversion-Hier-gibts-Abhilfe-401682/
Spoiler Backstory... :
Ita Bear
Warlord
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2020
- Messages
- 289
Hello folks,
I'm concerned my SSD (or worse still, entire motherboard) has malfunctioned. I was downloading a game through Steam whilst playing another and my computer suddenly hardlocked and blue-screened. When I start the computer now it hangs for a minute or two on a black screen and then boots into BIOS. On the BIOS screen it says that all of my SATA ports are "not present" and no amount of restarting will make windows appear.
I've noticed my machine acting funny for a while - it took a long time to load into things, sometimes it wouldn't boot correctly and some strange graphical artifacts appeared on screen. I originally put it all down to my graphics card but it seems my SSD may have been the culprit. Can downloading a file cause it to break completely?
Grateful for any assistance.
Kind regards,
Ita Bear
I'm concerned my SSD (or worse still, entire motherboard) has malfunctioned. I was downloading a game through Steam whilst playing another and my computer suddenly hardlocked and blue-screened. When I start the computer now it hangs for a minute or two on a black screen and then boots into BIOS. On the BIOS screen it says that all of my SATA ports are "not present" and no amount of restarting will make windows appear.
I've noticed my machine acting funny for a while - it took a long time to load into things, sometimes it wouldn't boot correctly and some strange graphical artifacts appeared on screen. I originally put it all down to my graphics card but it seems my SSD may have been the culprit. Can downloading a file cause it to break completely?
Grateful for any assistance.
Kind regards,
Ita Bear
Sorry, that doesn't sound good. 
Downloading a single file should not create a problem. It sounds like you have been having problems for a while though?
Recently had a problem as my laptop wouldn't boot as a result of a crashed driver update. I downloaded a copy of Windows 10 on a USB thumb drive and got into the bios and set it to boot from the thumb drive. The computer came up and started loading windows from the USB drive. I told it to install a copy of Win10 and on the next screen was able to select the Repair option. It let me troubleshoot the PC and eventually was able to restore the registry from a backup and the computer booted.
So you could use the same process to troubleshoot the computer and see if it tells you anything helpful? You can also see if the PC will boot from USB drive. That would confirm it is the SATA that is dead. New PC time if that is true.
Downloading a single file should not create a problem. It sounds like you have been having problems for a while though?
Recently had a problem as my laptop wouldn't boot as a result of a crashed driver update. I downloaded a copy of Windows 10 on a USB thumb drive and got into the bios and set it to boot from the thumb drive. The computer came up and started loading windows from the USB drive. I told it to install a copy of Win10 and on the next screen was able to select the Repair option. It let me troubleshoot the PC and eventually was able to restore the registry from a backup and the computer booted.
So you could use the same process to troubleshoot the computer and see if it tells you anything helpful? You can also see if the PC will boot from USB drive. That would confirm it is the SATA that is dead. New PC time if that is true.
Ita Bear
Warlord
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2020
- Messages
- 289
Hello leif Erikson,
I agree, it's bad news whatever it is! Yes, I've had a few problems for a while but never thought to attribute them to the SSD or whole motherboard. I built this PC two years ago so will be sad if it's died already.
Thank you for your advice, I'll try that. I can download a copy of Windows from Microsoft's website, is that right? And then adjust the load order in the BIOS to load from the USB stick. How am I able to tell if the problem is related to the entire motherboard or just my SSD?
Kind regards,
Ita Bear
I agree, it's bad news whatever it is! Yes, I've had a few problems for a while but never thought to attribute them to the SSD or whole motherboard. I built this PC two years ago so will be sad if it's died already.
Thank you for your advice, I'll try that. I can download a copy of Windows from Microsoft's website, is that right? And then adjust the load order in the BIOS to load from the USB stick. How am I able to tell if the problem is related to the entire motherboard or just my SSD?
Kind regards,
Ita Bear
Ita Bear
Warlord
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2020
- Messages
- 289
Hello folks,
Further to the above I am now 99% sure the SSD has failed. I followed leif erikson's advice and used a stick to reinstall windows and try repairs. It told me that no repairs were possible so I tried to reinstall windows. When it came to the "where would you like to install windows" screen, it showed one drive (presumably my SSD) but with 0mb of space available. I then disconnected my SSD, repeated the process and the computer then, obviously, detected nothing.
Therefore I think we can say that 1.) my motherboard can still detect storage devices and 2.) my SSD has corrupted to the point nothing can be saved on it. So looks like I'll have to get a new drive and clean install windows.
Not ideal, but certainly better than replacing the motherboard!
Kind regards,
Ita Bear
Further to the above I am now 99% sure the SSD has failed. I followed leif erikson's advice and used a stick to reinstall windows and try repairs. It told me that no repairs were possible so I tried to reinstall windows. When it came to the "where would you like to install windows" screen, it showed one drive (presumably my SSD) but with 0mb of space available. I then disconnected my SSD, repeated the process and the computer then, obviously, detected nothing.
Therefore I think we can say that 1.) my motherboard can still detect storage devices and 2.) my SSD has corrupted to the point nothing can be saved on it. So looks like I'll have to get a new drive and clean install windows.
Not ideal, but certainly better than replacing the motherboard!
Kind regards,
Ita Bear
Glad you have found a way forward and it sounds hopeful to only replace the SSD.
Once again, shows the importance of backups of your data. Really stinks to lose it.
Good luck with your repairs.
Once again, shows the importance of backups of your data. Really stinks to lose it.
Good luck with your repairs.
Replying here as it is not an FAQ. Iptables are a way of setting a particular way of responding to a particular URI. So I think you could set it to load an image from your disk (say /home/user/images/smilies/mywink.gif) whenever https://forums.civfanatics.com/images/smilies/wink.gif is on a page. It is not actually something I am very familiar with, but I know you can do it and I think iptables is one way BICBW.
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