Computer Questions Not Worth Their Own Thread

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The cover was "BASIC COMPUTING," all in caps. So I opened to the copyright page, and it said "BASIC Computing: A Complete Course." And it said it was for use in schools.

It's also got stuff about other programmings -- maybe it's possible there was miscommunication between author and publisher, and they thought it was the programming, so they capitalized it.
 
Yes. Most motherboards have a dedicated slot for video cards. Because video cards typically have a different interface than other expansion cards. Your board has

EXPANSION SLOT
1 x PCI Express x16 slot
3 x PCI slots

So you would buy either a PCI type video card, or a PCI Express x16 slot type video card. Those are your only choices.
 
I would assume the programming language, myself. Especially if you open it up and it says:
Code: 
10 PRINT "Hello World."

As for the graphics upgrade, yes. But there are two different kinds of cards, AGP and PCI-E. You'll want to find out what you have first. I believe that PCI-E is more of a 'common' slot, so it wouldn't matter which one you put it in. But AGP is a dedicated graphics card slot, and a much different connector.
 
I did one little program in BASIC. Basically, when you opened it up, it said "Press A Key." But if you didn't press the "A" key, it said, "No, you idiot, you were supposed to press the 'A' key!" :lol:

I know for video cards, I think there's AGP and PCI. And maybe PCIe, or something like that. When installing the Omega drivers, it asked me what I had, and said if I didn't know to just pick AGP because that would work.

It must be awful to buy hardware and then find out it doesn't fit into the slots. I'm glad I do all my homework first.
 
Is it true that turning on a computer is the most dangerous time for an HDD? 'Cos it has to come out of home position and realign itself.
 
aimeeandbeatles said:
I have a strange problem with Yahoo Messenger which I've tried to google several times with nothing useful -- two contacts, when they're online, appear offline to me.

Details:
-- The two contacts I can't see I talk to the most. They're not on stealth.
-- If they sign on when I'm online, I can see them as online. But if I sign in after they come online, I can't see them.
-- I've tried reinstalling messenger, and I reinstalled Windows a while ago.
-- Nobody else I know has this problem.
-- It's definitely within YIM, because when I logged in with Pidgin (just to test it), they appeared as online.
-- I often use some features of YIM you can't find in "multi-IMs", so I'd rather not switch to one because of this small glitch.
Click to expand...

In msn this is caused when you are either blocked or removed from their contacts. Might be the same on YIM.

EDIT just realized what page I was Reading. This post is probably useless
 
tonyf12 said:
In msn this is caused when you are either blocked or removed from their contacts. Might be the same on YIM.

EDIT just realized what page I was Reading. This post is probably useless
Click to expand...

I know they're not blocked, but I don't know if I'm on their list.
 
Maybe I'll have more luck in this thread.

My computer has started acting very strange. I can't log onto Windows anymore. I get to the user select screen where I choose which user I want to load, select one, the desktop loads up and then the screen goes blank, saying I need to activate Windows. It has never done this before. I am slightly weary of doing it, as it asks for bank card details, which of course I am dubious of giving to anyone. I'm thinking I've been infected with a virus.

Also, at the same time, I get hundreds of pop-up messages from Symantec, saying my e-mail hasn't been sent because of server errors. It is trying to send e-mails to my 'neighbours' in Japan. I haven't sent any e-mails. I haven't used Symantec before...

So what the hell is going on here?

NOTE: This is not the machine in question. I am typing now from a laptop.
 
Activating Windows doesn't require bank details.
 
Have you got a Windows disk? Reinstall ;)

Otherwise you are going to have to take it to a shop or something I expect.

EDIT: Does it boot in safe mode (F8 while booting I think)?
 
Sounds like a malware trying to grab your bankcard. If you've got data that needs saving (and can't get into safe mode), pop in a Knoppix disc and stick it on a USB (make sure the USB is formatted as FAT, it may not work otherwise). Then reinstall Windows.
 
I can't even boot in safe mode... I get a blank black screen with "safe mode" around the edges. Looks like it's back to the store for a system wipe. :(

EDIT: Managed to get safe mode to work, but my anti-virus/Windows protection software isn't. Can't work out why. Interestingly enough, the problem only escalated to this level when I installed the software earlier today... but there shouldn't be a connection as the same software is installed on this laptop with no ill effects.
 
Often viruses will disable antivirus. What software did you install? (It's also possible you picked up a drive-by virus.)
 
I'm using Windows Live Care. I got it free from Microsoft so I instantly doubt its credability. :lol:

So now I'm looking for possible solutions to this, besides back to the shop and wipe it.
 
aimeeandbeatles said:
I did one little program in BASIC. Basically, when you opened it up, it said "Press A Key." But if you didn't press the "A" key, it said, "No, you idiot, you were supposed to press the 'A' key!" :lol:
Click to expand...
Ha! Can you make it so that when you give the computer a grammar lame in return, it starts to vibrate and smoke? I can see Jerry Lewis now, all covered in punched cards :lol:

salty mud said:
I am slightly weary of doing it, as it asks for bank card details, which of course I am dubious of giving to anyone. I'm thinking I've been infected with a virus.
Click to expand...
Glad to hear you are not taking this seriously. While there may be several ways to fix this, give consideration to wiping your drive and installing fresh.

aimeeandbeatles said:
What's exactly are "expansion slots" and "RAID support
Click to expand...
RAID can also increase performance. Imagine a file stored over several blocks, with the odd numbered blocks going onto the first of two drives and the evens to the second, for example. Both drives read at once. Obviously, this method can give up to twice the speed of a single drive. Chances of something going wrong are a little up on the single drive but with a pair of new drives you can do well. Up it to four and mirror at the same time. This gives you speed and data security. Have a couple of spare drives and when one fails, swap it in and the others will rebuild its data.

aimeeandbeatles said:
Is it true that turning on a computer is the most dangerous time for an HDD? 'Cos it has to come out of home position and realign itself.
Click to expand...
Not a big issue these days but the heads can skate across the platter. They can also adhere to the surface by way of stiction, and damage some of the surface as they pull free.

There also used to be a concern about the bearings being loose when cold, as bearing assemblies can be. Modern drives tend to use liquid bearings and I would assume they would be designed to be fairly temperature neutral.
 
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