jaclaz

Look, basically you were asking for suggestions, they were given to you, and they are (IMHO) good ones, you can choose to either follow them or to not follow them , in the first case, just do what you were told, avoiding the unneeded nitpicking, if the second, you can as well avoid the nitpicking as it would be pointless. Just for the record however, you are fundamentally wrong: different drivers #5 on same OS #3 may well give different resuts, as well different (compatible between them) OS's #3 with same drivers #5 may give different results. as well the motherboard #2 may - for *any* reason - provoke a malfunctioning of the sound card #6 (as an example by providing low voltage or current or "dirty" power, among other things) jaclaz

While you are booted in the PE, can yousee that file on the C:\ drive if you execute a DIR command? (Open a command prompt, type in it dir C:\ and press [ENTER]) Boot to the "full system" and try again the above command. Do you see dfferences in the listed files? Which EXACT command(s) are included in your startnet.cmd? And in Winpeshl.ini? (post a copy of them) AND check this thread: jaclaz

Hmmm, I think I will try again. The "chain" is: Audio Source -> Hardware (PC) -> Software (Os) -> Software (player) -> Software (driver) -> hardware (Sound card) -> hardware (loudspeakers/earphones/etc) -> Perception (subjective, your ear) The appropriate and suggested procedure is to try item #6 while keeping the same items #1, #2, #7 and #8 with different items #3, #4, #5. Then trying another item #6 (and if needed an appropriate corresponding item #5) while keeping untouched items from #1 to #4 and from #6 to #8. This is enough to understand if the sound card has an issue (hardware) or *something else* is the problem. You either conduct these two tests or you will be - besides sad - a doubtful, insecure bunny for a long time . jaclaz

Still on the OT tablet topic: http://mvardon.com/2010/01/22/lost-17-years-apples-tablet-specs/ http://www.pratikpramanik.com/2012/06/industry-contrarian-microsoft-surface-and-why-the-industry-still-hasnt-figured-out-tablets/ And a nice image from the above: The article above includes a couple interesting links to the almost forgotten (and canceled) Courier project..... And (yet another) article about the Surface being what?: http://www.zdnet.com/surface-rt-hands-on-not-a-good-tablet-not-a-good-laptop-7000007830/ jaclaz

From what you reported it seems to me like he actually replied, saying he doesn't know. I guess everyone is allowed to not know something.... I presume that the issue with Win 3.1 is only that of finding viable drivers for the specific screen/pen, compare with: http://www.vintage-computer.com/vcforum/showthread.php?26914-Windows-for-Pen-for-Compaq-Concerto jaclaz

NOT what you asked for, but in batch: http://reboot.pro/topic/5881-ipconfig/ the code is "botched" you may want to use this: http://pastehtml.com/view/b4t99xk89.html Basically it amounts to: @ECHO OFF for /f "tokens=2 delims=:" %%A in ('IPCONFIG^|FIND "IP"') do echo %%A jaclaz

Well, with all due respect you asked about cheap ways to measure every kind of signals. I had the impression that you knew what to do with these measurements, otherwise it would be pointless. I mean, let's say hypothetically that Santa Claus makes you find a brand new spectro-foto-turbo-cyber-oscillo-mega-scope, a (fictional) instrument very suited to measure accurately any kind of signals and worth a few thousands bucks, what you would do with it (exception made for using it as a very expensive door holder )? You expressed the wish to have cheap measurement devices for signals, not for learning overnight (and by sheer magic) a few month's worth of electronic design, troubleshooting and engineering (and some more months of practice besides the theory). Short of using (appropriately) a signal measurement device you have only two options, that should however be BOTH tried: try that same sound card on that same PC system with another OS (install or "LiveCD") try that same sound card on another PC system (and with another OS install and/or "LiveCD") if it still malfunctions, then there is definitely a hardware issue of some kind. But let's say (still hypothetically) that there is an actual issue on that sound card hardware and that by pure chance my crystal ball is tuned and I could tell you that you have to replace the chip marked as IC18 on the board, what would you do? Have you the experience/capability/tools to desolder a SMC, find a replacement and re-solder it properly? Again with all due respect, you seem to me more like Robert De NIro in Analyze This , I guess your next move will to shoot a pillow.... jaclaz

The linked to tutorial seems to me like implying that this is not the case, that's why I thought to bring up the issue. That tutorial in a nutshell says that if the "existing" disk/partition/filesystem is not "converted to MBR" when it is validly "formatted" (please take all the terms used in this sentence as "vague" and not exact) the only way is to intitiate an ATA Safe Erase: which points to this other tutorial: http://www.overclock.net/t/1227597/how-to-secure-erase-your-solid-state-drive-ssd-with-parted-magic though essentially the same can be made with hdparm: https://ata.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/ATA_Secure_Erase surely from Linux, but most probably from a PE too, see: http://reboot.pro/topic/13601-software-to-wipe-a-systemdrive-from-windows/ and possibly also from DOS using the (but DOS may have issues recognizing the disk drive/device): http://cmrr.ucsd.edu/people/Hughes/SecureErase.shtml jaclaz

Yes, this is the "strange" part. Normally a "working" hard disk (not in BSY state) does connect when "fully assembled". The disconnecting of either the head or the motor (of both as in the original tutorial) is only a way (or rather a "trick") to exit the "loop" that is causing the BSY state. jaclaz

Still on the OT/Tablet/Surface theme, the good MS guys seemingly lost a very good occasion to have a rather influential testimonial/endorsement: http://www.theverge.com/2012/12/12/3754574/pope-benedict-xvi-first-tweet http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/12/12/the-pope-on-twitter-and-6-other-holy-milestones/ jaclaz

Possibly already checked/suggested, but is the SSD in GPT or in MBR "mode"? Compare with: http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus/672616-guide-ux32vd-how-install-windows-7-integrated-32gb-ssd.html jaclaz

May I remind everyone the OP request? jaclaz

Well, Norton Ghost was a Commercial program and it is not anymore available since years from Symantec. At the time there weren't many Freeware programs capable to do the same things Norton Ghost did, right now there are several ones, one has been already mentioned, several more are listed here: http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=16534 It may be possible to buy a license for Norton Ghost 8.3 on e-bay or similar, though. The "reference" for all things "Norton Ghost related" is this site/board. http://ghost.radified.com/ jaclaz

What you may want to try on the "problematic" hard disk is inserting a F712 sequence. WARNING I have NO idea if it is "appropriate" for the situation that hard disk is and never like in this case "no guarantee of any kind" WARNING See: http://forum.hddguru.com/tutorial-resolve-lba-seagate-7200-bios-don-recognize-t11040.html This post: http://forum.hddguru.com/tutorial-resolve-lba-seagate-7200-bios-don-recognize-t11040-180.html#p131011 TO ALL: this is NOT "recommended" it is NOT part of the "standard" unbricking procedure, it is normally NOT needed and should NOT be attempted if not as a "last resort", when the "normal" commands in the tutorials fail! jaclaz

Well, the power down and then resume with ctrl+Z has worked for at least a few thousands of people, so it is confirmed to work "in most cases". As a matter of fact this powering down may not be needed as other guides/tutorials/reports do not specify it. If I gave you the false impression to believe that you had only read through one source of information is because we have two "tutorials" right here, cited in the read me first and you cited the instrctions form a third one, NOT mentoned there. It was not a false impression, I actually had it and you did everything in your powers to convey it. It makes no sense (unless *something* else occurred to that disk - i.e. it is not in a "pure" BSY state - or during your previous attempts *something* changed) that you have different behaviour while using a different "controller card" (what do you mean exactly with "controller card"? and with "changing it"? ) jaclaz

I don't get it. You do some of the steps, then it comes the (optional) powering down. You unplug the power SATA connector. Wait 60 seconds (roughly). You re-plug the power. Then you do ctrl+Z and you do not re-access the interface? <- maybe this is the step you are missing? A communication session is initiated by the ctrl+Z, of course since you powered down the disk the previous session is lost. If you read the recommended guide, here: http://www.mapleleafmountain.com/seagatebrick.html this is made clear, the snippet you posted is coming from where? (I know , it comes from here: https://sites.google.com/site/seagatefix/ ) As well first post of the present thread specifies how you need to issue the ctrl+Z: Guess why there is a Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 READ_ME_FIRST sticky here: with a point #3 citing two tutorials (and NOT the one you seemingly are using)? jaclaz

I don't want to put anyone down, but from the little I can understand on the matter it seems like there are around THREE types of systems: BIOS <- classic "half" UEFI <- particular UEFI with BIOS emulation, let's call these "transition" systems "full" UEFI <- "pure" UEFI, with NO BIOS call support whatsoever I suspect that wimb's successful experiments only apply to #2 above.... jaclaz

Why so defensive? Provided that is not considered off-topic, I would like to highlight how it makes little sense to be "tight" in the size of this dummy file in the sense that in the best case it will occupy 512 bytes (when not 4 Kbytes) so you can use the space to put in some comments, possibly useful, like info about the specific oemXX.inf "original" file it is going to replace ("meaningful placeholder" as opposed to "standard placeholder") . jaclaz

As I see it there are great possibiltiies that the millions of people that bought the Surface at the time of the "share" data collection had either: spent all their money buying the thingy and cannot afford to pay an ISP for connection used it to play Simon had yet to understand how to go online only and exclusively connected to the Microsoft Apps store and to networks not connected with the Chitika one in other words it is a bit too early for those web traffic results to represent *anything*: http://insights.chitika.com/2012/november-tablet-market-update/ and it is very possible that the Chitika network (WHO? ) and it's customers offer contents that appeal the iPad and Android users but not the Surface ones, we have a "study" conducted by a non-independent firm, citing senselessly and vaguely "a sample of millions of tablet impressions", limited to 6 (six) days just two weeks after the Surface launch. Those reports, without the exact methodology used are m00t by themselves, additionally they were made at a time there was possibly NO meaningful number of surfaces sold. So they are absolutely meaningless. jaclaz

BUT, unlike on the Surface, you had local storage available to keep that huge compilation locally.... A good idea could be to have several (cheaper) Surfaces, each one with 16 Gb of storage total, somehow (like by writing good, lean code) reduce the space occupied by Office to have the Howstuffworks stored locally, another one for the writings by William Shakespeare, another one with pictures of all the paintings by Picasso .... no , wait, these latter already exist, they are called books .... jaclaz

Isn't it fun how everyone sees the relevant parts differently? From the same link: It's years I have been waiting for such an app , a dedicated app for booking travels or read simple explanations on how thing works, a sensationally new paradigm shift...... In the old times we called those "bookmarks" . jaclaz

... it is the hardest part ... jaclaz

OT (but not much). A quick question: How much would you expect to have available for storage, additional apps, etc. on a 32 GB Surface? Seemingly the new, lean, RT OS (and the MS Office that you cannot use for work unless you buy a separate license for it) is not as lean as I was imaging: http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/windows-rt-hogs-16gb-of-32gb-microsoft-surface/ http://www.microsoft.com/Surface/en-US/support/surface-with-windows-RT/files-folders-and-online-storage/surface-disk-space-faq But the Note: surely helps a lot. Being one of those days where my understanding of English is somewhat lacking, this sentence: http://www.microsoft.com/Surface/en-AU/storage sounds to me as being condescending and/or presumptuous. The declared size of 8 Gb for an Office suite with limited functionalities (besides limited licensed use) is anyway an offence to the art of programming . I would like you to take note how: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/home-and-student/office-home-student-rt-preview-FX103210361.aspx Having Excel without Macros/Add-ins , what would be next, power drills with no chuck but a fixed 6 mm steel drill bit, adjustable wrenches fixed to 13 mm? jaclaz

That is what I was told by Dennis Ritchie's ghost http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Ritchie that appeared last night in my dreams and suggested me the solution to your problem. (so I cannot guarantee it's correct, I am only the messenger ) I wasn't able to see anything in my crystal ball , nor to get anything of use from both Tarots and I-Ching , unfortunately . jaclaz

I would say that Windows Update is "innocent" and it is EXACTLY as stupid as the stupid people that wrote/programmed it, but this would be nit-picking @delerious JFYI: jaclaz