LiquidSage

Sorry..I think I was looking at another thread and wrote some of my reply in the previous post. A common feature on mobos is a 4 sec delay before shutdown if you are pressing the power button. So what you should try is to press the power button in for 4-6 sec's. It should shutdown then. The option to change this behavior will be in the BIOS under Power Management (if the mobo supports changing it). Just look for an option that has something like '4 sec delay' or 'instant power off'. The 4 sec delay is default on current motherboards so don't be surprised if it works. If you still think there could be an issue lingering related to the mobo, go to the manufacturer's website and d/l the latest BIOS update, sometimes new features are added and others resolved. If you are having issues turning off the computer using windows 'shutdown', then you should do a google search for 'xp shutdown reg fix' and make sure you have all the latest updates as there is a known problem with shutdown on early XP and 2000 and it was resolved with a hotfix.

i believe so

actually you need cdshell v2.0.11 to use bcdw 1.5z. PM me w/ your e-mail and i'll fwd you both w/ instructions.

I often make my iso's the same way you stumbled upon (adding aiwil's Bart is easier and overall it is quicker if you already have cdshell and such ready to add). I have never had any issues using UltraISO's optimize feature on ERD. I've noticed overall file size is usually a tad less with cdimage or mkisofs though. Not big enough to warrant a switch though

doesn't sound stupid at all. ERD follows a very strict ISO 9660 based name format. If you extract ERD to add to a multiboot distro, the names need to remain in uppercase (except for firefox) or it won't work. I'm guessing when you extracted ERD to a folder, either the names became lowercase or you edited items and saved the names in lowercase. Also, some ISO editors will save files when building a ISO in lowercase or with other oddities (esp. if you enable relaxed restrictions). Windows install folders all follow the basic ISO format when using files for booting so it's easy to add them to the ERD ISO. Even adding joliet based items is easy because ERD keeps it's proper name format. At least that is the case if you edit a ERD iso in UltraISO. UltraISO retains the proper settings for files in an ISO when you open it or alter ISO properties and save. Just remember to always recompile the entire ISO when you edit.

if it's usb, make sure in BIOS that usb controller or any option related to usb input devices are enabled. if it's ps/2 make sure no pins are broken on the connection and that you are plugging it in the correct spot. I wish i could give a good example of BIOS stuff, but not knowing the mobo or generation i think it ould do more harm than good. However, this may help you on your way, BIOS Tweak Guide

Have you tried to press the power button in for 3-8 sec? Have you looked in the BIOS for power management features?

1.Unplug comp. & Take out the battery Wait 30 sec. Plug it back in w/o the battery and it will turn on by itself, see if it works. Change the batt. if it does. 2.Unplug everything except ram, vid card and keyboard. Can you access the BIOS.? 3. Have you tried a different keyboard? Are you using a usb keyboard (a PS/2 keyboard should be able to get in BIOS w/o any trouble) 4. Is the mobo clean? Are any metal pieces rubbing up against it? Also when odd problems arise, I have taken everything out and used DeOXiT and maybe ProShow Gold if I'm pressed for time (radioshack,fry's carries it) and have had a good success rate so far. What hardware changes have been made recently before the problem?

Take out the HD and you will see on the label the serial #. On a working computer go to Maxtor's site and begin the RMA form. It will ask for the HD serial and then tell you from the HD serial number if your drive is under warranty. If it is, fill out the entire form. Once submitted, you will be given your RMA number and sent a new drive in advance if you put a deposit down for it. Otherwise, you will need to ship the drive and wait for Maxtor to receive it and send a new a one. They want you to run the boot cd to hopefully avoid the HD being sent back. The only info you need is on the label itself (the serial #). The boot cd is not needed at all to request an RMA. RMA = Return Manufacturer Authorization. Only after filling out a RMA reguest will you be granted an RMA #. Hope it helps...Good luck F.Y.I.- They send out a new drive fast and you have a month to send the old one back if you put a deposit down during the RMA request. Also, the packaging requirements are very specific so getting a drive sent in advance will provide the correct packaging to send your dead one back as well.

I'm not one to hype a product out of the blue, but a package arrived 2 weeks ago from newegg w/ my new keyboard This purchase was one of the few i can honestly say I will be happy with for a long time to come. I don't care for the illuminated keyboards in general mainly because the under glow was to bright (making it just as annoying as finding a key in the dark w/ only a dim monitor). Also, the design and workmanship is usually lacking since most get suckered into buying one just for the 'cool' light mod. Finding a keyboard that actually lit the letters and lit them well was even harder to find since after searching around I found reference that this kind of lighting was patented and used mainly for military application (plus it's too expensive to get a keyboard made by those companies.) I finally decided on a Saitek Eclipse PC Keyboard Well Saitek has won my praise as this keyboard had 3 brightness settings, solid construction and responsiveness and is a bit quieter than most due to the keys being attached in a different method instead of the traditional keyboard method from what i read. (It is pretty quiet.) The laser-cut lettering on the keys are lit, can be seen from all angles in the dark and the glow is pleasantly easy on the eye. I'm by no means a light typer....I beat the hell out of keyboards and it has taken it without any problems so far. The laser cut lettering ensures that letters can't be rubbed off over time. I paid $47 and it was worth every penny. I added to this keyboard some thin foam rubber matting under the keys for almost complete silence as well. (I laid it down in thin strips so the underglow still showed). Also, I had a bit of fun with my dremel and soldered a usb port on it's spacious side. If you can mod things in general, you could put a usb hub in it or a card reader w/o a great deal of difficulty. Only a few things could make it better: Only connection is usb, would be nice to have wireless or a real PS/2 connection No ergonomic model available (This is really my only disappointment. Most people hate these keyboards anyways so I'm sure it's not a huge deal). There is also a Gamers Keyboard geared for hardcore gamers that has gotten nothing but high praise in mod site reviews. The only downside is the lettering is not lit, though it does have under glow.

Okay try these steps and only go to the next step if the current one you try isn't working 1. Go into BIOS and disable ACPI. Try a fresh install. 2.Disable ACPI, when setup prompts for SCSI RAID (F6 prompt).... Press F5 Now select "standard PC i486". Try a fresh install. 3.Disable ACPI, multi CPU support / and or HT support (if you have that kind of hardware). Try a fresh install. 4.Repeat step 2 w/ the additional items disabled from step 3. I would suggest a quick format before each attempt otherwise you are likely to still stay stuck where you are

Yep....odd noises would be a concern and RMA would be they way to go. Do they both make this noise? It is possible that it is normal. I'm pretty sure WD has a free diagnostic utility for raid. Might want to check that out beforehand. Also make sure to have the latest stable drivers and if you really feeling like going the distance, check the PCI latency settings of your hardware to make sure your raid device is not getting bullied by other devices. Personally, strange noises off the bat would generally send me to the post office with a nice little package for the manufacturer. Might as well do it while you can.

Well....if it works for you, I won't knock it, but just a little friendly observation//counter-consideration.... - 1 120mm fan on low speed could probably cool your 3 HD's if positioned correctly (unless you have 15k rpm HD always in use). - Those 'cheesy' fans do serve a purpose since most newer vid cards really heat up normally, and when given a heavy load (playing a game or doing 3d rendering with normal settings), they literally burn up even w/o a hot spot to contend with. A $200-$600 investment down the tube and is replaced with one of these faces Even raid/ide chipsets these days need extra cooling or they cook hot enough to cause hangs and other I/O problems ...and it's not easy to get a nice large fan over them for cool and quiet due to mobo layout and secure placement issues. -Not having side panels can be a blessing and a curse. True overall ambient temp is low and that can help (esp. for hot air pockets that often effect vid card coolers), but having side panels and proper fan placement creates a wind tunnel when done correctly and allows for more efficient cooling, less noise, dust and # of fans needed. Plus having protection from the occasional accident is always a plus. But all of that comes done to the environment the computer is in, personal preference, budget and other factors (like having it in a case or not) so again I'm not trying to knock your config since the only wrong config is the one which causes hardware issues. I agree completely with the 'oil in a syringe' method as I am the same way. Good for the fan, great to avoid it getting on anything else and tight spots are not a big problem. Plus...if you put a bit of vinyl tape over a fan sticker...you can inject oil into most fans w/o breaking the airtight inner seal or messing with the sticker since the vinyl will seal up the hole when you take the needle out. To those who have cases and are interested in different fan layouts that work and don't, take a look at this article. It has good info and lots of nice big pictures if you just want to skim through it.

Sometimes 2000 can hang for up to an hour on this screen. What could cause your problem.... -Including custom drivers and some post sp4 hotfixes. Does it work with a fresh, non-modified Source (that means no winnt.sif as well)? -ACPI can cause the hang. (Disable in bios or read MS's article on how to start a install w/o ACPI) -Installing from RIS is also said to cause problems. I bet the first possible cause is most likely your issue. If an unaltered SP4 build works.. add hotfixes. If SP4 + hotfixes work, add winnt.sif w/o the entries for drivers. Try to keep it very simple. If that works then add all your drivers except SCSI/RAID/IDE and update winnt.sif. If all is well....add the rest and troubleshoot the problem from there.

P E S X - Portable Executable Shell Extension Author's Website Download PESX -Finds file dependencies and list paths to dll used by the exe in question. --allows to copy information to clipboard --allows to copy dependent files to one directory (This is one of the easiest ways to migrate dependencies when authoring Windows PE /Bart PE plug ins.) -System resources use is extremely low and is only in use when accessing 'Properties' of a exe. Tip!!! -PESX.dll is very easy to customize for those who are familiar with resource editing. -Works in windows PE / Bart PE -This program is free!!!. B) Just email the author and ask for a key! Return reply was very quick. To get to the goodies of this extension.... 1. R. Click on a exe and select properties. A new tab will be shown called 'dependencies'. 2. R. Click on any item in dependencies and you will see the standard R. click menu allowing you to do any normal operation on any file in the list plus, a new menu called PESX. Psx's features can now be accessed

IMO, stay away from.. -Anything refurbished or used that is hardware related (mobo, vid card, CPU, etc) -Mobo - ECS and/or VIA chipsets (nothing but bad mojo experiences...esp.with ECS) ASUS PNP800 (Board design is lacking compared to ABIT I have become partiall to SIS chipsets as they seem to be the only ones that have 133 ATA IDE controller support and have been flawless so far. -Powercolor video cards., ATI X600 series -WD hard drives (their quality has taken a nose dive in recent years) -Prescott 478 based CPU's

To install ForceASPI, just run installaspi.bat and restart. The filters should pop up in the reg. afterwards, but don't worry about them since a misconfiguration (not the absence of them) would be the only reason to delete them. Have you installed underlying drivers for your mobo (VIA_Hyperion 4IN, Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility, etc)? If not, d/l them and install then reboot. Also you can try.... Delete the Secondary IDE controller (I hope your drive is on the secondary....) in device manager and reboot so XP can re-detect the channel and reinstall the devices. Or, unplug the cable to the drive and turn on the computer. Let windows fully load and then turn off the computer. Reattach the drive and boot the computer again. With luck windows will re detect it. In the bios, or during initial boot, does your drive appear? (I would think it would since the other OS sees it, but just to rule everything out....) You can also try to 'reset configuration data' in the BIOS.

Nine fans!? whoa...even with a moderately OC'd P4 and vid card + 6 fast HD's, I'm only using 4 (not counting the PSU). You must be doing some serious OC'ing.

make sure that your bios has the FDD controller enabled and /or a floppy drive set if you can manually choose an A or B drive. (Though you will boot from CD, disabling the floppy drive in bios can cause floppy emulation to not work.) Otherwise, if you know the floppy image is good and the above does not apply to you, try using diskemu instead of memdisk.

If the burner is detected in 1 system and not the other, it probably is a config issue in that non working OS, so.... 1. Disable and stop MS's IMAPI CD burning service. 2. Install a new ASPI ForceASPI 1.8 Reboot If it is still undetected, then open regedit and navigate to this key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318} Completely delete the 2 entries called "UpperFilters" and "LowerFilters". Next, open device manager and go to Action-->Scan for Hardware changes. You should now see your CD/DVD/ drives. If not, then run this Show Drives in Explorer Fix and reboot. Post the results if this doesn't work. There is more to try, but it could be lengthily.

sounds like you have a variable speed fan w/ a temp. sensor. They are nothing special and you might even consider replacing it with a quieter one regardless since dell doesn't really care much about noise (Sleeved, ceramic are the quietest, dbl ball bearing are the loudest) If the PC is new (P4) then there is probably an air duct going to the cpu which makes the whoosh a bit more audible.. In general those cases are pretty warm so the fan kicks up the speed when you put the cpu under load (like opening up PS). Open the case, and with a can of compressed air, blow out all the dust bunnies. It wouldn't hurt to grab a plastic zip tie and make sure the cables are against the case or arranged in such a way that makes them less of an obstacle for airflow going from the front to back.

RAMDisk XP SuperSpeed RamDisk and RamDisk Plus® SuperSpeed SuperCache and SuperCache II

Well, though it could be done I would say some major reasons.... 1. Internal routers would be much harder to have a non networked person switch between a comp. and a laptop Such a router I doubt would have a nic connection to hook up a router (plus that comp. would always have to be on to use the router). Size of a PCI type Hi speed modem would be a bit large (though things are getting smaller ='s more money). 2.If you wanted to hook up an add. computer w/ another internal modem, you would need to buy an extra MAC address from your ISP. 2. I doubt the manufacturers/Service Providers want to take on the extra burden of troubleshooting connection problems. With an external router, computers don't have to be open to install or uninstall the modem which means customers won't be trying to blame the ISP for 'breaking their computer'. **As a tech I've dealt with many people who take back their computer because of spyware/adware thinking their computer is broken. An internal modem would almost guarantee a huge loss of profit due to unnecessary returns 3. Troubleshooting is easier since the ISP needs only be familiar with the modem they supply or ones they specifically choose to be acceptable to use. You don't need a computer to troubleshoot your modem (plus always looking in the back to check the status lights would be a b!*ch).

Set your computer's IP as static (don't forget the DNS's), uncheck 'Automatically Check Connection' in LAN Settings. Then, in the router's config settings, set the DMZ to be your computer's IP. If that work's, you have a port problem. Also, if you have a connection using (Username/Pswrd) / Proxy, make sure the info is entered correctly. Are other computers lagging as well? Dbl check your MTU values (as 1600 crashes some Providers connections) and be sure to have the latest firmware installed. Zone Alarm is nice, but can cause many problems.... Check to make sure that ZoneAlarm and your router are getting along. Do a Google search...you will pull many guides on how to set ZA to work properly while squeezing that last extra kb out of your connection. Lot's more to try, depending on how much more info you give and what specifically you have tried to narrow down the possible cause.

Considering that the display uses 60-90% of your battery, turning down the brightness will give you more time w/o a power cord than worrying about using DVD or HD. For laptops, programs like DVDIdle Pro are very effective, It will create a 'buffer' (in ram or HD) when playing video. This reduces spin and access time (=more battery life) and minimizes skipping when you are traveling. It can be a challenge trying to watch a whole movie on a single charge, what I do to help is make sure i set brightness down to something reasonable....turn on Speed-Step since playing just a DVD is not that intensive. I also unplug any PCMCIA cards and turn off built in WIFI. Turning off XP's system restore reduces HD activity and of course turn off the screen-saver as a general rule since that will kill a battery faster than any other program you would likely run . (It takes A LOT of juice to render those 3D pipes and bouncing text messages. )