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Author Topic: Computers  (Read 8024 times)

malcolmfrary

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Re: Computers
« Reply #25 on: January 22, 2012, 02:48:03 pm »

It might be possible to make a "slipstreamed" installation CD for XP.  I did it for mine (not an upgrade - it was an OEM disc) which installed it with SP1, SP2, SP3 and a bunch of updates in one go, rather than spending several days waiting for several hundred updates to install themselves. 
The best way involves a bit of hindsight - when the system is stable and running happily, I clone the system partition.  If anything 'orrible happens, I boot from the recovery disc for the cloning program, and 22 minutes later, I have the lot back, working as well as the day the clone was created, just the updates to run after, and if the clone was not too old, not too many of them.
An important thing to bear in mind is that XP is losing support from MS, any presents you might buy for the system might not have XP drivers.  Before long, getting a replacement drive might become a problem as the world moves away from PATA onto SATA and the standards for video cards change.  A box with W7 pre-installed becomes a simple answer.  Goes against the grain having to take the big step, but......... :((
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dodgy geezer

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Re: Computers
« Reply #26 on: January 22, 2012, 02:56:53 pm »

....
An important thing to bear in mind is that XP is losing support from MS, any presents you might buy for the system might not have XP drivers.  Before long, getting a replacement drive might become a problem as the world moves away from PATA onto SATA and the standards for video cards change.  A box with W7 pre-installed becomes a simple answer.  Goes against the grain having to take the big step, but......... :((


You can get very cheap SATA/IDE connectors, but you are right - I am having to buy SATA DVD drives now as motherboards start dropping any IDE channels.  But it will 'go against the grain' for a lot of people to have to buy a new computer because they have a new printer, and it doesn't come with XP drivers.

Of course, you would still be able to use that new printer with Ubuntu. I wonder if the move away from XP will result in more people swapping to Linux...?
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tugs46

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Re: Computers
« Reply #27 on: January 22, 2012, 05:18:43 pm »

Dumped IE 8 for Google Chrome, and man what a difference!!

Way faster and no probs...so far, and that was 7mos ago. :-))
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Netleyned

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Re: Computers
« Reply #28 on: January 22, 2012, 05:52:11 pm »

I have installed Ubuntu on my laptop alongside W Vista for now but it wants firmware to connect firefox to my wireless sky broadband router.

Help!!!

Ned
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dodgy geezer

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Re: Computers
« Reply #29 on: January 22, 2012, 09:34:13 pm »

What is the error message?
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stevesteve

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Re: Computers
« Reply #30 on: January 22, 2012, 10:50:09 pm »

For those Intersted in Computers, I hope you might be able to give some Advice please

I built my PC in about 2006

It is using a Destop Board D945GNT/D945GTP
With an Intel Pentium D Processor

3.40ghz

4gb Ram 3.24 usable

Also om 30mb Broad band soon to be doubled to 60 !! for free apparently by Virgin


My questions are, is this a pretty slow set up by comparison to modern systems ? and could it cope with 60mb BB as at times it seems to struggle..  Other times its faster than a club 500 on a new set of Batteries..

Larry R.


HI mate, weather 3.4ghz is slow or fast really depends on your needs. a huge number of people have got PCs that will never be pushed to anything  like what they are capable of.
yes there are CPUs out there that are a lot faster but you need to ask yourself if you will use the speed it offers? remember simply browsing the net wont push your current CPU to anywhere near what it can do, the raw power is utilised when running more complex programs or gaming. if your PC is slow to start, open programs or is slow on the internet then it needs to be reinstalled! a 3.4GHz is plenty fast enough for most every day tasks.
overheating can be caused by a number of things. firstly, as has been mentioned cleaning out dust from inside is needed now and then, get a brush and make sure you clean out all the dust from the channels between the cooler veins, unless air can pass down these channels it cant do its job properly!.
another reason for overheating is the CPU getting pushed to its max all the time by bugs in your system, spyware, viruses and badly written software etc. my wife's laptop is in a real state in that department and is running so hot you could fry eggs on it and thats when its idle and been restarted! it is so slow you click on something and go make a cup of tea whilst you wait lol but an identical unit run by me as a file server with a totally healthy install is running so cool the fan rarely comes on and runs 10x faster than my wife's and thats no exaggeration.

in my view, unless your going to be running software that requires a faster cpu, you have no need to replace it.
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meechingman

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Re: Computers
« Reply #31 on: January 22, 2012, 11:07:52 pm »

All good stuff but W7 really wants more than a Pentium D and 3.24GB for speedy operation. (Despite what Microsoft might allege when trying to sell their OS!)

If a good clean out, defrag and reinstall of XP doesn't sort things, then I'd say that 6 years is a good innings for a PC, so time for a partial or total rebuild? Mine's only 4 years old but with a 4-core CPU so it still flies with most things. It gets a fresh XP install every year or two.  However, the demands of new software will mean upping to 64 bit W7 and that needs around 8 or 16GB RAM in the existing machine or, more likely, a new build.
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Re: Computers
« Reply #32 on: January 23, 2012, 12:23:39 am »

If you're still using old software an old system will be fine. But it is true that a lot of modern software is written for multi-core systems, and when your system is doing several things at once, dual-core or more does make quite a difference...
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The long Build

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Re: Computers
« Reply #33 on: January 23, 2012, 12:50:17 am »

Steveboatnoob, meechingham & DG, Some intersting reading there as well as all the other contributions are definetly good pointers.
I think for the moment I will just have to suck it and see, with a cleaning out, a rebuild is out for the moment, particulary as the CPU and mother board (more the cpu)are the expensive bits..  This board will only take 4gb memory and not all of that is usable.

Regarding Virus checkers, When I was on XP I loaded Rapport  from the bank, that almost killed my pc..although it might be better know,

Strange however, at the moment it's quiet as a mouse..
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Netleyned

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Re: Computers
« Reply #34 on: January 23, 2012, 03:22:18 pm »

What is the error message?

'Firefox Cannot connect to ubuntu'
If I go into settings and try to configure wireless setup I get the message that Firmware is missing.

Ned
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dodgy geezer

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Re: Computers
« Reply #35 on: January 23, 2012, 05:42:13 pm »

'Firefox Cannot connect to ubuntu'
If I go into settings and try to configure wireless setup I get the message that Firmware is missing.

Umm...!

This message sounds very odd. You get it on your laptop screen when you try to talk to the router? Have you called the internet connection or the router 'Ubuntu'?

The message about 'firmware missing' makes me think that you have not got a wireless card in the laptop, or that it is not configured correctly in that operating system...

Can you connect normally through your laptop to the wireless router (and then on to the Internet) when you boot in Windows?
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Netleyned

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Re: Computers
« Reply #36 on: January 23, 2012, 05:50:53 pm »

Not called the router anything Just loaded it stuck a password on and on switch on select ubuntu
Click on the Firefox icon and the first message comes up.
Click on settings and try wireless option and the firmware message comes up.
I am using the laptop wirelessly to access the net at the moment.

Ned
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dodgy geezer

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Re: Computers
« Reply #37 on: January 23, 2012, 08:27:31 pm »

What's the laptop make and model number? And what Ubuntu are you using - Oneiric Ocelot?
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The long Build

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Re: Computers
« Reply #38 on: January 23, 2012, 09:00:58 pm »

What's the laptop make and model number? And what Ubuntu are you using - Oneiric Ocelot?

Oneiric Ocelot?... you got a bad cough  :} :}
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Netleyned

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Re: Computers
« Reply #39 on: January 24, 2012, 07:57:44 am »

It's a Compaq 6735S
I don't know the ubuntu version.
I had uninstalled it before you posted.
I got it straight off the ubuntu site together with
an app to run with windows.
On startup I was offered the choice of booting with
window sor ubuntu.

Ned
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Netleyned

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Re: Computers
« Reply #40 on: January 24, 2012, 09:09:44 am »

Oneiric Ocelot was the version

Ned
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dodgy geezer

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Re: Computers
« Reply #41 on: January 24, 2012, 11:44:34 am »

It's a Compaq 6735S
I don't know the ubuntu version.
I had uninstalled it before you posted.
I got it straight off the ubuntu site together with
an app to run with windows.
On startup I was offered the choice of booting with
window sor ubuntu.

Ned


Your laptop is a 2009 model. Did you try loading Ubuntu in 2009/2010? The latest on (OO!) is 11.10..

I ask because Linux distributions have occasionally had trouble working with some systems in the past - the manufacturers have refused to provide interface data for items like wireless cards to free operating systems... but this machine uses a Broadcom card which the boards say should work with the latest Linuxes - they released their drivers to open source last year, but apparently the firmware is still under copyright...

The HP-Compaq 6735S has a Wi-Fi button on it which, if pressed, will turn the card off for Linux. Did your Wi-Fi light change to blue during booting in Ubuntu, or did it stay red/amber?

A model boat forum is not the ideal place to do laptop troubleshooting. Demarcation disputes! Luckily there is an active Ubuntu forum here:   http://ubuntuforums.org

Go there and query on 'Compaq 6735S wireless' - you will find a fair bit of explanation, such as this: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WifiDocs/Driver/bcm43xx#b43%20-%20No%20Internet%20access . I am on the forum there under the same name as here - but you will also find lots more knowledgeable specialists anxious to help you...   %% <:( O0
 
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