blade995

Let's wait until he posts back with the error code from the clue screen before we start troubleshooting. It's taking a shot in the dark without the exact code.

Not to keep your already-answered thread alive but.. Why is GIMP better than Photoshop? Is it just more user-friendly? Everybody says Photoshop is better than Gimp (and I agree). Photoshop is $700 while Gimp is free. Obviously the free product is better because I don't need to drain my wallet of $700 (or $1000 for the extended version).

That works but you need to be very careful. You can also slide a credit card through the rows of pins to straighten them up. Both methods could completely break a pin off but if the cpu isn't working to begin with, you can't really break it more :P I like using a mechanical pencil instead of a pen because the hole is thinner and can get a better grip on the pin.

An ethernet cable, most likely not. It's possible (I have seen it before) but it's unlikely. Just write down the code when it happens again, this will tell us for sure whats causing it.

Were you using the computer any differently while you were at home than how you use it at the uni? For example you use the computer on your lap at the uni but it's always on a table while your at home. Do this: right click my computer > click properties > click advanced settings on the left hand side > click settings in startup and recovery > uncheck automatically restart. This will disable the computer from automatically restarting after a blue screen so you have time to write down the error message. Write down the error of the blue screen next time one happens. What devices do you have plugged in while your at the uni that you do not have plugged in at home? Any device you can think of, from ethernet cables to usb devices.

Since you were pretty much convinced you were going to buy a Mac before even starting this thread there's no point and even stating arguments to change your mind.

You can just reformat. That is if your computer has the minimum requirements. If your running Vista right now, your computer will run Windows 7.

You also need to get a heatsink with that too.

Honestly, do you have any idea what you're talking about (no) or did you just wiki T1 and look for a number? T1 is used for servers and offices and such because it has symmetrical up and down speeds, as opposed to residential cable or whatever where the upload speed is almost always going to be significantly less than the download speed. T1 lines also connect directly into the ISP's "hub" (there's a technical term, presence point or something like that), as opposed to a residential connection, which can be routed through several "sub-hubs" (again, there's a technical term and a bit more to it, but I can't find the source I remember right now) before connecting to the ISP's main one. I'd never recommend one for residential use because it's just stupid to pay that much, but saying the connection is garbage is equally stupid. Thank You! I think what compfreak847 meant was that t1 lines are only rated at 1.5mb/s which is slow. The ping times would be slightly better since your directly plugged into the ISP but the bandwidth would suck (and I don't think an isp would even wire any new t1 lines). Most companies that have dedicated lines do not have t1 lines, they are old and slow, they have OC-3 or higher. The term t1 for a dedicated line has stuck around for any dedicated fast line.

There's no way to reduce your ping to a server unless you buy a better Internet connection, period. Faster internet (in terms of bandwidth) does not guarantee you a better ping either. If your lagging in a game because of ping times, play on a server closer to you. All these ping and TCP "optimizers" are complete crap. Most of the ping time is between servers/routers out on the internet, not on your computer or your network so these optimizers do nothing. At most with a simple home network with a router and a modem you would have 3ms from sending the data from your computer to out onto the internet so these optimizers can not do too much if anything to reduce your pings. A tier 1 internet provider may not give you the fastest ping times either. Do not ask why, it's complicated.

Yes I know about current/amperage. The amps with static electricity is very low, it is still enough to fry a component. The current or volts doesn't matter anyway, as long as it's over 15volts (doesn't matter the amps) it will kill it because those are only suppose to be operated at 12v max (depending on what it is).

Go to Radio Shack or Bestbuy (or some place similar) and buy an anti-static wrist strap. You can get one for less than $10 and it could save you from frying very expensive components. And it's a fashion statement :thumbup: Really though, buying one of those and standing on sheet of metal is overkill. Anyway, the metal wouldn't work unless you're barefoot or wearing really thin socks :P Standing on a sheet of metal probably wouldn't work anyway. I fail to see how a $10 wrist strap that's going to save components is overkill. 90% of the time you will be fine without a wrist strap if you aren't doing something stupid like building on a carpet. The other 10% you probably will fry something. This is speaking from me who's built 100s of computers so I have seen it happen numerous times. 15volts can fry a motherboard, static electricity could be over 5,000 volts if you can see the spark. wrist strap = not overkill anti static mat grounded into a socket for the pc= overkill Well if you don't get one, atleast hold on to the metal part of the case most of the time and don't move your feet to much to create static.

Go to Radio Shack or Bestbuy (or some place similar) and buy an anti-static wrist strap. You can get one for less than $10 and it could save you from frying very expensive components.

It seems that they pretty much just tried to improve on Vista, not redesign an largely different system like they did from XP to Vista. I've got the beta now, and high hopes for the finished product : I think there in a scramble to fix there vista screw up. Well they didn't screw up Vista. If it wasn't for the negative press against Vista and people tried it for themselves it would have been a huge success. It was a gigantic bandwagon that bashed Vista without them even using it for more than 5 minutes. If your running it in a virtual machine, it doesn't detect your actual hardware. Instead it detects what the virtual machine says it has for hardware. You then need to install the tools that come with the virtual machine software. It's called VMware tools in VMware. Make sure you set the VM to be for Windows Vista because Windows 7 is quite similar.

Yeah you had to download in Internet explorer because Microsoft is using a download manager that uses IE. I have been playing around with it and it's rock stable. It seems faster than Vista and more polished. Every minor thing I didn't like about Vista has been fixed with Windows 7. The control panel and where some settings are takes omse time getting used to but it makes it easier when you know where they are. I like the new UAC. You can turn down the annoyances and only prompt when software is trying to install itself and not for every damn thing. I liked it so much, I changed my laptop's main operating system to it. It detected my wireless card and installed the drivers without me having to do anything which is a huge plus so I don't need to transfer a driver from a flash drive to get online.

Well there always working on a new OS, it's the nature on computing, there will always be something better and faster coming out just around the corner. Get Vista and then upgrade to Windows 7 when it comes out. The requirements are going to be the same for Windows 7 as they are for Vista so you will not need to upgrade your pc to run Windows 7.

I think Nadril meant to say is home premium or Ultimate for Vista 64bit ;) . There is no pro version on vista :P . Vista > XP. Do not listen to the Mac commercials.

That's one problem that Linux has is with wireless cards. Although Ubuntu 8.10 has gotten a lot better at supporting more cards. It supported my cardbus dlink wireless N card right out of the box. The driver wasn't the best but it did get me connected to download a new one.

Windows isn't just for games. I would hardly consider Runescape a game anyway, all the games people are talking about are graphic intensive that are only made for Windows, like Crysis. If work is important to you, look into what your company suggests for a laptop. Some companies have software that you need to use that is only pc compatible. Or the web based software requires activeX which is Internet Explorer only which requires Windows. Then if you got a Mac you would need to install Windows which would defeat the purpose of a Mac so you could run OSX.

It's decent downstream, low upstream, high ping. Not bad, but not a blazing fast connection. Then again, neither is mine, but I'm glad for anything I can get (there's NOTHING where I live) until FIOS comes :-# How do you consider 55ms a high ping? Well here's mine. I can't wait till I get Fios, Comcast sucks.

Have you tried installing the acer monitor drivers? http://support.acer-euro.com/drivers/mo ... l2223.html The acer US support website is down so this is for Europe but it should be the same. The US site has been down for over a week so it should be fixed soon (figures when I need drivers for my laptop too). Are you running the monitor at the native res? How do you mean flickering? Like blinking on and off or flickering like a crt?

I did not have to boot into safe mode to remove this specific threat before. However, the anitvirus 2009 malware has many different strains and probably blocks the removal while running. That's why you should boot to safemode. I've use malwarebytes probably 20 times to remove this specific spyware and they are were a little different. (I work in pc repair which is why I have done this so many times)

You must have a newer version of that malware then. Malwarebytes is the only program that I know that removes it. Your going to have to boot into safe mode. Start your computer and while it's starting repeatedly press the f8 key till you see a screen that has the option for safe mode on it. Choose safe mode and then scan with malwarebytes in safe mode.

The quick scan may not remove it fully. Always do a full scan. Your other problem with the computer shutting off is do to overheating. Most likely the processor overheating. Open another thread and people can help you with that. One thing at a time though, get this spyware issue straightened out first.

Antivirus 2009 is a malicious fake antivirus scanner. If you had been to Windows update last month (like you should every month) this would be gone by now ;) . Anyway download Malwarebytes. This will remove the whole program and everything that has to do with it. It's free. Make sure you update the definitions before scanning. http://www.malwarebytes.org/