Tech/Computer advice from me

[Fear The Spear]

Is your fan running? I've seen bizarre behavior with PCs when they overheat.

I stuck my ear against the back of the PC, and I could feel and hear "some degree" of a breeze.
Is that a sufficient "fan diagnostic" ?

 

[DixieFlatline]

I stuck my ear against the back of the PC, and I could feel and hear "some degree" of a breeze.
Is that a sufficient "fan diagnostic" ?

More than likely you're good. You should be able to see a mesh area in the back. Maybe a steel plate with a lot of holes. If you don't feel a slight breeze, you'll probably see some dust on the holes moving. You should also hear a slight hum.

You probably don't need to, but if you open the inside again you should be able to see the fan running.

 

[Fear The Spear]

Help with Mozilla Thunderbird......

I installed the "Master Password" add-on, to prevent others from opening up Thunderbird on a shared computer.
But now, when you click on Thunderbird, and the password box comes up, all you have to do is "cancel" out of the pop-up, and you have straight access into Thunderbird.
Couldn't find any answers on the internet. Can anyone tell me why it isn't working properly ?
Or are there any other simple alternatives to prevent unauthorized users from opening Thunderbird ?

 

[SkinnedAussie]

Found this on the home page:
Current version has an issue that prevents Firefox from unlocking, nothing happens when it's locked and user click or presses a button.
As a work around this issue, press CTRL+N to open new window, then you'll be able unlock it.
As of now I'm struggling to find what causing this.

To me, that indicates the add-on is not doing what it was intended to do. Just delete it.

If I were you, I would be creating accounts for each and every person who uses the computer. You would have the admin account, which nly one person has access to, then you would have guest accounts for guest. A guest account prevents them from installing anything without the admin's knowledge. If your pc is constantly picking up virus', this might be the way to go.

 

[Fear The Spear]

That worked, SA.

By creating a "Guest Log-in" within the Operating System, and then go on, to sign in as a guest, when you then open Thunderbird, it does not show any of the pre-existing email accounts. It only prompts you to register a new email account, as if you had just installed Thunderbird.
Thanks

 

[SkinnedAussie]

The idea now is that if ever an account picks up a virus, or anything on the nasty side, just delete that account. I know it used to work that way with Vista as I was always having to delete and recreate accounts for my mate's (primary school aged) son.

 

[Fear The Spear]

Whoa, I had no idea that a virus is restricted and contained within a profile account, and cannot spread throughout the whole OS.
I wish I knew that years ago. It would have changed the whole way I used my PC, and dealt with viruses.

Even on a non-shared PC, that you used exclusively for yourself, just in case you ever got a virus, as long as you kept a spare log-in,
you could delete the infected the account, and as long as you always backed up the files from that account, you were okay.
That sounds like a much better way of dealing with viruses, and the whole process of cleaning it up with various programs, or even
re-formatting or re-installing the system

 

[SkinnedAussie]

Re-formatting the hard drive will see you wipe the whole HDD, then you would have to re-create all the accounts that were on it. It was a PITA as an admin as you would also have to re-install all the programs required by each account. Extremely time consuming. The only account of any importance is that of the admin.

As my mate used to allow his son free reign, it was a no-brainer that his account would get infected by the end of each week. So, I would just delete that one account, re-create it, re-install his software, and he would be none the wiser. Of course, before creating the new account I would do a virus scan of the whole system, just in case.

Most people who have single-use pc's don't bother with the account side of things. They just think that as they are the only one who will be using it, they will be the admin, and leave it at that. Thus, when a virus gets in, the whole machine is infected. If you create a second account to be used for general, everyday computer use, the admin account can be used for the installation of software.

 

[Fear The Spear]

I was just trying to swap out a bad part, between 2 old computers, to try to make one work.
And I unplugged a clip from the motherboard, and the other end of that cable connects to
the power switch on the front of the PC.
But instead of the clip coming out as one clip, as one would expect with most clips,
it actually separated into multiple clips, each with their own holes, to connect
back into the set of pins on the motherboard. So, now that I have this bundle of disorganized
mini-clips, I don't know which clip goes into which individual pin on the motherboard. Normally,
it would be easy, because there would be one clip with multiple holes, that fit into the multiple
pins, and there's be only one way to plug it back in. But with them all separated, I don't know
which one goes to which pin....or if it even matters.
In the pic below, you can see me holding the bundle of separated clips, each with their own holes.
Then to the right, which is a little blurry, you can make out the pins on the motherboard, located
between the blue and the white connections. Sorry about the pic being poor quality and blurry.
Is there any way I can figure how these go back in ?

 

[Sam Hill]

I was just trying to swap out a bad part, between 2 old computers, to try to make one work.
And I unplugged a clip from the motherboard, and the other end of that cable connects to
the power switch on the front of the PC.
But instead of the clip coming out as one clip, as one would expect with most clips,
it actually separated into multiple clips, each with their own holes, to connect
back into the set of pins on the motherboard. So, now that I have this bundle of disorganized
mini-clips, I don't know which clip goes into which individual pin on the motherboard. Normally,
it would be easy, because there would be one clip with multiple holes, that fit into the multiple
pins, and there's be only one way to plug it back in. But with them all separated, I don't know
which one goes to which pin....or if it even matters.
In the pic below, you can see me holding the bundle of separated clips, each with their own holes.
Then to the right, which is a little blurry, you can make out the pins on the motherboard, located
between the blue and the white connections. Sorry about the pic being poor quality and blurry.
Is there any way I can figure how these go back in ?

Do you have good eyesight? Or a magnifying glass?

Next to the "header" plug on the motherboard, you should find that each pair of pins is labeled as to their function. One might be called RST (reset), might be called PWR (power), LED, etc.

So what you're trying to do is to find where the wires from each plug go, identify that part (the reset, or "ATX" button, for instance, on the front of the computer case), and then reattach that plug to the header.

Most or all of these aren't really essential, BTW. The reset button is nice to have, but without it, the computer will usually still start, depending on how the BIOS is configured. So if you're just trying to figure out if you've fixed your original problem, you can start without plugging all this stuff back in. If the computer won't boot, then start with the reset plug.

 

[Fear The Spear]

Do you have good eyesight? Or a magnifying glass?

Next to the "header" plug on the motherboard, you should find that each pair of pins is labeled as to their function. One might be called RST (reset), might be called PWR (power), LED, etc.

So what you're trying to do is to find where the wires from each plug go, identify that part (the reset, or "ATX" button, for instance, on the front of the computer case), and then reattach that plug to the header.

Most or all of these aren't really essential, BTW. The reset button is nice to have, but without it, the computer will usually still start, depending on how the BIOS is configured. So if you're just trying to figure out if you've fixed your original problem, you can start without plugging all this stuff back in. If the computer won't boot, then start with the reset plug.

Thanks for the insight. I can now see where each plug has a label on it. However, the corresponding "pins" on the motherboard don't have their own labels. So that leaves me unsure of where they plug in. The only thing l see on the motherboard, is underneath the set of pins, is the label "F_PANEL".
So, does it make a difference where I plug them in ?
Is my only option, trial and error, to see what works ? And if I use that method, can I harm the PC, if I plug the wrong pug into the wrong pin ?

 

[Sam Hill]

Thanks for the insight. I can now see where each plug has a label on it. However, the corresponding "pins" on the motherboard don't have their own labels. So that leaves me unsure of where they plug in. The only thing l see on the motherboard, is underneath the set of pins, is the label "F_PANEL".
So, does it make a difference where I plug them in ?
Is my only option, trial and error, to see what works ? And if I use that method, can I harm the PC, if I plug the wrong pug into the wrong pin ?

Dang, sorry I forgot you.

So there's no tiny print on the MoBo next to each set of pins? Too bad, that would've made it easy, but it's not hopeless.

Normally, these wires go to these items on the front panel of the case:

The "soft" reset switch, the power LED light, the hard drive LED light, and the power switch, which often isn't used (but you can look at the labels on the wires to see which of these you have).

You probably won't fry anything by plugging them in wrong (I've done it with no explosions) but I'd be careful anyhow. Better to try googling the "pinout" diagrams (or the "front panel header)" for your motherboard (see those numbers embossed onto the motherboard? The largest set are usually the model number of the board, so try searching those first).

Again, you can live without the lights blinking, but without the power (if you have it) and reset being hooked up, the computer may not start, so those are the important ones.

I'll be checking back.

 

[Fear The Spear]

Dang, sorry I forgot you.

So there's no tiny print on the MoBo next to each set of pins? Too bad, that would've made it easy, but it's not hopeless.

Normally, these wires go to these items on the front panel of the case:

The "soft" reset switch, the power LED light, the hard drive LED light, and the power switch, which often isn't used (but you can look at the labels on the wires to see which of these you have).

You probably won't fry anything by plugging them in wrong (I've done it with no explosions) but I'd be careful anyhow. Better to try googling the "pinout" diagrams (or the "front panel header)" for your motherboard (see those numbers embossed onto the motherboard? The largest set are usually the model number of the board, so try searching those first).

Again, you can live without the lights blinking, but without the power (if you have it) and reset being hooked up, the computer may not start, so those are the important ones.

I'll be checking back.

Thanks. I found a diagram on the web, that specified exactly which pins that each clip plugs into.
I think I'm good now. Just not sure, because I still cannot power it on - but it's probably for reasons un-related to how I re-plugged in those clips - I believe that either my Power Supply or Motherboard is bad, but not sure which.
First, I was going to swap a PS from another PC and see if that fixed it.
But by the time I tried to put the other PS into it, I found that it was not compatible.
So I'm still not sure which is the issue.
Do you know of a way to troubleshoot whether it's the PS, or the MoBo that's gone bad ?

 

[Sam Hill]

Good job on the F/P header. So nothing happens when you hit the switch to boot the PC?

Usually, the problem will be (as you correctly surmised) with one or the other, MoBo or P/S. But sometimes it'll be both, or sometimes neither - I once had a hard drive with an electrical short that wouldn't allow the MoBo to boot, for instance, and video cards are a very common issue.

You're also correct in trying to swap the power supply first (you're batting 1000). But since you don't have one, you should first try unplugging all the accessories from the motherboard: remove the video card, unplug the hard drive, DVD ROM... all that stuff. You should even remove the RAM (but ground yourself first: touch metal with your hand to drain any static electricity). There's no harm in doing these one at a time, and then trying to boot the PC after each, if it'll help you remember where everything goes back. Oh, and check to make sure all the fans will spin freely by hand - a seized fan might be shorted internally.

Still no luck? Let me find you a picture of a swollen capacitor, since those are common malady...

OK, here we go: swollen capacitors on motherboard - Bing Images

See the third one from the left, in the top row? That's the only one that looks normal. If yours look swollen, it's time to repair or replace the motherboard (or even the whole PC). A bad power supply, along with poor quality motherboard capacitors, usually causes this problem. (Edit: come to think of it, check the capacitors first. If they're bad, none of the rest of these steps are gonna amount to much).

If none of the above uncovers your problem, then you'll want to try another power supply - a "known good" power supply: either a working one from another PC, or a brand new one (though you'll even find the occasional defective brand new P/S, too). As you've seen, it needs to have all the same style of plugs as on your original P/S. Luckily, these are pretty standardized. If you're only using the new P/S to test your PC, then it doesn't even need to actually fit inside your case - once you know the PC boots with a different P/S, then you can work on finding one that fits correctly.

If none of that works, and you're still sure your header is plugged in correctly (make sure nothing came unplugged at the switch end of the cable, too) then the odds are very high that the motherboard is toast.

 

[Fear The Spear]

Still no luck? Let me find you a picture of a swollen capacitor, since those are common malady...

See the third one from the left, in the top row? That's the only one that looks normal. If yours look swollen, it's time to repair or replace the motherboard (or even the whole PC). A bad power supply, along with poor quality motherboard capacitors, usually causes this problem. (Edit: come to think of it, check the capacitors first. If they're bad, none of the rest of these steps are gonna amount to much).

Thanks for all the detail.
Here's a pic of a few of my capacitators.
Not a very clear, quality pic, but do you think you can tell whether these are bad ?
It looks like the 2 on the right may be bad

 

[Sam Hill]

Thanks for all the detail.
Here's a pic of a few of my capacitators.
Not a very clear, quality pic, but do you think you can tell whether these are bad ?
It looks like the 2 on the right may be bad

Yeah, those look bad. The flat one in the center looks uniformly lit, while the dome-shaped ones have shadows on one side. Looks like the one at top left is probably bad, too, which means three out of five that we can see.

There's a chance that this M/B will boot with a new power supply (but even if it does, it's not long for this world), so you could try that if you need to migrate the files to another PC. Or you could just remove the hard drive and set it up as a slave on another PC to have access to those files (all this is assuming the hard drive is OK, of course, which is probable).

Or you could replace the M/B, but you'll have to work your way through any compatibility issues (no guarantees, unless you find another of the same model with the same BIOS version) and you'll then see that Windows won't cooperate - it misses it's old friend. So then you call Microsoft's tech support to get a new product key to get Windows to work; they're actually pretty darn good to work with, once you get them to pick up the phone.

Or you could ship the board off to be repaired (if you take it to a local shop, they'll almost certainly do the same thing while charging more - almost nobody repairs boards in house). One repair service is Badcaps.net. They have a good rep, they're not expensive, and they are able to fix the majority of boards you send them. So that might be worth a try, if you really want to keep this PC.

Oh, and if you do, you'll be wise to replace the power supply. You might well find the board won't boot without one.

 

[Fear The Spear]

Or you could replace the M/B, but you'll have to work your way through any compatibility issues (no guarantees, unless you find another of the same model with the same BIOS version) and you'll then see that Windows won't cooperate - it misses it's old friend. So then you call Microsoft's tech support to get a new product key to get Windows to work; they're actually pretty darn good to work with, once you get them to pick up the phone.

Or you could ship the board off to be repaired (if you take it to a local shop, they'll almost certainly do the same thing while charging more - almost nobody repairs boards in house). One repair service is Badcaps.net. They have a good rep, they're not expensive, and they are able to fix the majority of boards you send them. So that might be worth a try, if you really want to keep this PC.

I think I'm gonna go with one of these 2 options.
Thanks very much !!

 

[fanboyof91]

They all laughed at me when I said flipphones that could survive a nuclear explosion would be back in style.

2015: The year of ?retro-tech??

 

[SkinnedAussie]

Looks like I jumped on the retro wagon early as I have had a flip phone for about 18 months. Nothing but a plain phone that makes and receives calls, sends and recives text messages, and it has a camera (that has never been used).

 

[Win4us]

Believe it it not there are still many companies requiring information to still be faxed. My question is if I were to buy a new printer/scanner/fax machine do I have to have a home line? All I currently have are cells, no landlines.