Damn it, but computers have become really complicated

[Professor Video Games]

I've got a G700, which apparently is now replaced by the uglier G700s. I really like it because its removable USB cable is positioned in such a way as to allow you to switch from wired to wireless seamlessly. This was the main draw for me because it made it easy to bring the mouse over to my TV when I ran my PC to it. Features that I very rarely use include multiple profiles (per game or app or whatever) and buttons to adjust mouse sensitivity on the fly.

[toblix]

So I replaced my video card and the problems are still there lolllllll

[Erkki]

So I'm getting the new HDMI switch on Monday, but have no use for it for a while because my projector's lamp exploded while I was watching You're Next.

 

I'm wondering if the projector's problem could have affected the HDMI switch? Maybe it sent a power surge over HDMI or something. That could explain why the HDMI output is not working while the coaxial audio output is fine.

 

Or perhaps I should be worried about some electrical fluctuations at my apartment? I also had a LED power supply unit fail recently (but apparently that is common).

 

Anyway, ordered replacement lamp, which I'll get in 8 days... I'm so used to watching movies every day now that I don't know what I'm going to do now. Maybe something useful.

[Tanukitsune]

Lately, my PC is almost refusing to boot, and not in the end when Windows is loading all it's programs, but right after the BIOS screen, at the small Windows animation.

 

It's happened before and I've replaced all my hard drives and done all the maintenance I can think of... I am this close to simply just buying a new desktop, frankly, if I have to spend another cent on replacing something I will just buy a new PC.

[JonCole]

Maybe the bootloader is messed up? Have you tried plugging in the Windows install disk and repairing your Windows installation? You could even install a non-Windows bootloader if you want.

 

On a side note, Chris Plante's Verge article about buying a prebuilt PC with long-term service offered and everything just working kinda made me want to stop building and just start buying - http://www.theverge.com/2015/2/17/8051715/tiki-custom-pc-falcon-northwest-realizing-now-ill-never-be-rich

[Tanukitsune]

I only have a license for Windows instead of a installation disk. 

[JonCole]

I only have a license for Windows instead of a installation disk. 

 

Do you have a friend with a Windows installation? You can create a boot disc within Windows, I think the option is within Control Panel > System > Backup and Restore.

[Codicier]

I've always had a lot of luck using Hiren's boot CD to deal with fixing or recovering data from non booting desktops. Download that and some of the utilities included might help give you a good shot at isolating the hardware or software issue.

[Tanukitsune]

Oh dear.... When I booted this time, I heard something I dreaded, a clicking hard drive. This is annoying, I've replaced it at least twice. Could there be anything that could cause a hard drive to fail faster?

 

Like I said, I'd rather buy a new PC than buy another HDD, specially since they seem to last so little for some reason.

[Dewar]

A few things can increase the amount of hard drive work being done and lead to faster HDD failure.

 

1) Running constant torrents as they tend to fragment data on the hard drive and thus require a lot of read/writting from random areas of the disk

2) Excessive vibration, maybe from an off balance fan or something else in the room

3) Running with too low of memory so that the machine is constantly having to cache memory to the hard drive.

 

On that last one, a few friends and I had fun back in college installing XP (new at the time) to a machine that barely met the requirements, then pulling out all the memory sticks but one and letting it run. The HDD access light was on solid the entire time the OS was running, and the next day the hard drive let out a horrible screech and died instantly.

[Tanukitsune]

I have 8G of RAM and don't torrent. Would having an overly large PC tower case make it more susceptible to vibrations? 

[Dewar]

Probably less actually. Are you running with the right sized power supply? Poor power condition is about the only other thing I can think of off the top of my head.

[JonCole]

There's also just the possibility that you're unlucky. Hard drives have a fairly perceptible error rate, you can see it pretty easily when you look at reviews where 10% of them report DOA or quickly dying drives. The only precaution you can really take is backing up regularly.

[undermind9]

I think it is nearing the time to retire these ear buds (Klipsche S4)

 

The left one is starting to crackle.  I only wear them at work for podcasts, and usually only the right ear so I can hear the rest of the office - so I can certainly extend the life with the crackle for a long while

 

Anyone with <$30 recommendations? I don't want an in-line microphone or controls - which seems to be more of the norm these days

[BusbyBerkeley]

I use a pair of Sennheiser cx200s for music and podcasting on my commute. They sound fine and have servedd e well for over a year at this point. They do have a tendency to get tangled easily, but that may be my own fault. You can get them for around $20 on Amazon. Though it looks like you can get the next step up from those for less than $30 right now as well, so maybe look into those?

[undermind9]

wonderful, thank you! i will put these on my watch list

[SecretAsianMan]

I only have a license for Windows instead of a installation disk. 

 

I don't know if this is still a problem, but you if you have a valid license (not an OEM license) you can download the Windows ISO from Microsoft and put it on a thumb drive.

[undermind9]

I am looking for an office messenger recommendation.  We use a Microsoft Exchange server with machines ranging from XP & Office 2007 up to W7 and Office 2013

 

The goal is to reduce the amount of email banter/bs that goes around at work.  A lot of my emails i receive are "please make XX file" and then I say "done" and i get of course the courtesy "thanks"...granted these are usually a KB each they now live on each person's mailbox on the chain and this exchange may happen a hundred times a day between our ~50 employees

 

A policy change isn't going to work and we have some un-savvy individuals working around here

 

Anyone have experience in a small/medium size office with Inter-Office Messenger apps.  We have two offices, so yelling over top of cubes isn't an option

 

So far I've found -

 

Google Hangouts - but that would require i would think gmail or users made up

Microsoft Communicator

and a handful of online/web based ones

 

thanks in advance

[Merus]

I think the one that has the most traction is Slack, although Communicator would plug in pretty quickly to your Exchange environment.

[Dewar]

Lync/Office Communicator has been the standard at places I work for quite a long time. As a bonus, Lync now includes the old Live Meeting functionality, so you can use it as your conferencing solution.

 

If you're looking for less expensive, Skype now includes some of the technology from MSN Messenger, so it can be used for running conversations as well.

 

I just realized I'm starting to sound a like a Microsoft shill, which I guess is what you get when you live 10 minutes away from Redmond *shrug*

[undermind9]

Perfect, i'll add these to my research list

 

my wife uses Office Communicator at her place and finds it workable.  

 

thank you for recommendations!

[Bjorn]

I think I might be done ever buying another Logitech product.  I opened up an RMA on Jan. 22nd, and it still isn't resolved.  After 6 weeks of molasses slow replies (it takes them an average of 7 days to reply), they finally told me that my original receipt (a copy of the email from Newegg) couldn't be verified and so the RMA was being denied.   I've never, ever, had a poorer experience trying to get a warranty covered.  I sent off a power supply to Seasonic a couple of weeks ago, and already have the replacement. 

 

I can deal with a product going bad, shit happens.  But terrible customer service pisses me off like nothing else. 

[Gormongous]

I think I might be done ever buying another Logitech product.  I opened up an RMA on Jan. 22nd, and it still isn't resolved.  After 6 weeks of molasses slow replies (it takes them an average of 7 days to reply), they finally told me that my original receipt (a copy of the email from Newegg) couldn't be verified and so the RMA was being denied.   I've never, ever, had a poorer experience trying to get a warranty covered.  I sent off a power supply to Seasonic a couple of weeks ago, and already have the replacement. 

 

I can deal with a product going bad, shit happens.  But terrible customer service pisses me off like nothing else. 

 

Having owned two sets of speakers and three mice from Logitech, they seem to rely upon being chronically unavailable to "solve" all support cases, under what I assume is the belief that their products are cheap enough that you'll end up buying another one sooner or later, no matter how terribly they treat you.

[Bjorn]

That's disappointing that it is their modus operandi for customer service then.  I usually strive to be as friendly and polite as possible when interacting with customer service reps, as I know they are just following the policies that they are told to follow.  But I'm getting increasingly irate with them.  47 days after opening a warranty claim, and still no action, is just the most ridiculous warranty service I've ever experienced.

[Dewar]

That's a shame, they were pretty quick about replacing my G930 when it started having problems. At the same time, I've bought a lot of their headsets and I'm really starting to notice the flaws there and it makes me kind of regret buying another one last month.