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Try to rescue it first so that you can keep the original OP serial No. if it is a legit OP that is ? First try the keyboard from your PC, if the laptop has a port that will take it, and try a mouse that has a standard din socket connector as appose to a USB type. That may solve your problem also. Patience is the key so try it, if it does not work and all else fails you could wipe the Ltop drive Via your PC. Windows has instructions for formatting HD?s somewhere but be sure it is the right HD you format Wait to see what people post here because they may have better knowledge about this particular problem you have encountered. The solution could be a simple one. Nice score on the laptop though ~ free is my favourite price tag also, mostly

I have come across the same problem with USB keyboards and mice not responding on bootup. Sometimes it is because the PC does not see them until after the bootup. If the PC can’t see it there will be no response when you press a key or click the button before you get to the account login page for password etc. It only happens with some models of mouse and keyboard. Maybe the motherboard model is doing this also ? That does not explain your laptop keyboard error sorry. I don't play with laptops so I can't really say what your solution is. You could try an external keyboard and a standard mouse connector instead of a USB type to see if it responds. In a Worse Case Scenario = If you don’t care about the files on the laptop and just want to get it working then you could always just format the drive, then you can start from scratch with a clean system. You will need a copy of windows to install on the drive once you have wiped it clean though. The same Windows Serial No. if using a copy could be a problem for you depending on if you want to take it online for say MS Windows updates. If it is just a problem caused by software it will be repairable one way or another. If it is a hardware problem you may still be able to fix it but it could just be kaputt. Has it had water damage or been dropped etc. ?

Is it a USB mouse and Keyboard ? Happy to be of some use motley. It is common as hell for this to happen and it is very easily done. Any system management should only be carried out when we are wide awake and have a good time slot to deal with it. If you get into areas you are unfamiliar with then call a friend that may be able to help and always cross reference any info at least three times from different sources to verify (Wiki is a dubious source of information and should not be trusted when doing research). We have all done something stupid at some point with our PC’s but the best cure is usually avoidance.

Yes that also but many software packages have checklists and the infiltrator file knows to avoid these lists that is what I was referring to at the time. They have the same old crap in the file the only difference is that the file is a smart file that is aware of protection software thus avoids detection. It is a pain but sadly there are many malicious jerks out there with no honour what so ever.

Thanks Andavari very much appreciated. The only problem with malware is that the more clever jerk will be able to dodge some of these scans because they rename the file on the sly so that a scan misses it but that is rare granted. I will certainly look to add one or both of these progs just for belt and braces sake.

Yes it is in full working order and plays several gauges of Vinyl including the classic 78's. The stylus is scary though, it is more of a nail than a needle. It looks like it cuts a new track every time the table turns judging by the look of it but it is the original. There is a metal container with spare needles too.

I hear ya. I just like to point out these easy pitfalls for the general public just in case. We all take a tumble at some time or other "Safety first"

I totally agree with you but must add the cautious tale of : Make sure the site is recognised to be safe. There are so many sites out there that are not 100% safe and can cause you more problems that just a PC Virus. It is always better to be safe than sorry so check the validity of the sites and Programs you want.

There was talk a few years ago about crystals being used to store huge amounts of data but I forgot all about it until you asked this. It was tec for hard drives in the original article I read but they said it could be used for any data like music or movies etc.

Remember when they would get chewed up and you had to try to get it out of the machine ? You could get tape splicing kits to repair them too. Then we discovered that you could use a pen to wind the tape rather than waste the batteries. Tapes were a lot of fun But how about this : I have an old Gramophone with a crank handle !

Spybot has regular protection file updates and is only effective if you download them regular, then install them though the immunise option. Bells and whistles are usually for show only so the fact that it does not constantly update its main program is not that big an issue, it does what it does. Just because it has been around a while hardly makes it obsolete or nobody would use programs of any kind older than a few months. AVG has been around a long time and have various updates for their main program. AVG is very good software but it also screws up as some people found out after an update a year or two ago. They had installed a new version available at that time but had not checked the options or mod changes. When they scanned and it came back with false positives they just clicked without looking at the files in question. This resulted in AVG removing major OP files and their PC was kaput. They blame AVG but I say it is the operators fault for not paying attention. The newest version is not always the best. AVG is good but there are lots of options so it is not easy for a novice to use unlike say Avira Anti Vir that has a much simpler set of options. I have never heard of MBAM but I would like to see it. Where can I find the correct site for MBAM please ? One good anti virus and one good anti spy/mal program is all you need. Belt & Braces do no harm. The ideal is to have a good cross search between your programs so that if one misses something the other will pick it up and warn you. Don’t trust just one program but try to keep it to a reasonable minimum. With scans it has more to do with what you use your PC for and if you need that memory for more important things. If you are in safe Internet territory then a light - medium scan is ok but if you have been surfing in alien space then medium - deep paranoia scan is better. I like paranoia scans because they give better reports. I find it does not take that long and I only do scans when appropriate, not when I want to run apps. Do your scan in emergencies but try to keep it to times when you are doing some other non-PC project. Note of caution : Avira Anti Vir has a phoney sight so be sure if you are downloading it that you are at the real Avira Anti Vir site

I use the same FF and it clears my general history so I can only think it is a setting in your FF - Tools - Options - Privacy The only problem I have with FF is that I can't find a way to erase the browser history in the Internet url bar ???

I have always despaired with defrag. It never does what it is supposed to efficiently so don’t worry about it. I have never witnessed a defrag reach 0 on any PC. It will usually say “your drive does not need defragged at this time” but when you look at the analysed graph it is very clear it does need it. Somebody once told me it is to do with your page file size and if you have a second drive to help it with space for file sorting. Most of the red band is programs that are in use, the OP or other apps running at that time, so they will never be moved and will always appear red. I have come across problems when doing multiple defrags so I don’t do multiples anymore. In general the PC runs well so I only defrag every 3 – 4 moths. But that is just my experience and all PC’s have their individual quirks so see what others post here.

Getting customers to pay for the advertising in this way is a pure brass neck genius. You now pay for the advert of hearing an album in low quality that you then may go out to buy, in the tangible world, a real album that has a resale value on the second hand market. You get no discount for your original $5. investment. If you do buy the album it actually costs you an extra $5. on top of the CD asking price at the mall. In effect what you are buying is worthless but you are paying $5. for it anyway even though you have no collateral to show for your money. The real problem is they are the crooks ripping us off but they then blame piracy for all ills It has been this way since the early 1900’s ~ “sing into the can and they will pay you $10. if you sign the paper”. In reality that paper was taking advantage of the artist, in those days they usually could not read or write other than their name (if they were lucky). The Producer was usually in with the distributors who then go on to make a killing with the good material that they legally stole from artists. Many Producers were in fact also the Distributor to cut out any middlemen = more profit. I saw a Bob Marley “Legend” album in CD format and it cost multiple times more than the original tape or vinyl ever did. A CD costs next to nothing to manufacture and the artist does not get that much from a CD sale. It is the PR, Distributors and Producers that make all the money. I have a simple policy of ~ hear it before you buy it. If you do not buy their rubbish CD’s that have only 1 or 2 good tracks then it will force them to produce better quality at better pricing. Believe it or not, it is the consumer that has the power over the market place. If nobody bought a CD for 1 year who do you think would be in trouble the most ?

Is it not better just to leave the PC alone when it is defragging? Even when I run virus sweeps I let the PC get on with it because every time you click the mouse, tap a key or run a program you cause interruptions on the system. Every spike counts ? I only run these tasks when I do not intend to use the PC, like when I go to get food or sleep etc. Unplug the Internet, stop all unnecessary app’s and come back later when you know it is done defragging or sweeping. I have some rendering software that is treaded in the same way as it can take many hours just to render 1 frame.

Sorry it was a while back since I installed it and can't remember exactly what V but it is 11. ???????? If you want serious copies then I suggest you look up a Yamaha CDR-HD 1500. There are different models to choose from but they are all the same kit inside apart from the HD size. They give you exceptional copies regardless of track blending etc. I find that too many programs cause problems that can be hard to eliminate because of the amount of programs for doing one job only My PC audio is strange and gets upset easily with new programs for sound. I have had to take many sound programs off because of it including Q base. Now I try too keep players to a minimum to save getting conflicts.

Years ago somebody gave me a downloaded video of a man doing this sand art but his was mainly with animals, vistas and people. It has a warmer atmosphere. It must take a bit of practise to do this on stage. Aha ! ... found it

The earlier version I had of WMP did this on my PC but the new one is ok? for now. I also got a new sound card when v.11 was installed for 5.1. Could this have something to do with sound cards also ?

Yes you are right save as is not much use for master copies and it does drop artefacts everywhere when you use save as in most art packages. I only ever convert files for storage masters or for production into larger files because it makes life a lot easier and the retouch or FX work much sharper. Maybe we should open a new Post for file type discussion from this point ? Yes sorry for the little diversion from the OP but file quality is connected to how good a player is. Windows Media Player and a good up to date Codec pack should keep all happy for playing music of any common file type, it is windows supported after all. It also has a feature of album cover art for the folder and complete listing of tracks so you don’t have to type them all out, I was very grateful for that with Beethovens complete works collection The only complaint I know or have with Win Amp is that it does not work on all PC’s.

So what you are saying is rather than saving files one should always create new files regardless of the file type i.e. music, movie or picture ? So why is there never a problem like this with text files or is that a font related thing ? I only have a problem with Jpegs no other files do this to me, but then the other files get a lot less work done to them because they are better resolution to start with. Jpegs are just disposable files for my works.

Sorry you missed the first line = Or maybe Death is just symbolic for change ? Traditionally Death is not seen as the absolute end. It is actually an archetype depicting change. This 2012 thing is very much misunderstood. It only represents the end of a solar cycle. Thus it illustrates cycles within cycles. Death is a scary issue for most mortals so they only see it in one fatal way. It is representing a change not the death of the world, no that is next week Take holidays like Day Of The Dead or Halloween that has been corrupted to please the Christian faith. All cultures appear to have this same belief that on the longest night we are closest to our deceased ancestores and could ask them for help or offer items to aid them. Some call it respect others call it nonsense. Fact is death is not as negative as people make it out to be. There are many beliefs in the world and direct translation between languages does not work. You must learn to think differently to see the true meanings of a translation. People know very little about their own cultures so what chance is there of people knowing about other ancient or modern cultures in any depth without the use of the dubious Wiki ? Science is not the all seeing also but it is a reasonable place to start an investigation providing it is not influenced by third parties funding with an ulterior motive or a general bias from the outset. Not a very scientific statement, you need to read more about Chaos. Physics is crazy stuff and not so simple as the dismissive buzz term of “Just A Random Coincidence”. You need to remember that Science is a splinter group of religion. The Word Chemistry and Alchemy are related, the later is not recognised as science yet Isaac Newton was an Alchemist but that is for another forum Topic.

There are also the factors of time of day and what day of the week it is that influence your speeds. There are solar storms that also mess around with electronics on the planet. Personally I blame the gremlins for bad Internet speeds I hate adverts and block just about everything possible letting just enough through to let a website work. Not all sites need cookies but they are rare sadly. Yes speed tests are great for basic testing but should be taken with a pinch of salt.

I have seen pictures erode in jpeg format. When I first noticed it many years ago I ran tests on Jpegs. I have been using the PC for picture creation, movie creation, and editing for years. BMP or RAW are the most common large format files for pictures but there are larger studio quality formats available for pictures and video files. Every picture I use is a large format unless it is a disposable picture say for an avatar or something like that. Hard storage is on DVD and CD. Sound files must be the same because surely it can’t only happen to Jpeg pictures exclusively. Some musicians I know say they can tell if a track is warped or deteriorates with lower formats. I only use Windows Media Player lossless for music because CDs seldom use anything higher in quality themselves. It is common to see CD tracks that don’t even go above 10,000 Kbs. A CD is only as good as its master. It is the same with any copy of audio, video or ink printed media. Have never had a problem once with wmp but I would still like Win Amp to work.

It has a lot to do with how good and how far your exchange is from your PC. The closer you are to the exchange the better. The size of the Exchange I don’t now if bigger is better or not. It is probably more to do with max volume and percentage in current use. Most of these sites for speed tests are for market research by various ISP’s and other market researchers that want information about you so that they can target potential consumers with New Exiting Offers.

Just a thought in passing regarding file format : Regarding picture formats such as BMP, Jpeg, png, gif etc. I have always hated Jpeg because it loses quality (erodes) over a short space of time in drive storage. Therefore I always use RAW or BMP formats to keep good resolutions when stored on the PC. They are larger files, not such a big issue with modern HD space, so maybe it would suggest that sound files are the same as picture files? A Raw file should outlive a MP3 file for instance. I don?t have MP3 files but I have been told you can sometimes hear a change in the time signature and it loses solidity. Unlike text files some types of data just don?t like to be crunched.