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lokoike

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Everything posted by lokoike

  1. Just tried out the new Release Candidate. Works flawlessly. Thanks for the fantastic new CCleaner, MrG. Keep up the great work!
  2. I like this first feature; CCleaner is one step closer to being a portable app! Fantastic work MrG, as always.
  3. lokoike

    Did You Know

    Tru dat. Only a matter of time before they come out with Microsoft Employee trading cards. Sad. And 9 different variations of an operating system is an atrocity. Confuse the hell out of the consumer; what an excellent business approach. I agree with you guys: one main version of the OS is plenty sufficient. If MS wants to market versions of Windows with additional features separately, why not just sell those individual features as downloadable add-ons to the main OS? Not only would that be easier for the consumers, but it would be cheaper for Microsoft too, since they wouldn't have to mess around with advertising and packaging 9 totally different products!
  4. lokoike

    Forum update

    Old skoolin it. That's just how I roll. @ MrG: Thanks again for all the time you put into the way cool update!
  5. lokoike

    Forum update

    Whoa, this is pretty cool. With the addition of "friends" and "comments" and all of that schtuff, it kinda feels like MySpace... except this actually looks nice and works!
  6. Both boards listed are good boards. In the more expensive board, you are basically paying for the NVIDIA North Bridge (the cheaper board uses an Intel North Bridge). If SLI is extremely important to you, I would probably go with the more expensive board, because of the better North Bridge. But, the board with the Intel North Bridge is still a good board, for far less money. Not to mention, it has a couple more SATA II ports to boot. Just a note (a little off topic, but I thought I'd throw my two cents in here): while Intel may be leading the CPU market by a small (very small) margin, I wouldn't give up on AMD. AMD procs have always been fantastic, and when AMD releases their next line of procs, you may very well wish you had stuck with socket AM2 (assuming they retain the same socket, which I would imagine they will). That isn't to say that you should only use AMD or only use Intel, I'm just saying look carefully at both companies before making your final decision on which mobo and processor to buy. I am currently using AMD, and unless Intel gives me a really good reason to switch over, I will use AMD on my next build as well.
  7. Hey Lebpride, Looks like a lovely system indeed. I can vouch for your mobo, as I use the non-SLI version of that board in almost all of the computers I have built for others. ASUS mobos in general are great because they run cool and quiet and have very full-featured BIOS'. Your CPU is good, but I do have a question: do you intend to do any overclocking? If not, I would recommend getting the low-power version of that CPU, since right now it costs the same as the high-powered version. If you don't overclock your CPU, the lower-power version will run just as fast, but it will consume less power and generate less heat. Just something to keep in mind. As far as optical and hard drives go, might I recommend the following: Hard drive - Lots of storage at a reasonable price, plus Seagate's 5-year warranty; I have two of these in my PC and they perform great. Optical drive - Also used this one quite a few times, and it works good. Burns fast, doesn't make too much noise, and has LightScribe support, if you want to label your discs with your drive. Let us know how your first build goes for you. Good luck!
  8. I've gotta agree with Andavari: I'm pretty skeptical on this one. I mean seriously, how many times have you guys seen "proven" all-natural weightloss solutions in the form of a pill? Or what about all of the lotions that make a bald person grow a full head of hair, or a person with acne instantly have clear skin? Those are tall enough orders in themselves, and rarely do they have any effect whatsoever. And now someone claims to have discovered a molecule that reverses aging? I would very highly doubt it. Frankly, I have a feeling that the limits of this "drug" will be found soon enough, and it will end up as another anti-wrinkle cream lined up on a shelf with the rest of them. I guess time will tell, but I'm not getting my hopes up just yet.
  9. Is the new project another freeware application? If so, PLEASE take your time! I think that most of the other CCleaner forum users would agree with me that they would much rather see a stable freeware application released a few months late than a buggy commercial application released "on time." I know that CCleaner is a lot of work, and MrG deserves a break just like anyone else! So thank you MrG for all of the hard work you put into CCleaner, and thank you for creating even more great software releases for us. ( which will hopefully be freeware )
  10. lokoike

    New Drive

    Hey res, SATA drive installations are as easy as pie (which is presumably very easy...). Like you said, you pretty much just plug in the power and data cables and fire it up. A few things to note, since this is your first time with a SATA drive: 1. Make sure the mobo supports SATA! Make sure there are SATA inputs on the board (if you don't know what one looks like, I can post a picture for you). 2. If the drive you buy is listed as OEM, instead of Retail, you will most likely have to provide your own SATA data cable and hard drive screws, since all you will receive is the drive and some bubble wrap. OEM drives generally don't come with documentation, instructions, cables, screws, a box, etc. You pay less, but you get the bare minimum. 3. Make sure your PSU has a SATA power out, since SATA drives don't use standard molex for power. If the PSU has only molex, you can buy an adapter such as this one, which converts a molex end into SATA. 4. Seagate SATA 2 drives have a small gray-colored jumper on the back that forces the drive to perform in SATA 1 mode (1.5 Gbs bandwidth, as opposed to 3 Gbs). For some stupid reason, this jumper is installed by default, so if your mobo supports SATA 2, the drive won't take advantage of it. To fix this, just remove the jumper from the drive. Easy fix. 5. And of course, lastly, make sure your BIOS is set to boot from CD first, so that when you put in the Windows OS install disk, it will boot that up, instead of trying to boot from the new, empty hard drive. Let us know how your first SATA drive install goes!
  11. lokoike

    hd

    I don't use Linux, although I did put Ubuntu Linux on my friend's computer. One thing I noticed is that Linux does not use the same types of file systems as those used by Windows (i.e. FAT16, FAT32, NTFS, etc.). So most likely, Windows doesn't treat your hard drive as a formatted drive, since it isn't formatted with a file system supported by Windows. However, since Windows does realize you have a drive, it will still show up in Device Manager. Essentially, Windows realizes you have a hard drive plugged into the computer, but it just assumes it is a blank, unformatted, unpartitioned drive. Windows will not be able to use the drive until you format it with a Windows file system (which will, of course, remove the Linux file system and OS). So unless you create a partition on the Linux drive with a Windows file system on it, Windows will not be able to use that drive.
  12. @ Stephen: That is pretty much the order that I build my systems in. Although, depending what type of CPU heatsink/fan you use, you may have to install that onto the mobo before you put your mobo into the case. For example, on my PC, I didn't use the stock AMD heatsink/fan, and since the one I used had it's own backplate, I had to put the CPU and cooler onto the motherboard before I put it into my case. And as far as your drives go, the order doesn't really make a difference (unless the drive installation order affects how you route your wires). I personally don't test the BIOS right away, just because I assume it will work. I suppose I could test every component before actually beginning the build, but it is so time consuming. I prefer to just build the computer, power it up, and then troubleshoot (if any troubleshooting is even necessary, which usually it is not). One suggestion I will offer when it comes to wiring: twisty-ties. Lots and lots of twisty-ties. I use twisty-ties as opposed to zip-ties or rubber bands, etc. for a few reasons: 1. They are readily available in large quantities for little or no money; when you buy a box of trash bags, usually they include tons of them. 2. They aren't permanent. They can be used, undone, and then reused. With zip-ties, you use them once, and if you want to get them off later to change your wiring, you have to cut them, thus rendering them unusable. 3. If they are too long, you don't have to cut them; just keeping twisting them around the cables until there is no extra. So yeah... twist-ties FTW. And that's pretty much all I know.
  13. Oops! Sorry about that; I knew what it was, I just typed the wrong thing. But yeah, the reason it is slower is because it has 4 pixel pipelines disabled (which is also the reason it runs cooler and therefore only takes up one slot). Still, not a bad card. I've used Sapphire cards a few times. I did have one that I bought go bad after a short while, but the other couple that I've used had no problems. They were all Radeon x1000 series cards as well. If you spend a little more, you could get the 512 MB version of the Radeon x1950XT. I've got a Radeon x1900XT w/ 512 MBs of GDDR3, and in Half-Life 2 with all settings maxed and a resolution of 1680x1050, I get almost zero lag. I think right now my card is in the $350 range, but if you want the extra video memory, the extra money spent is definitely worth it.
  14. Here are a few cards that I found Stephen: ~ High End ~ Sapphire Radeon x1950XT - This one is the fastest, but it takes up two slots; I'm not sure if that makes a difference to you, but I thought I should mention it ATI Radeon x1950XT - This one is a little bit slower, a little less expensive, and it only takes up one slot ~ Mid Range ~ ATI Radeon x1650PRO - This one's got 512 MBs of GDDR2, and a pretty decent core, although significantly slower than the x1900 series ASUS Radeon x1650XT - This one is the slowest, but not by a very big margin; not to mention, it only costs $150! If you want to save some cash, and sacrifice a little performance, this is by no means a bad card There were tons of other cards that fit your budget, but these are all from companies that I really like. Diamond and HIS Hightech also had some pretty good deals, but I've never bought from them before, so I can't really recommend them. Let me know what you think.
  15. Right now Nvidia's DX10 card runs in the $500-$600 range, so if you do want DX10 capabilities, you'll be better off waiting a few months for ATI's card to come out. The competition should bring down the price on both company's cards. But something to keep in mind, DX10 isn't even really in use right now (other than by Windows Vista), so if you buy a DX9c card, you'll still be just fine. Also, I've heard (and don't quote me on this) that DX10 runtimes won't even be made for Windows XP, so if you want to use a DX10 card to it's full potential, you'll be forced to upgrade to Vista. Once again, I'm not positive on that, but that is what I have heard. There are plenty of fantastic DX9 cards in the $200-$300 range. I have to head off to work, but if I get time tonight, I'll drop you some links to cards that I like.
  16. Looks like a very nice system, Stephen. As far as your video card goes, I personally favor ATI cards for a number of reasons: 1. If you want multiple video cards, ATI's Crossfire setup is better than Nvidia's SLI in almost every category. 2. ATI has recently teamed up with AMD (major CPU manufacturer) which means that you can expect great things from them in the near future. 3. Nvidia cards have never been able been able to render both HDR (High Dynamic Range) lighting and antialiasing at the same time, which means in games you have to either use one or the other, and not both. ATI cards, on the other hand, can do both simultaneously, which makes for a much better gaming experience. 4. ATI has recently put out video cards using GDDR4 as video RAM, which is way freakin' faster than GDDR3. I'm not sure if Nvidia has embraced the new video RAM yet, but it sure is a beautiful thing. Anyways, those are my personal reasons for favoring ATI over Nvidia. It is true that Nvidia has one DX10 card out on the market now, but ATI will be releasing theirs soon, and I've never known ATI to disappoint, so keep your eyes peeled. What price range did you want to stay in for your video card? There are a few cards in different ranges that I've had very good luck with, so if you can give me a ballpark figure, I can post some links for you. Have fun building your new rig!
  17. I use Foxit, but I installed AR 8 just to see if it was any good. I do like the interface much better than the AR 7 series, but like Andavari said, a pretty interface just isn't worth the massive size. Add / Remove Programs shows it taking up about 117 MBs; that is utterly appalling. I can't see a PDF creating and editing app reasonably hogging up that much space, much less simply a program for only viewing them! Not to mention, even though AR 8 is faster than previous AR version, it is still a bit slower than Foxit, at least on my PC. I don't see AR 8 offering any benefits, other than a prettier interface (which Foxit's interface is still very attractive IMO) and more control over preferences (that I never use anyway). Looks like Adobe still doesn't have me sold.
  18. I can speak for Corsair, since I've used their memory in the last 8 PC's I've built. Corsair offers a lifetime warranty (I think that most RAM manufacturers do as well, but I figured it was worth mentioning), and Corsair is teamed up with Nvidia right now, which means their memory should be compatible with any mobo that has an Nvidia North Bridge. I've never received any Corsair memory that was DOA (Dead On Arrival) or became faulty after heavy usage, so needless to say, I've had a very good experience with their products (I've also used their SD memory cards and USB Flash ROM drives, with no problems). I personally have never used Crucial memory, but I've heard good things. Kingston is another memory company I've had good luck with, although I've only used their memory a couple times.
  19. I use my Gmail account for almost everything. I upgraded to them from Yahoo! because they seemed to be the better free email account in almost every category. I have an ISP account, but I never check it because it's set to forward all messages to my Gmail account. I use my Yahoo! account for garbage mail and a few newsletters I signed up for eons ago. I check the Yahoo! account maybe every other week. I do like some things about Yahoo!'s new interface (they set it up sort of like MS Outlook), but it still doesn't compare to my Gmail account in features, like custom filters (I use those alot!).
  20. When I had my computer set up in my living room, I had the exact same thing happen! Sadly though, it was a local country station, so apparently my speakers don't have very good taste. When I touched the volume dial (not adjusting it, but just putting my finger on it), the station came in more clearly and loudly. It was almost as if my body was acting like an antennae. Pretty crazy. I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one with possessed speakers!
  21. It appears my reply is a bit belated, but I digress... Happy Belated Thanksgiving! And Andavari, I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who hit up multiple Thanksgiving dinners and is now paying for it! Hope you saved me some punkin' pie!
  22. Hmm... this is an interesting thread because I have been having a similar, although not identical problem with the Issues scan on my computer ever since version 1.34 of CCleaner. My problem is that CCleaner runs through the Issues scan, but once it gets to 100% (i.e., the scan has finished) it takes 20-30 seconds for the "Fix selected issues..." button to become active. My CPU usage does not spike and my mem usage stays relatively low. I've found that choosing to cancel the scan after it reaches 100% lets me fix the listed issues right away (instead of having to wait the half a minute or so), so this problem was never too serious for me, since I had a workaround. It is simply a minor nuisance. But since others are having troubles with CCleaner's Issue scan, I figured I'd throw this out there. Software Specs: CCleaner 1.35.424 Windows XP Professional Edition (all patches up to date) ZoneAlarm Free 6.5.737.000 (firewall) Avast! 4.7.892 (antivirus) Hardware Specs: AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ (CPU) ASUS A8R32 MVP Deluxe (mobo) BIOS version 0602 (newest non-beta BIOS for this board) ATI Radeon x1900XT w/ 512 MB GDDR3 3,072 MBs Corsair DDR running in single channel 320 GB Seagate HD (SATA II, OS drive) 320 GB and 500 GB Seagate HDs (SATA II, additional drives) Oh, and if it would help, I could list my running processes as well. I have a number of programs running all the time (such as Shareaza, Rainlender, Picasa2, etc.), which I suppose could be potentially interferring with CCleaner. I don't recall making any major software changes at the time of me noticing the problem, so I'm inclined to believe it is a bug in CCleaner itself, as opposed to interference from another app. But I'm not certain. Like I said, not a huge problem for me, so maybe just give it a glance whenever you get a spare minute or two. Thanks again for the great FREE program MrG!
  23. Oh dear... I forgot that Inspirons are not desktops; notebooks are a very different story. What sort of surface do you have your notebook sitting on? Your lap? Carpet or bedsheets? A hard surface? Most notebooks have at least one air intake or outtake on the bottom and one or more on the side, so the surface your notebook sits on could very well be one that doesn't let in much air. Back when I had my notebook, I always had it sitting on a desk, so to give it better airflow, I glued some little round "feet" onto the bottom of it to raise it up a few extra millimeters, and that little bit of space made a big difference. Another idea is to go into you BIOS and see if there is a spot where you can adjust the fan speed (I know HP and Avaratec let you adjust fan speed; not sure about Dell). If you can, crank up the default speed a little higher and see if it positively affects performance. The only downside with this suggestion is that notebook fans get really loud and whiny when you raise the RPMs, so if noise bothers you, you may want to try the first suggestion before messing around with fan speeds.
  24. Well, since heat causes the components to expand, and a hard drive requires accuracy within a few millionths of an inch, my best guess is that high temps cause the read/write head to become inaccurate, which leads to read errors, and the hard drive has to perform the read multiple times to get it right. That is just my guess, mind you, as I haven't actually read up on baked hard drives. But regardless of what happens, I would highly recommend installing a fan to blow over the drive and cool it down. Hopefully the Dell has some form of fan holder, which you can measure to determine the size of the fan you will need (computer fan sizes are generally divisible by 20 and measured in millimeters: 60mm, 80mm, 120mm, etc.). If you can't find a place to install a fan, another idea would be to see if there are any spots you can move the hard drive to so it won't be quite so close to the other heat-producing components. If the hard drive is in a rack that looks like it could hold several more, you could always move it down a couple spaces, and shave off a few degrees. Every little bit helps!
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