Sampson

If you are using a proxy address, you should check winamp to see if you have enabled the same proxy in it. If you are running a firewall, it may be intercepting winamp because it does not recognize your new install of it.

This post is similar to one that was fielded on this board sometime back - though it involved Macs: http://www.ntcompatible.com/HELP_with_ne...ter_t34095.html The comments made there are probably still germane.

You might want to look at this article: http://www.vr-zone.com/?i=4130 The reason for reading it is that the newer Bad-Axe2 board seems to be the basis of what will become identified with the Quad core. Most of the 975x based boards are Bad-Axe1. Look at the picture of the two boards in the article. All those trace lines going to the Northbridge have seemingly been set up to optimize the Quad core. In any event FSB increases with the Bad-Axe2 boards don't hit a wall. Further, Intel is working on some kind of chipset to enhance their video which may not be out until next year. My advice, wait until after Vista has hit the stands sometime in January or thereafter. Vista is going to have the effect of "Bios upgrade frenzy" on a lot of boards. Better to start with a motherboard that has been tested thoroughly with Vista.

You might look at this page: http://www.lvllord.de/

This article at LostCircuits might also help: http://www.lostcircuits.com/cpu/encode/

Most of the reviews I've read compare the Core 2 Duo to the AMD 64 variety for bragging rights. AnandTech has this comparison in which your processor is compared along with others: http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=2795&p=10 (this is only the winstone tests which look at video) The bottom line is that your E6300 at first blush holds its own very well. When overclocked, it should outclass the Pentium D.

Opening up a laptop and then stuffing everything back into place is daunting enough for me, given the heat problems one can create. Soldering on these "pancake" boards, in my opinion, is something only a technician has the competence to do. I am not sure what you want to do on this laptop (play games?), for the most part, when you want to "upgrade" them, it really means that you have outgrown them and need to get a new one. And, if you don't have the money for a new one, keep in mind that the alternative you are contemplating might be heading you in that direction should it fail.

I believe part of your question was on the subject of paranoia. Since you will eventually be the proud possessor of an unsupported OS, you will undoubtedly have some new joys to look forward to.

I think you are correct. The router enables a better "time share".

You are right, packman, to be concerned that this patch (which is maybe the 5th time it has been reworked)could put IE6 in the tank. But, then, Microsoft really wants you to step up to IE7 anyway. But, if this makes you paranoid, just think about Microsoft's Genuine Advantage. Now there is something to be paranoid about, especially after it is applied to Vista. The assumption is that Genuine Advantage only checks to make sure you have a non-pirated copy of its OS. But what if it is also checking to see if you have a file of "Copy-MyDVD-anti-RIAA-version" that gets around any kind of copy protection scheme which you may never have used but because it is on your PC, your Genuine Advantage says you have a pirated copy of their OS and they won't support you? Now there's paranoid.

To find out how much space there is on your hard drive, click on My Computer (if you have an icon for My Computer on your Desktop, double click on it). It will come up with all of you devices. Find your C:\ drive, right click on the icon and click on Properties from the drop down Menu. This will bring up a pie chart and show you how much space is used and how much is free on your hard drive. Come back to the forum to tell us the space usage if you don't understand what it is telling you.

I am going to have to join the chorus of voices that affirm the XP is a pretty decent operating system, madvic. But, like most operating systems, it does have to be maintained if you hope to keep it chugging along. You do have to get rid of all those temp files (and they all don't have the .tmp suffix), all the broken lnks, and the registry has to be cleaned up for false pointers (and occasionally a hive "realignment") and there is always the necessity of defragging the hard drive. We have seen fewer and fewer questions on this board concerning the operating system as XP has been refurbished and honed. The real problem with games are drivers and inadequate hardware for the most part - or trying to play older games under XP when some of their coding makes calls which presume an older Microsoft API. As Relic indicates, Vista will probably require a service pack since its security has already been brought into question. The thing is, to run it, will probably require a whole new machine since what on an "old" machine may pass muster today, after updates and service packs, will bump its dated hardware (BIOS upgrades included) out of stable usage.

Personally, since network cards are so inexpensive, you will probably be better off purchasing a new card with its drivers. Many motherboards have their network cards built in and you can then disconnect that network card and use your new one. Why go this route? First, you won't have to lose anymore time. Second, and this is something worth thinking about - with the network cards today being attached to modems that are cable or dsl, your machine is more open to electrical surges, particularly from lightning storms. There is no certitude that a surge will stop at the network card and not enter the machine further, but it is a layer. When your network card is onboard, one less layer. Again, with surges there is not guarantee, but I have had it happen to me several times, and only had to replace the network card to bring the machine up again. On the other hand, I've had to replace the motherboard and hard drive. Just a suggestion.

Actually, the linksys router is the best way to go. I am somewhat surprised that your hub is able to work with the modem unless one of your computers is being utilized as a gateway. Normally, linksys routers work pretty well out of the box. I would not use their CD since they will sometimes want to install Nortons. The only failures I've seen with the routers are 1) firmware in the router needs to be upgraded, 2) the computers have TCP/IP addresses changed from their standard settings, or 3) software firewalls (especially Windows firewall) in the individual computers choke off the handshaking. The standard operating procedure is to connect one computer to the modem. Turn the modem on, let it connect first, then turn on the computer and make sure it sees the internet. Then, power down the computer, connect the modem to the router, bring up the router, then connect your computers to the router or through the hub to the router and bring them up. On the first run, I would not allow any firewall software to come up. If your machines stay connected, then you will want to experiment with the firewall software to see where the problem is.

In general, when XP won't shut down, it is because there is a driver or a program that will not close properly so XP stalls. There are two programs UPHclean and profileclean - that are meant to terminate programs running in the background so that windows will shut down properly. Just google those programs. Installing them may help in the future.

Yes, Relic, that is the Asus Board - HP also lists it here: http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/docum...cname=c00054445 What caused me to hesitate about the AGP slot was the AGP2 specification and IGP onboard video usually indicates that it uses the older AGP specification. But, if it is the 4X, he should be able to choose from a multiple of cards. Thanks for pointing it out.

My best guess is that as long as you use a PCI video card (that's the old PCI not the new PCIe), your machine should run fine and accept it. I think that machine does have an AGP slot but it is 2 not a 4X, so you can run into problems going the AGP route. Remember that you will have to remove the S3 drivers, reboot and get into the BIOS to stop your machine from defaulting to the onboard video and make PCI video the default.

What resolution do you have your card set to? Photoshop likes to have its resolution set at 1,024x768.

Start-Programs-Accessories-Command Prompt. It will open a window that is relatively blank. You should see a command prompt. It will look like C:\> or C:\Windows> or C:\My Documents\Your Name>. At the prompt, type in Copy C:\Windows\Repair\autoexec.nt C:\Windows\System . Then do the same for config.nt as above.

Or, you could bring up a Dos Prompt and do as Wilhelmus suggests: Copy C:\Windows\Repair\autoexec.nt C:\Windows\System32 Copy C:\Windows\Repair\config.nt C:\Windows\System32 Then type exit to get out of the Dos Prompt.

Congratulations, dollbaby443. The famous infinite loop is not easily overcome as you have managed to do since nVidia and Microsoft have never really come to terms about memory management and driver placement.

Personally, I would be concerned with a motherboard that will not utilize a PCI slot.

What Wilhelmus means is that two files autoexec.nt and config.nt are configuration files, which some programs modify when they install something on your machine. Sometimes they get corrupted. The designation C:\ is what stands for your hard drive. The \ and what follows is a subdirectory (a folder) in which files are are stored. So, C:\Windows\Repair is the name of a subdirectory under the \Windows directory on your machine that contains the two files autoexec.nt and config.nt that store the original contents of those files in case the files by exactly the same name get corrupted in the subdirectory System32 in the \Windows directory. Rather than repairing the files in the System32 subdirectory, Wilhelmus is telling you just to copy these files from the Repair folder to the System32 folder. You can use Windows Explorer to do this or you can do it from a command prompt. To do so from the command Prompt just type: copy C:\Windows\Repair\autoexec.nt C:\Windows\System32 (Then hit Enter) Do the same for config.nt: copy C:\Windows\Repair\config.nt C:\Windows\System32 (Then hit Enter)

I hate USB Hubs. Some people never have a problem. And for some, they never work. XP doesn't "require" you to disconnect a USB device through their software, but when you don't, they tend to break - in other words, fail to recognize devices. The easiest trick that I found that worked (and it does not always) is to power down the machine and then pull its electrical plug. Wait about an hour before plugging it back in and restarting the machine.

I have seen this error come up for a variety of reasons. I found it in a particular program I was using (not DirectX related). In any case, it may be in the video drivers you are using. You could try a different video driver. Also, some have found the solution by "upgrading" their DirectX to the full SDK version. Seems kind of excessive to me, but it has worked for some.