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Home→Published 2011 → April

Monthly Archives: April 2011

Should a power supply be on the top or the bottom of a computer case?

Computer Aid Posted on 29 April, 2011 by Luigi Martin29 April, 2011

Having seen computer cases with power supply units (PSUs) positioned at the top and on the bottom of a computer case (tower), I wonder if there is an optimal place to put the PSU?

It seems that 90% of cases have the PSU at the top, and the reason is partly historical:

The PSU heat exhaust fan also doubled as a heat exhaust fan for the the case as a whole.

On the whole, it works well: most systems are mid – low end, so the components don’t generate much heat, so the PSU is not under much additional heat stress.

However, some high-end systems generate large amounts of heat (due to overclocking and due to high-end video cards that generate a lot of heat).

However, most high-end systems are now built into cases that have multiple fans that usually extract heat before it can get into the PSU.

But if heat is your main problem, then a low-mounted PSU means that it will always draw in cool air.

The other thing to consider is dust.

Having seem many PCs, I know that most PCs have a huge build-up of dust, and most people never bother opening up their PC to clean it.

With dust, a top-mounted PSU is less likely to get a buildup of dust.

Proof of that is when I open most PCs, I usually see a layer of dust at the bottom of the case, but no dust at the top… obviously!

So, when mounting a PSU at the bottom of a case, its important to make sure its unlikely to suck up dust (either by using a filter… which needs regular cleaning, or by regularly “dusting” inside your case.

The only real advantage (that I can see) of having a bottom-mounted PSU, is that the tower is less top-heavy and thus less likeley to fall over if bumped.

So, it seems that in most cases, a top-mounted PSU is best, while a bottom-mounted PSU might be better for a high-end system, but only if you are prepared to clean it every few months.

Posted in Technical, Tutorial | Tagged bottom, case, PSU, top

Multiple hardware problems

Computer Aid Posted on 25 April, 2011 by Luigi Martin25 April, 2011

Its rare to find a PC with multiple hardware problems, but this one is probably the worst I’ve seen.

Since the PC was kept in an air conditioned office, it was probably kept at a constant temperature, which helped mask many problems.

At first, the PC just wouldn’t start.

Push the power button, and nothing happened.

I replace the power supply, but while I’m changing the PSU, I notice that the video card has got some strange black marks on it…

It turns out that the video card had a burned out fan… literally burned! I don’t know if the burn marks are from friction, or from a short within the motor itself, but it might have been the cause of the power supply failure.

Anyway, I replace the video card, and then go to start the PC.

This time, it springs into life, and after the BIOS screen, It starts to load Windows XP…

And then I get a blue screen of death (BSOD). the error is stop 0x0000007b INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE

This means that there is a hardware problem with the hard drive!

I then take it back to the office, and a SMART test shows that it doesn’t have much life left.

I quickly decide to mirror it to a new Seagate SATA drive.

Luckily, the drive is not badly damaged, so the mirror process works correctly.

Now, I just let the system install the hard drive and video drivers, and its finally back to normal.

Posted in Technical | Tagged 0x0000007B, hardware problems

Santa (SATA) drive

Computer Aid Posted on 22 April, 2011 by Luigi Martin22 April, 2011

Yet another funny variation on a common IT technical term.

This time, a customer calls asking for a price on upgrading a motherboard, CPU, and RAM. He also mentions he purchased a hard drive from the net, and would like to know if can use his existing CD drives.

I ask about which are SATA and which are IDE.

After a while, I notice he has stopped saying SATA and has started saying “Santa”…

He was talking about IDe drives and Santa drives.

It was a deliberate decision on his part, and made the discussion really amusing.

Posted in Humor | Tagged santa drive, sata drive

iphone 3g no WiFi

Computer Aid Posted on 18 April, 2011 by Luigi Martin18 April, 2011

This is a follow-on to my problems with a jailbroken iphone.

So, I now have a jailbroken iphone 3G, that has been unlocked using ultrasn0w, and my Baseband had to be upgraded to V6.15.

So, I still have no WiFi (and no GPS), but bluetooth works perfectly… and I’m not sure if the WiFi chip is faulty, or is the jailbreaking caused a problem.

Some searching on the net finds others that have a problem with the WiFi being greyed out… but mine is not like that… it seems to work and I can switch it off and on from the settings… it just doesn’t detect any networks (even if I’m an inch away from my WiFi router).

So, what I try next is:

  • So my next step is to try to reset network settings (it doesn’t work).
  • Fuzzyband app (this is supposed to allow you to downgrade your “baseband” (ie the phones GSM operating system?), so that it can be unlocked… but it doesn’t like my phone and refuses to downgrade.
  • Next I dismantle the phone and take a look inside… This is surprisingly easy, as I just need to remove 2 screws at the bottom, then use a suction cup to pull the screen away from the phone itself. I notice a loose screw near the volume-up switch, which I put back into its place. I hope it hasn’t shorted out something important.

In the end, I give up and I’ll just have to wait for the iphone hacking community to find a way of downgrading the iphone baseband, so that I can try get the GPS and WiFi working again…

 

Posted in Apple, Technical | Tagged bluetooth ok, iphone 3g, no gps, no wifi

iphone 3g, ios 4.2.1, BB 6.15 and no mobile phone

Computer Aid Posted on 15 April, 2011 by Luigi Martin15 April, 2011

I recently got a cheap iphone 3g from ebay.

It was jailbroken (ie hacked), but I found the seller hadn’t unlocked it.

Rather than send it back, I decided to try unlocking it myself.

The procedure was quite simple using the “ultrasn0w” application.

All was fine until a few weeks later, when I noticed that the wifi suddenly wasn’t working anymore… the settings all worked normally, but it just didn’t detect any nearby wifi hotspots.

A while later, I was about to start investigating this, when, I plugged it into a win7 PC, and just left it to “charge”. I didn’t ask it to do anything with itunes, but somehow, when I returned a few hours later, there was no phone signal, and itunes was complaining about the phone.

Grrr!

Since I had been reading about iphones and jailbreaking, I found this was a perfect chance to learn more.

I eventually found I would have to re-install the firmware on the iphone (it came with version 4.0.1, so I figured I’d try the latest IOS 4.2.1).

It was quite a learning curve just figuring out which software to use to install a “hacked” version of IOS (I eventually found myself using sn0wbreeze and redsn0w as the main tools).

After that, I eventually got the iphone booting ios 4.2.1 (as well at reverting back to 4.1 a few times), but I just couldn’t get the mobile phone component to actually work.

Looks like I’ve gone from iphone to ipod…

Since I know there really isn’t anything wrong with the “phone” part, I keep investigating, and find that it should be possible to “unlock” the phone again if I upgrade the baseband to v6.15.

Baseband? From what I can understand, the phones Baseband is like the BIOS (or operating instructions) that are independent of the phones main operating system… and version 6.15 is a copy that was used on ipads (which has a flaw that allows unlocking)…

But now I have a problem: I need to download the unlock software (Ultrasn0w) via the internet… but I have no wifi, and the 3G connection isn’t working because the phone section of the iphone isn’t working!

I find the solution at: http://forum.gsmhosting.com/vbb/f456/iphone-unlocker-baseband-6-15-no-wifi-mughalg-1154329/

This lets me install Ultrasn0w directly to the phone, and then run it to unlock the phone!

Now, after having spent days working on this phone, I’m now back to where I started: how do I fix the WiFi connection?

Posted in Apple, Technical | Tagged BB 6.15, iphone 3g, jailbreak, unlock

stop wm6 from always using internet sharing

Computer Aid Posted on 11 April, 2011 by Luigi Martin11 April, 2011

My trusty old HTC Touch 3G (Windows Mobile 6.1) had developed a strange fault:

I would plug in in to my PCs USB port, and it would always try to connect using internet sharing (which I didn’t want it to do, as my PC already had an internet connection), and I couldn’t get it to connect via Activesync or as a USB drive.

No amount of changing default connection type or setting / unsetting the “ask me at connection time” would change this behavior.

Since Since most of my data is now in the Google cloud, it wasn’t a major problem, however, I often needed to transfer data to and from my phone.

I then stumbled onto the solution:

  • Plugin the phone via USB
  • wait until it connects (internet sharing)
  • unplug the phone
  • within a few seconds, plugin the phone again!

Its very strange behavior, but it did let me transfer data.

The Activesync connection was still a problem, and I really wasn’t interested in wasting time trying to find a solution to a Microsoft-induced problem.

For the record: My HTC Touch 3G has since died, and I’m now the proud owner of an Android-powered HTC Desire… Personally, I find that there is little difference between the iphone and Android… but they are both way ahead of Windows Mobile 6.1.

I’ve had little chance to try the latest windows mobile 7, but I hope to try it out soon.

Posted in Technical, wm6 | Tagged activesync, internet sharing, wm6

A guide to picking an internet service provider

Computer Aid Posted on 5 April, 2011 by be5 April, 2011

Although there are several options available for types of internet connection, the truth is that there is not all that much to consider to get the basics right and make sure you get a suitable plan from the right internet service provider (ISP). Your internet service should be tailored to fit your use, and the process of making that discernment is quite simple. Here are some things to consider.
Before we get too involved, we need to find out what broadband services and packages are available in your area. Different locations have different options for going online, and there is no point considering options that just simply are not available to you. You will also need to consider whether the internet connection is for a home, business, or for a mobile device. These considerations will have a great impact on your needs. If you live in the US you can search for here for an ISP in your area or State.

If you are in need of a mobile internet connection, you will want to consider what your data requirements are. If you are just using it for email and occasional web surfing, you will want a package that saves you money while giving you enough data usage. If you are streaming video or music, downloading games or other applications, you will want a high volume or unlimited data plan. You can use mobile broadband with your laptop or mobile device, depending on which is most convenient for you. Talk to your cellular provider to find the best package.

For a home broadband connection, you will also want to consider your internet use. DSL offers a fair selection of bandwidth for the casual broadband user. You can stream videos, download music and movies effectively, and perform internet related tasks fairly quickly and efficiently. There are certain bandwidth limitations with this technology, so if you are running several computers in your house on a wi-fi router, your connection may bog down and feel slow. DSL is carried over the telephone wire, and is most often offered by your telephone service provider. You can, however, get this service without a land line phone.

Cable Internet has a larger conductor, and therefore is able to carry more bandwidth to your home or office. When you are providing broadband internet connections to an entire local area network, or if you have speed requirements that exceed most residential needs – like online gaming and high volume uploads and downloads, you may want to opt for this high speed alternative. As with DSL, the cable internet speed can be limited by the number of users in your neighbourhood or your network, but base speeds offered tend to be higher dollar to dollar.

Which brings us to one of the most important considerations; cost. Initial setup for any new internet provider is usually low, and providers offer specials all the time. You will want to be aware of any rate increases after a certain time. Many packages offer a very low price for the first six months, and then increase the price drastically after the introductory period. This can come as a surprise if you are not aware of the practice, so look over the agreement closely, and ask your provider questions.

If by chance, you are in a rural area, you may have to look into satellite broadband. This service is available in many areas where other options do not reach. You will need to talk to your satellite provider to find out what options are available, as they vary greatly from one to another.

This is a guest article by Spencer Hogg who writes or Broadband Expert where you find internet service providers in your area and compare prices on different deals.

Posted in Tutorial | Tagged ISP

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