Posts by Brandon Thompson3

CDInfo shows a Caution status, and even though I manually adjusted the C5 (Current Pending Sector Count) from 1 01h to 0 00h, it simply flipped to Good. The problem persists regardless. In several categories, the current and worst values remain identical. More importantly, the hard drive is overheating significantly; CDInfo reported a worst-case temperature of 178 degrees Fahrenheit. After about 10 or 15 minutes of use, the drive becomes almost too hot to touch. All signs point to a failing hard drive. For the next two months, I only need this laptop for movies and music, so if I could just get the audio working in Safe mode, that would solve my immediate problem. I was hoping someone might know how to load drivers for audio while in Safe mode, but it seems... unlikely.
On the other hand, I have my doubts... if the hard drive were actually dead, wouldn't it be impossible to boot Windows even in Safe mode?

In normal mode, I can barely get Windows to boot—if it even succeeds, it takes an eternity and runs painfully slow. I ran a hardware diagnostic in the BIOS, and the HDD test keeps throwing error codes 303 and 305. According to my research, those errors indicate the hard drive is failing. Curiously, I can still boot the system in Safe mode, and it actually functions, though there is zero sound. When I check the audio card in the Device Manager, it simply says, "Status is not available for this device when Windows is running in Safe mode." Is there any way to get the audio working while in Safe mode? I'm using an HP Compaq CQ71 laptop. I'm currently on a cruise ship with internet access for only two more days, so a quick response would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Exactly... those are precisely the kinds of hurdles I was worried about. Given my limited resources and spotty internet connection, buying a laptop without an OS would probably be a mistake. Thanks for the insight, darkowl72. 👍

I have an opportunity to pick up a laptop at a great price, but it doesn't come with Windows installed. I was considering running Windows directly from an external drive, but I am questioning whether it will actually function properly on modern hardware.

So, here is my situation: I have Windows XP on an external hard drive, and that’s it. I’m currently out at sea, and I’ll only have internet access for another three or four days. Given my current bandwidth, downloading a modern Windows installer is out of the question. If I were to pick up a new laptop, is there any chance XP would actually run on hardware designed specifically for the latest Windows versions?
This might sound like a naive question, but I’d rather not invest in a new laptop only to find it won't even boot. I'm on a tight schedule here, so a quick answer would be appreciated.

Exactly. It's right on the front of the lower leg, along the shin muscle. I'll try some magnesium and see if that does the trick.

I stumbled upon this thread by accident and noticed some symptoms that mirror my own. Specifically, I get pain in my shin muscles along the outer edge of the bone on both legs. It fluctuates in intensity, but it’s always a nuisance. If I pause for about 30 seconds, the pain subsides, allowing me to run for another 5 to 10 minutes before it returns. Interestingly, I don't experience this while playing soccer, yet it flares up during running. I see others here have discussed pain on the inner side of the bone; mine is on the outside, but the principle seems identical. Aside from the nuances, I was wondering if anyone found magnesium to be an effective remedy?

Is it finally working? I went through the trouble of completely wiping everything and reinstalling the latest v130 driver, and now it’s up and running. It feels a bit ridiculous that I wasted my time doing that twice already without any luck, only for it to work now. What a joke. By the way, since my Jawahell is also blue and translucent, you likely have a Prolific adapter.

Correct, I have the V130 driver installed and everything configured properly, yet it still refuses to function on Windows 7.

Cilim,
Here are the specifics: I am using a Prolific USB to RS232 serial adapter. It functioned perfectly on Windows XP, but I am hitting a wall with Windows 7. The machine is an HP Compaq presariti CQ71. To be honest, I have no idea what the specific motherboard configuration is inside this unit.

jawahel,
I have been mindful of which USB port I select, yet during installation, the system automatically assigned it to COM19. Since my software is limited to COM8, I manually reassigned it to COM1 via the Device Manager. While digging through the settings, I noticed nearly 20 COM ports listed as "in use." Is there any harm in deactivating them or reassigning their functions?
By the way, who manufactured that Chinese junk you picked up from Silicon Valley?

I am currently running Windows 7 Professional version 6.1 (build 7600), so there is no need for any further updates on my end. However, I’ve hit a snag: my USB-serial adapter cable is failing to function on this machine, even though it works perfectly fine on an older computer running Windows XP. I have already downloaded and installed the latest drivers for Windows 7, yet the issue persists—it simply returns a "cannot open com port" error.

Alright, I am looking for RC7100 or something more recent, but my main concern is whether there is any risk of destabilizing my current Windows installation. I have identified about a dozen potential issues that might arise when applying this RC pack. Has anyone actually installed this on their machine, and if so, are you experiencing any stability problems?

To ensure a USB to serial adapter functions correctly, installing RC7100 on Windows 7 is recommended. I have done some reading online, but frankly, the specifics remain somewhat obscure to me. My question is: what exactly constitutes an RC build 7100?