Could it be overheating? You need sufficient clearance from other components, like an HDD, to allow for airflow—maybe about an inch or two of space. This isn't designed for non-stop use. If you burn one DVD, wait at least three minutes before starting the next one. The case ventilation should be adequate, allowing air to flow from the bottom toward the top or rear.
It’s also possible the case quality is subpar. If the screws are too tight, the burner might malfunction. Try loosening them slightly. Since this is an optical drive and the chassis lacks structural integrity, it is highly susceptible to warping.
Your SATA cable might be faulty; try a different one. Even the power cable could have a loose connection.
I would check the CMOS battery first. It might be failing, which could be causing all these issues. Sometimes things just glitch out and mess up the CMOS settings on their own. That leads to the PC acting up—failing to recognize RAM properly or causing all sorts of other headaches. If the Bateria still holds at least 3.15 Volts—ideally 3.20 Volts or higher—try resetting the BIOS and reconfiguring your settings to see if stability returns. If the Bateria is weak, buy a new one. You'll still need to perform a reset after replacing it.
I assume you're running Windows 7 or 8. Primarily, you need to access Computer Management. ....Navigate through All Control Panel Items... ...to Administrative Tools... ....then Computer Management... From there, open Disk Management... You should see your hard drive partitions, and that external HDD Seagate should show up there too. Right-click it to assign a Drive Letter... pick an available one like G:, H:, or I:. Look at the partition sizes to identify which one holds your data... Then you can access your files. If that fails, the MBR on that HDD might be corrupted. In that case, you'll need recovery software to salvage your data... Try something like R-Studio, File Scavenger, or Zero Assumption Recovery....
If you had bothered to search this forum properly, you would have found the solution already.
Did Windows break on you? Is there a corrupted file, or is some malware preventing it from shutting down? Some people might suggest running a scan with Malwarebytes or something similar... If it were me, I'd just restore my backup. Problem solved in ten minutes.
Let’s hope it isn't actually a BIOS issue. Resetting the CMOS might do the trick. Most laptops have a soldered CMOS battery. This means you’ll need to take it apart, desolder the battery from one side, and wait a while for the charge to dissipate. It’s actually safer to briefly short those contacts where the battery was for about 2 to 5 seconds. Then solder the battery back in and reassemble the machine. You don't need to put the whole thing back together just for a test; you don't even need the keyboard. Just see if you get a picture on the screen.
Don't ever update the BIOS unless there is a massive, critical bug. Don't play games with the BIOS. If it fails, the computer is dead. And don't try swapping it out like it's RAM.
Open up the Device Manager. Locate the mouse, double-click it quickly, and find the setting where it lists the polling rate. Bump that up to 200 and see if it helps reduce the lag. You'll need to reboot. That's on Windows XP. It should be possible on Windows 7 too, but I don't have the energy to reboot right now just to go hunting for it in Windows 7. (Windows 7 isn't bad... my biggest issue is just how much harder it is to dig up technical settings in Windows 7.)
Which motherboard are you using? It’s always best to install the official drivers directly from the manufacturer. They know their own hardware layout and chipset configurations better than anyone else. It looks to me like a missing driver. It doesn't necessarily have to be the VGA driver; check the chipset too. Is the power supply sufficient? Even if this system isn't a power hog, the voltages need to be stable. Can you verify the 12V rail in the BIOS? Is your CPU cooler performing adequately? Is it choked with dust or simply underpowered for your CPU?
Don't bother looking at Intel. You need to check the drivers from Dell. They're the ones who actually know how they wired the graphics chip to the BIOS and all that.
Jesse Williams13 said:Specs are: Intel e8400 3.0 Gigabyte EP45-DS3 Ati hd 4870 512mb 2x2gb RAM Kingmax
I run a nearly identical setup and the game runs perfectly fine. I actually undervolted the GPU clock to keep temperatures down because I prefer silence over fan noise... using the exact same card, my GPU sits at 540MHz (instead of the usual 750MHz) and I get about 50 FPS with great visuals. I'm satisfied. Resolution is set to 1280x1024. Works great for me! It all comes down to the in-game settings.
Set 3D Render to 80%. Set water to level 2—medium, I think. Turn off shadows. Why bother?
Your CPU is more than enough. It’s overkill. The heavy hitters for your GPU are "water," "shadows," and "resolution." Keep everything else at minimum or medium. You won't notice much difference in quality, but you'll see a massive jump in FPS.
Try it out while you're waiting for matches to start. You have plenty of time for experimentation.
I'm certain the CPU is overheating due to dust buildup, just like we discussed earlier. While you're cleaning, you might as well clean the GPU too.
There should be settings to trigger Sleep mode or an automatic shutdown based on temperature. It could be in the BIOS, Windows, or both. Setting it to 80°C is a smart move.
Zachary Barrett4 said:I might have stumbled upon another possibility here. It seems like things started acting up right around the time my laptop began sharing its Wi-Fi card for internet access. Once I've had a chance to run a few more tests and see what sticks, I think I’ll just go ahead and uninstall the program entirely before attempting a fresh reinstall.
Oh, so you're just mentioning that now? That could easily be your issue; there is a high probability it's the cause. Jesus...
Sandra Cook60 said:Hi, Everything seems fine, but it won't work. I would go into the BIOS, select "Load default", then save and exit. Give that a shot. If that fails, I suspect the CMOS battery. The BIOS doesn't always alert you when the CMOS is failing; it usually waits until the clock stops working correctly, and the clock doesn't require much voltage. You might have to open the laptop to reach the battery. It could be easy to access, or it might not be. You need to reset it. Measure the battery first. To perform a proper reset, pull the battery or short those two contacts on the motherboard for a few seconds, then you can use the old one if it's still good, or just swap in a new one. The issue is that CMOS failure can be hard to pinpoint. You either need a new battery or at least to test it; if it's below 3.20V, I’d put in a new one. Some CMOS batteries hold up okay at 3.10V, but others don't—they aren't all the same. Batteries should ideally be closer to 3 volts, but if they were, computers wouldn't fail so often and companies wouldn't sell as many new ones. Once, I actually used three 1.5V batteries on a PC motherboard because I was far from a store and didn't have a CR2032 on me. I think that battery lasted maybe 8 to 12 years—like those small ones used in TV remotes. Essentially, once the voltage hits a certain threshold, the CMOS can mess with the entire computer even when everything looks perfectly fine and functional.
Kudos to you. It was helpful of you to list everything you've already checked and tried. I hope you actually did all of that.
Otherwise, if that isn't it and you aren't running any strange software, I would say it's a motherboard issue—assuming the Akka/battery and power supply are definitely working. Is it possible it overheated at some point? That could have fried the chipset on the motherboard. If you aren't 100% sure the software in macOS is the culprit, try this: grab a "Hiren's BootCD" if you don't have one yet. Boot from that CD and run Windows XP Mini. Let it run for an hour or so if it stays up. With that, you can be certain that macOS is running with the absolute bare minimum requirements for stability. Just Windows XP Mini. No extra software or anything.
Best, Let me know what happens. I'm interested in the outcome.
Is it possible the cooling system wasn't cleaned out in time?
It isn't difficult. It might be tricky the first time, similar to how Pickey dealt with it. Something small, like a clip, prevents the pin from popping out. You can try to... actually, no. Here is a video demonstrating that...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cs-aTLleoL0 Once you do that, you can easily solder a thin wire to the yellow pin or cable. Alternatively, just bend the clips slightly and push the Molex connector back in. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MnSwi1Cj8A
Or simply take a soldering iron and strip a tiny bit of insulation off the yellow wire—just one spot, don't cut the whole wire. Apply a little solder to that spot, apply some solder to the end of a thin wire, then join the thin wire to the thick one. It's easy. Add some electrical tape and you're done. I've done this a thousand times; it's the fastest way.
Hi, Everything seems fine, but it won't work. I would go into the BIOS, select "Load default", then save and exit. Give that a shot. If that fails, I suspect the CMOS battery. The BIOS doesn't always alert you when the CMOS is failing; it usually waits until the clock stops working correctly, and the clock doesn't require much voltage. You might have to open the laptop to reach the battery. It could be easy to access, or it might not be. You need to reset it. Measure the battery first. To perform a proper reset, pull the battery or short those two contacts on the motherboard for a few seconds, then you can use the old one if it's still good, or just swap in a new one. The issue is that CMOS failure can be hard to pinpoint. You either need a new battery or at least to test it; if it's below 3.20V, I’d put in a new one. Some CMOS batteries hold up okay at 3.10V, but others don't—they aren't all the same. Batteries should ideally be closer to 3 volts, but if they were, computers wouldn't fail so often and companies wouldn't sell as many new ones. Once, I actually used three 1.5V batteries on a PC motherboard because I was far from a store and didn't have a CR2032 on me. I think that battery lasted maybe 8 to 12 years—like those small ones used in TV remotes. Essentially, once the voltage hits a certain threshold, the CMOS can mess with the entire computer even when everything looks perfectly fine and functional.
Kudos to you. It was helpful of you to list everything you've already checked and tried. I hope you actually did all of that.
Otherwise, if that isn't it and you aren't running any strange software, I would say it's a motherboard issue—assuming the Akka/battery and power supply are definitely working. Is it possible it overheated at some point? That could have fried the chipset on the motherboard. If you aren't 100% sure the software in macOS is the culprit, try this: grab a "Hiren's BootCD" if you don't have one yet. Boot from that CD and run Windows XP Mini. Let it run for an hour or so if it stays up. With that, you can be certain that macOS is running with the absolute bare minimum requirements for stability. Just Windows XP Mini. No extra software or anything.
Best, Let me know what happens. I'm interested in the outcome.
Since those fans require 12 volts to function properly, and given your earlier comments about working on the graphics card, I assume you meant the fan cable is attached to the GPU. You were mistaken there. That cable needs to be connected to the yellow wire (12V).
Connecting it to the red wire won't cause any damage since that provides only 5 volts. It's lower voltage, so nothing will break, though it might not spin the fan. Some 12V fans might start spinning at 5V, but they’ll be incredibly slow. Others won't move at all. If you want to be certain, just briefly touch the cable to the red wire to see if it starts spinning and if the speed is sufficient.
There is another option: you can run it at 7 volts. It'll spin slowly, which might be enough for some, though I doubt a GPU fan will get the RPMs it needs. However, PC builders often use 7 volts for a Computer Case because it keeps 12V fans running quietly. To get 7 volts, you combine the wires: the yellow wire provides 12V (+), and the red wire provides 5V (acting as the negative). 12-5=7v
Why don't you have a picture? If you're using an APU, you should check the BIOS and ensure the video output is set to prioritize the graphics card in the PCI slot.
I suspect that card reader can't handle SDHC (SD High Capacity) cards; it likely only supports standard SD. When you go to buy a card reader, make sure it explicitly states SDHC support. If it doesn't, it won't work—the internal electronics simply aren't fast enough.
Just so you know: SDHC cards offer better speeds and various speed classes. For even higher speeds, you'd need SDXC. But ultimately, it all depends on the device and which specific card it requires.
That card reader doesn't require any special software; it uses the standard drivers already built into Windows. It's just a basic USB driver. It works on Windows XP SP3, Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8. The 32-bit or 64-bit architecture makes no difference here.
The driver CD is only necessary if you actually intend to use the Ethernet port on that card reader.
You are on the right track, but you won't succeed this way. Tell me, what is your normal CPU HOST FREQUENCY? You should increase it via that frequency, but at the same time, ensure you don't exceed the 800MHz RAM frequency. Overclocking memory isn't easy; you need incredible luck to reach speeds like mine with certain Corsair sticks, which run at 1100MHz even at -0.1V = 1.70V.
You also need to uninstall or disable certain Gigabyte Software in startup so they don't mess with your Motherboard while you are overclocking now or in the future. Otherwise, if you set everything up perfectly and it works, you boot Windows, that Gigabyte Software starts up, begins dropping the CPU voltage too low, and you end up with a Blue Screen of Death, a reset, or something worse... You have to make a choice: either you overclock and need about 5 to 10% more power, or you disable those features to save some electricity.
Now, regarding the important BIOS settings, set CPU EIST FUNCTION to DISABLED. Disable C.I.A. 2 and similar features. Set PERFORMANCE ENHANCE to STANDARD; don't try anything else, or it won't be stable.
Your CPU cooler MUST be excellent, otherwise, you can't overclock much before a standard cooler overheats the Capacitors near the CPU, ruining them before you know it. Something like a Thermalright True Spirit 140 is great; spend real money on a decent cooler once and you'll have it for 10 to 20 years. That cheap junk will just end up in a cardboard box when you sell your CPU one day. That’s all. I don't know your exact BIOS, but I have something similar, so I know. Modern CPUs have all sorts of built-in functions, so you have to think and understand them; overclocking a CPU is harder now than it used to be. They can throttle clock speeds, boost them, and manipulate voltages; they've added even more Enhanced CPU halt C1, C2, C3... steps... That is the bare minimum you need to watch and configure. If you do, you might actually succeed in hitting 3.8GHz, though you may need to bump the voltage slightly soon. You could push further, but you would certainly have to crank up the voltage significantly, making it run like crazy and consuming far more power. The smartest move is to just slightly increase the CPU voltage from where it is now. Maybe just a tiny bit more. Do not, under any circumstances, increase the Memory voltage. You'll kill it prematurely, and I can tell you right now, it doesn't help the overclock. You can buy faster memory, but it's expensive and uses low-quality chips—be careful, because those chips often won't even work properly at normal speeds with normal voltage! They require higher voltage just to stay stable. But if you push them, they die after six months or so. Memory with standard speeds lasts 20 years without issue. It might work for some people, but I had two different brands of high-speed memory fail on me back-to-back: Adata and Geil. Never again. One wouldn't even boot, and the other was so unstable it caused chaos in Windows, corrupting my registry more and more until it was impossible to find the cause... Every CPU has some headroom; I've overclocked them all—Intel, AMD, and back to Intel—for the last 25 years or more. I hope I didn't explain all this for nothing only for you to go out and overclock with a stock cooler... there is a massive difference if you buy a high-quality cooler that provides all the necessary mounting hardware for current and older sockets. You need to check that carefully first. You can use a basic one for testing while you try, but don't keep pushing it with a stock cooler. And you won't get much of an overclock that way anyway... Also, look at your power supply; you haven't even checked that yet. That 550W rating on the label means nothing. What matters is how much current it delivers on the 12V rail, which powers both the GPU and the CPU, and that takes a lot. Want a great power supply? I didn't buy one myself, but I researched options online, and on the Corsair website, I found everything I needed; it was excellent. You see how stores don't tell you what's actually important, like the 12V output! All these shops are clueless, looking left, right, up, and down...