Posts by mistyskipper4

Just search for "hard drive enclosure" on eBay and you'll find plenty. Here's a link to one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/USB-2-0-2-5-HD-Hard-Drive-Disk-SATA-External-Enclosure-Case-Cover-Box-for-PC-/331925921429?hash=item4d48539e95:g😈CQAAOSwaB5XnwM q

You can grab one for like two or three bucks plus shipping, though I guess you could always spend more if you're feeling fancy.

It’s honestly not that big of a deal $17, since you really just need some basic tools and maybe 5-10 minutes to pop off that front keyboard panel. And hey, if the hardware is still solid, maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to grab a docking station for it and just use it like a portable setup.

The screenshot link isn't working for you 🙂 I was thinking maybe it’s some hardware glitch, but honestly, once I realized we were talking about a pretty high-end laptop, my mind went straight to the router. So, the big question is: how much coverage are you actually getting from that extender? And can you just plug it into a phone charger, or are you going to have to hunt down some random power brick from another setup?

AT&T is literally handing out used Siemens SX763 routers today that are basically ancient relics from a decade ago. And look, Asus is a budget brand at best—their routers run anywhere from $117 up to maybe $150, though there are pricier ones if you're looking outside the US market. You should probably check out eBay or some more reliable tech forums; there are plenty of people selling brand-new routers for like a hundred bucks.

Just try to pin down where the actual issue lies—is it the router or the Wi-Fi? I'm leaning more toward the latter... Look, I get it. You aren't exactly power-using it, but you still want the damn thing to actually work when you need it to. No need to explain yourself, I totally get where you're coming from. 😁

Bluetooth runs on the 2.4 GHz band by default. Look, you went with the cheapest route by just moving furniture around—didn't even have to drill any holes, which is a win—but still, two meters isn't exactly a huge distance... Is the Bluetooth actually tanking your speeds just on the laptop, or does it mess with your phone or tablet too? Like, have you tried running a Speedtest by Ookla on those other devices while the Bluetooth is active?

How far away are you from the router? It’s wild to me that your Wi-Fi signal is weak enough for even Bluetooth to mess with it. If distance is the issue, honestly, just grab a Wi-Fi range extender. It'll probably run you about 120-$50 more than a basic adapter, but isn't it better than being tethered to your laptop all day? Such a shame to have decent internet and not actually be able to use it. Also, definitely check your router settings—some of them default to a power save mode that throttles the signal strength.

I mean, I have to wonder... what kind of serious tech firm actually leaves an email sitting there for five days without a word?
But hey, maybe they’re just drowning in work or something.

Zero points from them, and I haven't heard a single word back in days...

1) Check the case, specifically the power button: Try shorting the pins on the motherboard directly with a small screwdriver (or any little metal bit) to see if it triggers a boot.
2) Test the PSU—if the rig is still totally unresponsive, unplug everything and use a paperclip or a scrap of wire to bridge the green and black wires on the 24-pin connector. That should jumpstart the power supply itself.

- If you've run through all those tests and everything checks out, then we're looking at a dead motherboard. It’d have to be completely fried to show zero signs of life... let me know what happens.

- Like mistyskipper4 mentioned, you really need to post your full specs so we actually know what hardware we're dealing with here. And honestly? If you aren't comfortable messing with this stuff, just call someone who knows what they're doing. Don't go making things worse. You can knock out these basic tests in maybe 30 minutes tops.

I totally get where you're coming from. Been there myself. If you're looking at used gear, my advice? Scour Reddit or some dedicated PC enthusiast forums. You can usually snag better deals there, and since most people are just hobbyists, they’ll often give you some kind of informal guarantee. Way less chance of getting ripped off...
My move would be to aim for something around 600W—though honestly, more won't hurt. It's better to have the headroom. Just grab a solid modular unit from a brand like Corsair or Seasonic and you'll be set for a long time, especially if you decide to upgrade to a beefier GPU later or start messing around with overclocking.

I mean, honestly? That’s pretty solid, at least if you ask me. Given how things are looking right now, it'd probably pay off in a few months anyway.

ironcyclist58 said:$45 per computer.

Is that monthly or yearly?

That’s exactly what I was thinking. Any idea what that software actually runs for? Trying to look it up on my phone is a total pain. Honestly, no matter the price tag, it feels way more worth it than having to run over every other day just to fix some random junk. I don't even know what people are doing on these machines—it feels like every forty-eight hours they've picked up some malware or some other absolute nonsense.

The Admin account got wiped from all the rigs, but even that didn't really solve much. At first, I was just doing the usual OS reinstalls, but once things started going south, I had to grab an extra SSD to act as the "original." Now I just use Paragon for migrations (luckily all the machines are identical), but then I went on vacation and everything hit the fan. Since I wasn't around, I had to pay some local kid to handle the reinstalls. It just proves that this program is probably the best move for everyone.

That Super Flower Golden Green 350w is 80+ Gold—I’m guessing you just grabbed it because it came with the case? I mean, there’s zero logic in pairing a PSU like that with those specific components...
Regarding the drivers, you said they aren't the issue. If it were the thermal paste, your temps would be spiking even at idle, so you'd definitely notice the difference. Though, you could always swap the paste out; it's not a bad idea, especially since it's only about $10
depending on what brand you pick. If you can swing it, maybe borrow a PSU from a buddy just to test it? I'm pretty much 90% sure that's your culprit. I went through the exact same thing once—blew my entire budget on parts and didn't have enough left for a decent power supply, so I was stuck using some cheap 500W unit that came bundled with a pre-built. It worked for a little bit, but then the same thing happened: every time I put any load on the system, the whole PC just freezes up...

Even if you aren't looking to drop cash this Friday, I spotted a Corsair tx650 for $50 on Craigslist. It's an older model, but honestly, for that price, you really can't complain...

Need some advice on how to lock down computers used for public access—basically an internet cafe setup where it's mostly kids gaming, but you always get those users who try to install random stuff or end up downloading a virus...
So, I'm looking for a way to set up all 10 machines so that when they shut down, they basically "reset" back to their original state. I want all traces of usage wiped clean. I've seen this happen in some school computer labs where as soon as you log out, everything you did just vanishes, like you were never even there...

I'm working with an HP Pavilion All-in-One.

Thanks