Posts by swiftowl7

As someone who's been using Windows XP for ages, this is actually the first time I've ever run into something like this! Honestly, I tend to install it pretty much wherever I feel like it.

I'm running into a bit of a weird snag, though—for some reason, my computer isn't showing the CD as a boot option. Does that happen with every single disc you pop into the drive?

I actually have a specific little program I use to make bootable USB drives, so if you're feeling stuck, just shoot me a private message and I'll help you out. I'm currently out on a road trip right now, but I'll be happy to jump back in and assist you tomorrow if you still need a hand.

Megan Morris70 said:I just try to go to a website, and it tells me the connection isn't secure, but it won't even give me the option to "proceed anyway" or bypass the warning—it just blocks me completely...

This has actually become pretty typical lately if you're using something like Chrome on Windows XP, whereas Mozilla usually manages to skip right past those errors because they handle security certificates a bit differently... do you happen to know which one you're running?

1) So, are you on Windows?

Basically, since you're almost certainly on Windows XP, you can totally sidestep this headache by just installing and using Internet Explorer.

Chrome has pretty much given up on supporting Windows XP at this point. But hey, if you're absolutely dead set on using Chrome, you'll probably need to upgrade your system to Windows 10.

Sam Peterson6 said:So, I’ve got this aging laptop running an old 140 GB hard drive, and honestly? It’s starting to act up—let's just say it's being a bit of a pain in the neck. I’m looking to swap it out for something new. A buddy of mine was telling me I should definitely grab an SSD instead of sticking with those standard old-school drives because they're supposedly way better. Can anyone break down what the actual perks are? Like, how much of a difference am I actually going to feel in my day-to-day workflow compared to my clunky old hard drive?

The biggest thing—and honestly, this is the part we really need to wrap our heads around—is the difference between a Hard Drive and an SSD when things go south. If you run into trouble with a Hard Drive, there's a decent chance you can still recover your files, but with an SSD, once it's gone, it's pretty much gone for good. Also, a Hard Drive will usually give you some little warning signs, like weird noises or hiccups, that it's about to die, whereas an SSD tends to just quit without any notice at all.

Aside from that safety factor, the SSD absolutely wins on speed and overall performance.

Carol Harris9 said:My brother has been running a laptop with a 60 GB C: partition dedicated to Windows 10, and honestly, it’s been performing flawlessly for over five years now.
The reason I’m so adamant about having two separate partitions is quite simple: if the operating system ever hits a snag and requires a complete reinstall, I want to ensure my precious data on the D: partition remains perfectly safe and untouched.

That’s actually really smart thinking—it’s a strategy I’ve personally used for ages. It’s one of those things we all learned back when we were using Windows 98, though if I’m being honest, I never really felt like the desktop versions of Windows were the best tools for managing this kind of thing. Since it’s such a critical part of your setup, you shouldn't just leave it entirely up to the OS, because we've all seen how messy things can get when they go wrong.

In my experience, the easiest and most straightforward way to set up your partitions is to use a Windows XP installation disc; it'll walk you through the whole process and ask you exactly how you want to split things up before the actual installation kicks off.

Since I don't actually use Windows 10 myself, I might not be the best person to give specific advice on that version... and from what I understand, Windows 10 doesn't always play nice if you try to make a partition larger than half the total disk space.

wearymason4 said:An amplifier can be set to 20 dB because its job is just to boost whatever signal it pulls from the antenna; if that incoming signal is already weak, you’re basically just amplifying the static along with it, so you end up with the exact same mess at the output.😢

That's spot on. In reality, you don't even get the "same" result—you usually just end up blowing a fuse in the amp, which means you get absolutely zero benefit.

Anyway, if you're trying to pull in a signal from a basement setup, here is how I'd handle it:

1) Pick up a standard indoor UHF antenna (make sure it's a basic model without any built-in amplification—just keep it simple)
2) Grab a separate antenna amplifier rated at a solid 30dB
3) Just hook those two pieces together.

One little tip though: don't try to daisy-chain an existing antenna or anything else that already has a booster attached to this extra amp.🙂

Emily Jones59 said:Thanks so much for all the replies! 🙂 Every little bit of advice helps me out right now 🙂

Regarding the TV situation, I've got this antenna from an old local utility provider, and I actually spent some time today walking around trying to find a sweet spot with it, but honestly, it’s just totally useless.
I might have even broken it... who knows... those little indicator lights on it aren't even glowing anymore...

It's definitely a win that you're getting any kind of signal at all down in the basement. People were right when they mentioned that antenna placement is everything, but honestly, looking at your setup, grabbing a signal booster—maybe a 30dB one—would probably solve your headache instantly.

Most of those boosters use standard F-connectors, so you'll just need someone handy around the house to help hook it up. But seriously, in your specific case, a booster is by far the easiest way to go.

As for my Verizon mobile hotspot that stays plugged into the wall... I just hooked it up to my laptop via Ethernet to get a real reading on the speed.
The speeds are all over the place... I'm seeing a ping of 20, with downloads and uploads bouncing anywhere between 3 and 20 Mbps.
I've been walking around moving the router everywhere, even trying it by the window, but strangely enough, it actually performs worse by the glass.
Apparently, the best spot is right next to the electrical breaker box, and even then, I'm only seeing a ping of 20 with 19 down and 18 up.

I'm honestly lost on what a "good" number is supposed to look like here.
My plan is to give Verizon a call on Monday to figure out exactly what I signed up for in this contract.
The big issue is that since I'm on the ground floor with these thick concrete walls, I have no idea if the service I'm paying for even supports this kind of environment.

John Doe, thank youuuuuuuu! 🙂

I'm not a T-Mobile customer myself, but I've heard through a few friends that their service quality really tanked after they went through that big corporate acquisition. Some people using home internet services didn't just see a slight dip; they lost signal entirely.

If you want reliable IPTV, your best bet is to look into fiber optic internet. You should check which providers offer actual fiber service at your specific address—it might be worth asking some neighbors in the building to see what they use.

If you're on iOS, you'll just need to head into the settings for each individual app and toggle those notifications off manually; if you ever decide you want them back, you'll have to go back in and flip the switch again.

It works like this: Settings -> Apps -> Instagram -> settings -> notifications -> disable

Once you do that, those apps will stay quiet and won't bother you with any alerts until you decide to turn them back on.

I actually went ahead and permanently muted Instagram, YouTube, Amazon, and a few others a while ago using this exact method because I honestly couldn't stand the constant distractions.

Matthew Jones4 said:Hey there.

So, here’s the deal:
I was running a dual boot setup with Windows 7 and Windows 10 on two separate drives.

While I was booting up into my Windows 7 HDD, the SATA power cable accidentally popped loose, and since then, I haven't been able to boot from that drive at all.

The error message looks like this:
Worst case scenario, I'll just wipe everything and reinstall the OS, but I'd really love to save this specific version of Windows exactly how it is, since I've spent quite a bit of time customizing it.

Thanks so much!

Honestly, if any files were being written when the power or data connection cut out, they're likely going to be corrupted or completely unreadable. Even though the previous post mentioned that tweaking the boot file might work, if you ask me, these Windows files aren't going to load properly again unless you do a full, clean reinstall from scratch—especially if we're talking about a .log file issue.

But hey, I suppose it's still worth a shot.

mistyotter35 said:🙂 It seems like a total waste of time to me, since the data is completely inaccurate. In my case, it missed me by 124 miles.

The point still holds true, but... if it hits 7 out of 10 times, that's plenty for most people. Though, like I mentioned before, those old-school data scrapers used to show much higher accuracy rates, and who knows how often they refresh their databases now? Like you said—half the time those details were just wrong anyway, and the real pros were always using proxies to stay under the radar.

Nicholas Barnes74 said:And what's yours? What "female user" are you talking about???
I honestly don't see the point in responding if you aren't even reading the post.
Nobody here knows what I do for work—even though it's relevant—and nobody knows where I live.
Not in my username, and not in my DMs either.

But that's exactly what the post says! Honestly, it seems like you're just a little rattled because someone figured out you're living in a coastal town and mentioned where you reside.

Why didn't you just ask her for her address then? 🙂 You could've just sent it to me, and maybe we could grab a coffee sometime next time I'm passing through your area, haha.😁

Really, there's no need to worry. If anyone ever actually shows up at your door, just give them a good whack with a frying pan and call it a day.🙂

rustydrifter10 said:Hey, there's no need to prove anything! The administration can see the email address associated with any account logged into the forum. Honestly, we're currently working with the tech team to figure out a way to restrict that access or even wipe it entirely, but that really comes down to the vBulletin core settings rather than our own control. For now, all we can do is make a conscious choice not to look, since we don't have the option to hide it from ourselves.

if($mod)
{
echo ".$user['nickname'] . $user['email'] . $user['ip] .";
}

change into

if($mod)
{
echo ".$user['nickname'] . $user[''] . $user[''] .";
}

It doesn't get any simpler than that. Though, it might be unnecessary work too.

Nicholas Barnes74 said:I haven't mentioned where I live to anyone.
But, I guess mods could probably track that down through reports or something.
Does it actually go that far, or is there some other way... It’s just not right, because a site like this really needs to guarantee anonymity.
Honestly, I think a ton of people would just stop posting if US data privacy laws weren't being respected here.

Personally, I find it hard to believe that in over 5,000 posts you haven't dropped a hint about what you do for a living somewhere, or maybe you shared that info in a private message and then someone just happened to mention it...

And regarding public figures, people generally know where they reside; if it’s a small town, it’s incredibly easy to track someone down, especially if they use their last name as their handle and happen to be a woman. 🙂

Plus, depending on the specific threads you hang out in, it might actually be pretty easy to guess your profession. 🙂

Charles Fox10 said:Impossible.

Your location? Au contraire, my friend! https://www.ip2location.com/

It doesn't give away everything, but sometimes it reveals quite a bit, though I suppose it's hard to say if anyone actually cares about that kind of nonsense.

Anyway, I think this serves as a perfect lesson for the first rule of sociology on Reddit for anyone with a public profile: never include any identifying personal details in your username unless you're looking to get found or exposed. 🙂

dustyviper5 said:wearymason4, thanks so much! 👍
Man, how did I miss that... 🤦

P.S. It doesn't matter if my BIOS shows disk 2 (the one I'm disabling) on SATA1, while the SSD is sitting on SATA2, right?

Just as a little tip for future reference—and I’m definitely guilty of this too—it’s always a smart move to have two drives in a desktop setup, ideally with an OS installed on both. That way, if one starts acting up or just completely dies on you, you can quickly switch over to the other and keep things rolling without missing a beat.

It usually makes more sense to plug your primary drive into the SATA1 port,

Siri: if that SSD is already empty, I’d bet anything it’ll be full again before you know it.

By any chance, have you checked to see if there isn't some weirdly specific profile set to that range? Like, maybe it’s just some standard default setting or something?

brightbadger57 said:Does anyone have any clue what's going on or what I should try next? I've already attempted to load it using both Opera and Internet Explorer, but I'm getting absolutely nothing.

It looks like that site just isn't streaming video anymore, which usually means it's either down for some scheduled maintenance or the domain registration has simply lapsed.

That being said, if you want me to be 100% sure, dropping the link to the specific address or page would definitely help me take a closer look.

You’ve got an RCA output on that ATSC receiver, so you just grab those separate red and white plugs for picture and sound, hook them up to a mixer, and you're all set...

driftingcanyon2 said:I always make it a point to grab a full system disk image and save it to an external drive or a backup disk before any big update rolls around. Honestly, you won't even need to call tech support if you've got a solid backup that lets you roll everything back to exactly how it was.

Creating a disk image of your C:/ drive is actually something I wouldn't recommend under any circumstances, mostly because that kind of heavy lifting can really take a toll on your hard drive heads.

The best way to go is just to keep your essential files tucked away on external drives or secondary disks, and honestly, that’s more than enough for most people.

driftingcanyon2 said:...for example, you'll run into constant issues with codecs, websites demanding modern standards, or finding zero drivers for any recent hardware. Plus, there's absolutely no support left because about 90% of the US tech industry considers Windows XP completely obsolete, which they have every right to do. You won't find updated antivirus software or any other critical tools for it anymore. In short, its heyday is long gone; the only real use for it now is spinning up an old legacy program in a virtual machine and calling it a day.

True, but I’m actually typing this to you from Windows XP right now—I use it all the time. We have several computers here at my place, and every single one is running Windows XP; there isn't even a single Windows 10 machine in sight. I'm browsing the web using an older version of Chrome specifically made for XP.

The reason? Because I don't want to compromise security on them by switching to Windows 10. You aren't wrong about any of those points you mentioned, but an experienced Windows XP user usually knows how to work around the hurdles you listed. Honestly, I don't need Windows 10 for anything at the moment, unless I just feel like dealing with computer headaches.

What I mean is that the GUI, and really the whole concept behind Windows 10, is just junk, regardless of those "not supported" advantages you pointed out. I'm definitely not the only one who has lost their patience with Windows 10; there are actually plenty of people who feel the same way.

Regarding the drive mentioned in the thread, with only 11% health according to the SMART tests, that disk is basically trash. It's already been said (just try reading a bit more closely), and the author himself noted that the drive has thousands of bad sectors. So, just swap it out for a new one—preferably an SSD—and the problem is solved.

Alright then, let's see if he actually replaces that HDD and we can see what happens.😁

Charles Smith4 said:Check this out, my Crucial MX500 is almost completely full, but the performance numbers are actually pretty impressive:

I mean, what on earth are you keeping on all those massive USB drives? 🤣 256 GB is wild lol..

By the way, you could try going through the Device Manager and manually selecting the device type (like USB storage device); there's a chance it might actually work.

wiredraven94 said:Hey everyone, trying to find answers on these old forums is becoming a lost cause, so I’m just starting my own thread here.
Just a quick one... I've got a house with two separate apartments, each with its own electric meter. Will Powerline Communication fail if it has to jump across those meters?

Basically, I want to plug the router and a Powerline adapter upstairs, then plug another adapter downstairs into the outlet and run an ethernet cable to my PC.

Thanks! 👍

Hold on a second, did you plug the router in before the meter? Also, what kind of setup are we looking at—is the house on a standard single-phase system or a three-phase one?

And regarding those meters, are they just sub-meters for tenants or are we talking about the main utility meters for the whole building?

driftingcanyon2 said:Good grief, talking about Windows XP or even MS-DOS? It’s not the 90s anymore! That era is long gone, swiftowl7. Personally, I still spin up Windows XP or MS-DOS once in a blue moon inside a virtual machine, but I wouldn't dream of running them on actual hardware.

I’d honestly say that downgrading to XP in 2020 would be a massive step backward.😉 Modern Windows versions feel like they were programmed on a coffee maker compared to what we used to have.

The user is seeing that error because sometimes the BIOS fails to recognize the HDD during the boot order sequence, so it tries to move to the next device—which ends up being a network card that isn't even connected, hence the error since there's nothing to boot from. Better check the HDD with some SMART tests:
https://hddscan.com/

It doesn't seem like a boot issue, though, because the computer boots up just fine, installs everything, and runs normally; the black screen happens right from within Windows.

I shared those notes based on my own experience earlier, and while the HDD might be acting up, that's not how a computer behaves when a drive is failing. There is no way the BIOS would react to a dying HDD by causing a Windows crash like this.😁 🙂

To me, it looks like a Windows or driver issue rather than the HDD itself, which is why the system just resets. Like I mentioned, I deal with this myself when using Mozilla Firefox... I can surf all day without a hitch, but sometimes it'll restart the PC after five minutes, and other times it'll last a few hours—it just depends on its mood. You're browsing along perfectly fine, and then suddenly, bam, black screen and motherboard beeps.

When I switch over to Chrome, though... zero issues, no resets at all.

wearymason4 said:It’s more likely that an old installation of Windows 7 just finds it too "slow" to actually recognize it 😁
Since newer gear usually doesn't come with drivers specifically for Windows 7 anymore.

ps: By standard, USB 2.0 runs at 480Mbps.

If you plug it into a USB 2.0 port and it works, that’ll basically confirm what I was thinking—that the card just isn't quite playing nice with a flash drive like that, even if Windows is.

Maybe try adding a newer card as an add-on to see if that helps, or just dive into the driver situation. Is this a PCI bus card? Also, have you tried a quick Windows restart with the USB stick already plugged into My Computer?