Kajper's Info Corner

Honestly, you might want to just save everything as a Word doc or an Excel file anyway, just in case the other person can't open it. That’s exactly what happens to me! Anything that isn't strictly for internal stuff—since I have a ton of custom templates and spreadsheets just for my own use—I stick to Excel. When I try using OpenOffice or LibreOffice, things either don't open right, the formatting gets totally trashed, or the printing turns into a nightmare. One minute it looks fine on my screen, and the next, it's squishing three pages onto one... total chaos.

If you were running OpenOffice or LibreOffice on that old computer, well, no wonder! Like I mentioned before, they used to hog RAM like crazy. They'd spread through the system like wildfire, and constantly opening and closing them would eventually lead to a crash—especially since older machines didn't exactly have much memory to work with. A quick restart clears out the RAM so you can get back to work... then again, it's open-source software. It's great for home use or a small SOHO setup, but maybe not the best for high-stakes, standardized environments.

New shiny features in Microsoft Office? Look, let's be real: they haven't actually invented anything groundbreaking there in years. The basic logic has been the same since the MS-DOS days: you've got a text editor, a spreadsheet calculator, and then Windows added the ability to style things and make visual editing easier. They even tossed in some desktop publishing tools because, hey, everyone has a little printer at home now. Most "new" updates feel like putting fresh wrapping paper on an old gift. They move the menus here, shift them there, drag this, drop that... the only actual progress seems to be in collaboration tools and all that corporate data analysis nonsense.

Michael Jackson10 said:M
New bells and whistles in Microsoft Office? Honestly, they haven't really come up with anything truly groundbreaking in years. The whole foundation goes all the way back to the MS-DOS days: you've got a text editor, a spreadsheet, and then Windows added the ability to format things and make visual editing easier—basically throwing in bits of desktop publishing since everyone has a little printer at home now. It’s mostly just putting new packaging on old ideas; one day the menus look like this, the next they look like that, moving stuff up, down, left, or right. The only actual progress is in collaboration tools and some corporate buzzword features like data analytics...

That’s exactly what I was thinking... it's not like there's anything revolutionary about it... it's just a new look for me. And until I figure out where everything went, I might as well just buy a new computer, right? 😁

The computer... (if we ignore how often the connection drops, but that's a Comcast issue...) I find myself constantly checking if it's actually alive or if it just died on me. It's like watching a baby to see if they're breathing. 😁
Even my laptop would go to sleep on its own... mine wouldn't do that, it would just keep spinning and lagging. (Unless I manually put it to sleep.) So I'd think it had finally kicked the bucket.
And there aren't any indicator lights. My old one used to glow—that single red fan light helped me see if it was running. I thought this one would have something too... every photo shows blue lights everywhere, front and back... but mine is just dark and dead. Actually, maybe that's better, I just can't tell if it's working. 🙂

It's showing a temperature of 24-25. My old one was hitting 35-36 lately (it was warmer out, granted) before it would shut down.
By the way... what exactly is that temperature measuring?
One more thing...
When I was picking out a fan with your help, we had to make sure it matched the processor. Does this stock one come with the CPU? I have this specific box it's in... it's like it's already attached, but then you still have to install it. Is there a way to know which fan comes with a specific processor, or do they just toss in whatever cheap one fits?
I'm guessing that stock fan isn't worth much... like, nobody really needs it because every processor probably has its own, or people just upgrade to something better.
Now I see the box says A8 5600... so that's from the processor, which means the kit included 🙂 (the fan is all that's left).

Look, you aren't some teenager who needs a disco ball on your desk, right? This thing only stays lit while you're actually working; otherwise, it goes to sleep. You can still tweak everything in the settings—like how long it stays on before it shuts off—but you'll get used to it pretty fast. There’s really no need to have it running full blast 24/7 for no reason...

What exactly are you measuring, and where are you even looking? Honestly, what that old sensor was showing was probably just total guesswork—likely just the ambient heat inside the case since it used one of those tiny little probes you could tuck away wherever you wanted. At the end of the day, you can't really compare these readings, so there's no need to stress about it.

Yeah, so the stock cooler actually comes with the processor right out of the box. It’s basically designed to be just "okay," you know? It has to run at absolute max capacity just to keep the chip from overheating. This one, though, has way better heat absorption and dissipation, so the fan doesn't have to work nearly as hard. It isn't constantly redlining, which means it stays much quieter too...
They definitely throw the stock cooler in the box since it's technically part of the processor package, right? But let’s be real—you aren't going to do anything groundbreaking with it. It’s basically just a spare for someone else if their fan decides to give up the ghost.

Michael Jackson10 said:Look, you aren't a teenager who needs a disco ball on your desk. This thing stays active while you're working, otherwise, it just sleeps. You can totally tweak the settings—adjusting when it shuts off or how long it stays on—but you'll get used to it. No need to go overboard...

Scared me half to death... thought I was a goner. 😁

Temperature? What exactly are you reading, and where? Whatever that old one was showing, who knows—probably just internal case temp since it used that tiny little probe you could stick anywhere before it wandered off. Honestly, temperatures aren't really comparable, so don't sweat it.

It has a display... That’s why I liked the case... I know, I know... it doesn't make sense, but hey, some of us just like the little things.

And yeah, the stock cooler comes in the box with the processor, but they build them just "barely" enough, so it has to run at max capacity to keep the chip under control. This one handles heat much better, so the fan spins slower. It isn't constantly redlining, which means it's way quieter...

Oh yeah... total rebirth. That old one was seriously annoying.

I'll find a good home for it.

Those people making the tablet covers aren't getting back to my emails. I tried their live chat on the site, but they told me to just wait for a response.
If I don't hear anything... I'm selling this iPhone 15 case.

What should I actually look out for when picking up an Intel drive? Besides the obvious price and quality stuff, does it need to match my motherboard specifically... or is there some other compatibility thing I should worry about?
Say if the board is this one—what "kind" of Intel won't work with it?

You just need a SATA port on your motherboard—ideally SATA3 (6Gb/s) if you want to actually hit the full potential of an Intel drive, but that’s basically it.

EDIT: I guess that pretty much covers everything.😁

crimsonstag84 said:Just make sure you have a SATA slot on your motherboard. Ideally, you want SATA3 (6Gb/s) so you can actually hit those top speeds with an Intel drive. That’s basically it.

It says here...
Storage - 8 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s Cables, support RAID (RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5 and RAID 10), NCQ, AHCI and Hot Plug
...so is that all there is to it? Can I just grab any drive I want?

What's up, did you seriously start the upgrade already?
Or did you just go all out?
It started off pretty innocent: "Let me just fix up this old PC for a few bucks," and now suddenly there's a whole new build, buying up cables, surge protectors, Intel...
Just kidding...

You can pick any brand, really. I don't think it even makes sense to go for anything smaller than 128 (120) GB given how prices are right now. As for the brand, just pick based on whatever you've heard good things about—honestly, about 70% of what's out there uses the exact same controller and memory anyway...

Michael Jackson10 said:What, you already started the upgrade?
Or did you finally hit the jackpot?
It started out innocent enough: "let me fix up this old PC for cheap," now there's a whole new build, buying up Cables, protectors, Intel...
Just kidding...

Nah... just asking. 😁 Maybe one of these days...
I am going to grab a power strip, though, just to clean up this mess of heavy-duty wires and plugs. There are way too many.

You can pick any kind, honestly I don't think it makes sense with current prices to go anything smaller than 128 (120) GB. You choose the brand based on whoever claims they're the best, but 70% of what's out there uses the exact same controller and memory anyway...

That's exactly what I wanted to know, we can talk brands and sizes later...
Yeah, I wouldn't even look at anything under 120. I'll just end up cluttering everything up... making a total mess. 😁

Rachel Jones8 said:Nah... just asking. 😁 Maybe one day...
I'm definitely grabbing a power strip, though. I need to clean up this mess of cables and plugs. There are way too many of them.

Once you buy one, you'll uncover a dark secret passed down through generations—usually from grandfather to grandson before he passes on: they haven't actually made a power strip with enough outlets yet. Seriously, I literally had to get on my knees because even an eight-outlet strip wasn't enough for me...
So I unplugged everything and left just 4 cables...

That was my main question, but we can talk about brands or sizes later...
Yeah, I wouldn't even look at anything under 120, since I tend to overload everything... making a total mess. 😁

By then, who knows what will be relevant. Seize the day...
Besides, if I remember correctly, you haven't really been using much of your hard drive capacity anyway...
🤷

I have to hand it to Jane Doe. She’s the real deal. Reading through her profile—honestly, there's a lot to learn there—is helpful for anyone, whether you're a total tech novice or someone who actually knows their way around a PC. She isn't afraid to admit when she's lost... she'll ask the same thing five times if that's what it takes to get it right. I respect that. There are plenty of us out there who are clueless but too proud to admit it. So, Jane Doe, keep those questions coming—we'll all learn something along the way. And for the "experts" out there: please, spare us the condescension. We don't need the technical jargon or the endless arguing just to prove you're smarter than the rest of us. I'm staying tuned. Jane Doe—keep asking. We're listening.

Walter Fowler61 said:I’ve gotta hand it to Jane Doe. She’s the absolute best. Honestly, anyone looking at her profile could learn a ton—whether you're a total tech newbie or someone who actually knows their way around a PC. She’s got this way of explaining things, and she doesn't mind if you have to ask the same thing five times before it finally clicks. Seriously, props to her. There are plenty of us out there who act like we know everything when we really don't, right?

Everyone’s always giving me grief... so I figured it was about time I had my own little moment. Cheers. 🙂

This isn't really my own little corner... I didn't exactly "start" this thread myself, they just assigned it to me so I wouldn't bug everyone else. 😁
Knowledge is pretty subjective, isn't it? I won't claim to be some genius, but honestly, I know way more now than I did a few years back, and I can actually help people out with stuff. To an expert? Sure, I might look clueless. But hey, that's just how it goes. 🙂
I haven't really messed with hardware before—mostly just been trying to wrap my head around the software basics. Taking it one step at a time, you know? It's actually pretty cool finally knowing what's going on under the hood.
Just saying... I was actually a little nervous about getting a clear case at first. I thought all the internal lights would be way too distracting, but honestly? It’s actually pretty cool being able to see everything inside. Plus, I know exactly what I'm looking at when it comes to the basic components.

Keep it coming, Jane Doe. Your questions actually help all of us figure things out as we go. To everyone else who thinks they’re an expert: please, just chill with the technical jargon and the constant arguing. It doesn't help the rest of us beginners. I'm definitely sticking around to read more. Jane Doe, don't stop—we're all listening.

Why don't you just ask whatever's on your mind? This is actually a pretty great spot for that. 😉
If you can actually ask a coherent question that guys can wrap their heads around, you’re already ahead of the game. Isn't that basically half the battle? 😁

Anyone know how to fix the audio settings on Zoom? My speakers keep cutting out whenever I join a call. I didn't have this issue on my old setup, but I eventually figured it out by messing with the Sound settings—just set both the default device and the default communication device manually. Works like a charm.
So... is it actually normal that my card reader lights stay on all the time? There are two lights, but one is glowing from inside the slot—you can really see it through the opening. Even when the screen goes dark and the PC goes into sleep mode, those lights are still burning. Everything else is pitch black; no fan LEDs like I used to have, no temp readings on the display... just those lights. It doesn't bother me, honestly, but I was wondering: should they be turning off sometimes? Like, when the computer is sleeping? Or what?

Just thinking out loud here. Since I only had one partition, and I know how much better it is to have two, I actually asked a friend to set that up for me. Then I read that having even more might be better. I’m not looking to change anything now, but I am curious—is it actually a good idea to keep just Windows and basic apps on the system partition, then put all my extra programs and games on a second one, and maybe use a third just for documents? Or is it better to just keep everything on the main drive?
On that note—I’m currently running 32-bit Windows on my C drive. If I ever decide to pick up an SSD... I've heard you can just clone everything from C over to the new drive.
But what happens if I put a different version of Windows on that SSD, like the 64-bit one? Would the whole computer just freak out or something?
In a perfect world... I'd just install the new Windows on the SSD and wipe the old stuff off the C drive... then reinstall my apps. That shouldn't be much of a headache, right?
Do I really have to delete every single program from C, or is there a way to keep them? Like, can I save that "Program Files" folder somehow and just plug it into the new Windows setup?

You’re jumping all over the place here. One second we’re talking hardware, the next it’s software, then back again. It's a bit chaotic! Let’s try to break this down—separate the hardware stuff from the software stuff, and then we can tackle them one by one in an orderly fashion.

To start things off, I’m going to answer every single one of your questions with another question. And hey, don't take it personally! It’s not because I’m being rude or because I'm a Jew, it’s just the only way I can figure out how much you actually know. Once I get a feel for your level of understanding, I can tailor my answers so they actually make sense to you.

Alright, let's dive in:

So... is it normal that the lights on my card reader stay on all the time? There are two lights, but one is glowing from the inside... you can see it really clearly through one of the slots. Even when the screen goes dark and the computer goes to sleep and everything else shuts off (I don't have any LED fans anymore like I used to), it's pitch black, the temperature isn't showing on the display, but those little lights are still glowing. It doesn't bother me, really... I'm just wondering if they should ever turn off... like when the computer is sleeping... or...

When a computer is in standby or sleep mode, it’s still drawing power. It’s pretty obvious that the card reader is still getting juice too. Those lights are just indicators telling you the device is receiving electricity. As long as there's power flowing, that light is going to stay lit.

Quote:And... well, this is what's been on my mind. Since I only had one partition, and I heard it's better to have two, I asked a friend to set that up for me. Then later I read that having even more is good too. I won't change it now, obviously, but I'm curious: is it actually possible to have just Windows and some basic programs on the "system" partition, then put other programs (like games) on a second one, and maybe use a third one just for documents and stuff? Or is it better to keep all the programs on the system partition? Two questions for you.

1. Can you explain to me, in your own words, what a partition actually is?
2. Where did you hear that it's better to have two, three, or more partitions, and why is that supposed to be the case?
2a. What exactly is a system partition?

Jason Harris5 said:Even when your computer is in sleep mode, it’s still drawing power. Same goes for the card reader. Those little indicator lights? They're just telling you the device is getting juice. As long as there's power, that light stays on. Simple as that, right?

Yeah, makes sense. If there's power running through it, things should be firing up. But why isn't anything else kicking in? Like the temp display? That just stays dead. And the fan won't even spin, even though the PC is definitely plugged in.
So you're saying it's fine if the whole thing just goes up in flames? 😉

Got two questions.

So, you want to know what a partition means to me? Honestly, it's just carving up your drive into different sections so things stay organized. Simple enough, right?

Not really.
Basically, it makes no sense. 😁
Like having two or more separate partitions on a hard drive?

Where'd you get the idea that having two, three, or even more is better? And why exactly?

Saw this online—can't remember where exactly. Seems like a good idea to keep Windows on one drive and dump everything else, like docs, videos, and photos, onto a second one? That way, if a virus or whatever hits the PC, it usually just trashes the C drive while the other one stays totally clean... right?
Plus, isn't it just way easier to keep all your important stuff safe if you ever have to wipe the OS?

So, what exactly is a system partition?

The one with all the essentials to actually get the PC running. You know, the OS and some basic software?
Not sure if I got the answers right, but I just put them down exactly how they look to me.

Sorry, just typing this out quickly...

So, I took a quick peek at my water heater (it’s a Vaillant's, goodness knows which model) where the Cables come out, and there’s the receiver for the Nest Thermostat sitting right on the wall. Get this—the little green light is glowing away. But the heat isn't kicking in at all. The thermostat hasn't sent the signal to heat the water, and the pump hasn't even started spinning. If the light is on, why isn't anything happening?

Yeah, it's fine that the light is on. 😉

A hard drive is a physical, tangible thing, and these are its actual components..

But what exactly is a partition? And how are you planning to add or split them? Now that you actually know what the parts of a hard drive look like, of course.

See that platter in the picture? Well, that platter is where all the zeros and ones live—the binary data, your documents, your installed operating system, your apps, and everything else permanently stored inside the computer.

That platter is organized into sectors. Think of the platter like a giant pizza, and a sector is just one single slice. They do this so the computer can actually find its way around, knowing exactly where everything is located so it can access data easily. Modern computers are smart enough to read the capacity and the number of sectors directly from the drive's electronics. Back in the day, when computers weren't quite that clever, manufacturers would include those specs with every unit, so the customer—or maybe their neighbor's kid—had to manually input that info when installing a new drive into a machine.

And all of this exists before there are any partitions, file systems, or drive letters set up in Windows.

It's just the physics of the hard drive. The "addresser" for the sectors sits at the very beginning of the disk, and it holds the logical breakdown of how the disk is divided What a partition or volume is, just ignore the part about extended and primary partitions for now.

Once a disk is partitioned, you have to prepare it for storing data by choosing the right file system.

Only after you do that can you actually install an operating system or save files onto the drive. Until then, the whole thing is basically just a useless hunk of metal.

Even if you take one physical disk and carve it into several partitions, it's still just one single disk. Your data isn't any safer because it's all sitting on the exact same device.

An OS isn't some app like Zoom that you can just "uninstall." Splitting one physical drive into multiple partitions doesn't really serve much purpose. Those things you call C, D, E... Z? That is still the SAME disk. If it makes you happy, go ahead, but there’s no practical reason for it. Especially not when you bring up "virus protection."

Jason Harris5 said:sorry, was busy typing...

Prostate? 😁 That's taking a while...

I took a quick look at my water heater (it's a Vaillant's, can't remember the exact model) where the cable goes, and there's the receiver for the Nest Thermostat on the wall. Weird thing is, the green light is on. But the heat isn't working—the thermostat didn't even send a signal to heat the water or kick the pump on. Why is the light still on?

What light? Doesn't that one look just like a regular 240?
Oh, you're talking about the receiver.

Yeah, it's fine that it's lit. 😉

It doesn't hurt to ask. Look, your receiver stays lit, just like my TV and hard drive recorder and everything else... but none of that stuff just turns itself off or "goes to sleep" like mine is doing right now. If I sent my old man to bed... I don't know, but I'm pretty sure the temperature was showing. (The way it's acting surprised me, actually, kinda nice.)

What's a partition? And how do you plan on adding new ones or splitting existing ones? Now that you know which parts of the hard drive are which, obviously.

Nothing at all. It's not like someone builds a fence around it.
That's like asking me where every single song is on a CD.

Even if you split one (physical) drive into several partitions, it's still just one drive. Your data isn't any safer because it's all sitting on the same device.

Yeah, I know it's one drive.
So what does this mean then (from your link)?

Partitioning a hard drive isn't mandatory, but it can be useful for organizing data on the drive.

Useful how?

An OS isn't an app like Zoom, so you can't just "uninstall" it. Splitting one physical drive into multiple partitions doesn't really make sense. What you call C, D, E... Z is still the SAME drive. You can do it if it makes you happy, but there's no practical reason for it. Especially not when you bring up "virus protection."

I don't know... that's just what I read.
Then why do so many people bother setting up multiple partitions?
I get that an OS isn't just some regular app... I wasn't really asking about that, though. I was wondering if those other folders—like Program Files that usually go on the C drive by default—can be saved if you're installing new Windows onto an Intel?

It's just because they don't know any better, or maybe there's a smarter way they haven't stumbled upon yet.

Think about it—modern file systems like NTFS (which has been the standard for client OSs from Windows XP all the way up to today) actually have this cool ability. Instead of showing a brand-new partition as its own separate drive letter in My Computer, it can just present it as an empty folder sitting on an existing partition. It’s kind of like how you might have a drawer inside a cabinet instead of a whole new piece of furniture taking up floor space.

Now, Microsoft operating systems carry around this massive internal database containing all their info regarding the hardware and every bit of software installed. This thing is called the registry. It's totally unique to every single OS installation and every specific machine. Because of that, even if you try to play hero and copy all your data over, what's tucked away in that registry is tied specifically to that one system. It makes it nearly impossible to take an app installed on one computer and just move it to another by simply "copying and pasting" folders. It's just not that simple!

Jason Harris5 said:It's just because they don't know any better.

A modern file system like NTFS (which has been standard on client OSs from Windows XP up to now) can actually mount a new partition as an empty folder within an existing partition instead of showing it as a new drive letter in My Computer.

Microsoft operating systems maintain their own database containing info about the PC and all the software installed on it. This is called the registry and it’s unique to every single OS installation and machine. Because of that, even if you copy over the data, the registry entries stay tied to the original system. It's basically impossible to move an app from one OS to another just by "copying and pasting" folders.

I'm not sure I totally get this... but I'd guess—you can't really move programs if they're sitting in "Program Files" on the C: drive.
But wait, can I install a program somewhere else besides there?
One time I tried to put something on my D: drive, and my computer was like... "don't do that..." so I just let it go to the usual spot.

Not sure if this is useful info, but I've only read number 1 so far. Maybe someone will find it interesting.
(Just realized there isn't more... how am I supposed to find the other 104?)

Think about it this way—every single app you install on Windows ends up scribbling its own little notes into the system registry. It’s kind of like how if you move from a house in Chicago to a loft in New York, you can't just expect all your old custom shelving and built-in cabinets to magically fit perfectly into the new layout without some serious adjustments.
Because of that, trying to just toss apps from one OS to another with a totally different registry structure isn't always going to be a smooth ride.

Got it, sounds good.
Just one more thing on my mind though... purely out of curiosity... what would actually happen if I kept my current OS on the hard drive but added an SSD and installed a second OS there?
I'm not planning on doing it and I know it might be a pointless question... just wondering. 😉