Kajper's Info Corner

If you take 64-bit macOS and install 64-bit macOS on top of it, you’d end up with 128-bit macOS.

Just kidding. 😁

Nothing would actually change; it would just boot from whatever drive is set as the primary in the BIOS.

So, basically, once you grab that SSD and get it installed, you’re looking at a fresh install of Windows—whatever version you're rocking. Pro tip: totally unplug your old drive during the setup process. That way, you don't end up with those annoying dual-boot menus since you won't be using the old Windows anymore anyway.
Once that SSD is live, you'll just need to reinstall all your go-to programs—basically anything you used before and still want to use now. You could technically clone your current drive, but since you're planning on switching to a different version of Windows, that's probably not worth the headache.
After everything is set up, your computer will run off the SSD with a clean OS, and you can go ahead and wipe all the old Windows files and software from your old drive. It'll turn that old hardware into a dedicated storage beast.
Having multiple partitions is really just about staying organized. It's super handy if you ever have to reinstall your system; if you keep your files on a separate partition, you can totally nuking the main one to overwrite the OS and apps without touching your precious data.
When it comes to security, partitioning doesn't change much. At the end of the day, it's still just one physical device. If the drive dies, it usually takes all the partitions down with it (though, depending on how bad the crash is, sometimes you can still salvage some stuff).
And for virus protection? Same deal. Partitioning won't save you there, and honestly, it mostly depends on the type of malware anyway, since most junk targets executable programs rather than raw data.

The real win with an SSD plus a traditional hard drive is that you've got two separate physical devices. If one fails, it doesn't necessarily wreck the other. For instance, if your SSD bites the dust, your old hard drive stays perfectly safe.

Just make sure you've got your definitions straight: you've got the OS, your apps, and then your user data...

fadedorca66 said:If you have 64-bit Windows and you install 64-bit Windows again, you'd end up with 128-bit Windows.

Just kidding. 😁

Nothing would happen; it would just boot from whichever drive is set first in the BIOS.

If I had 64-bit... then I could just move them over, right?
I'm asking because I don't have it yet. So, install 64-bit onto an SSD... then hopefully set that as the primary drive and wipe the old stuff off the hard drive. Simple as that.

Michael Jackson10 said:Basically, when you eventually get an SSD, you'll just reinstall Windows on it, regardless of which version you're using. It’s actually a good idea to unplug your old drive during installation so you don't end up with a dual boot menu, since you won't be using those old Windows files anymore.
Once the SSD is ready, you'll need to reinstall all the programs you use—or used to use—that you want to keep. You could clone the drive to make an exact copy, but since you'd probably be switching versions anyway, that's likely out.

Yeah, probably.
Right now, these are just ideas. I'm just checking what's possible... trying to know what can and can't be done if I decide to pull the trigger.
So, I can either move my Windows over to the SSD or just do a fresh install.

After everything is done, you'd have an SSD running the OS, and you could completely wipe the old Windows files and program installs off the old drive. That way, the old hard drive becomes purely for storage.

That's the plan... maybe. I just don't know when. One of these days. 😁

Having multiple partitions is really just about staying organized. It’s super handy if you have to reinstall the system often; if you keep your data on a separate partition, you can just wipe the main one to refresh the OS and programs without touching your files.

Well, that's not a bad setup at all. 😉
Quote:And as far as viruses go, partitioning won't save you either. It really just depends on what kind of malware we're talking about, since most junk targets executable programs rather than raw data files.

Security-wise, it doesn't change much. At the end of the day, you're still dealing with one physical drive. Whether you split it into partitions or not, if the hardware dies, everything usually goes down with it—though sometimes you can get lucky and salvage some data depending on how bad the crash is.

We already covered this stuff. 🙂

If you're running an SSD alongside a traditional hard drive, those are two separate physical devices. If one fails, it doesn't take the other one down with it. Say your SSD craps out; your old-school hard drive stays perfectly fine.

Crystal clear.

You also need to distinguish between the OS, your apps, and your actual user data...

Just let me grab my broom... I'll sweep all that up for you. 🙂

Can someone walk me through how to wipe data from my old hard drives? I found a few programs online—DBAN, KillDisk, Secure Erase—but I’m honestly lost on how to actually use them. My English isn't great, and I have zero clue how to navigate a BIOS. Is it really as simple as downloading the software, burning it to a disc, and calling it a day? Or am I going to need some serious technical skills here? (The drives are still inside the computer, by the way.)

Are you seriously holding onto data that's actually worth scrubbing this hard?

I guess your best bet is to just grab a Hiren's Boot CD, burn it, and boot from that; it's got plenty of tools on there for secure wiping if you really need them.

Just head into Disk Management, wipe those partitions on the drives, then create some fresh ones and format them. Honestly, the BIOS has absolutely nothing to do with this.

fadedorca66 said:Are you seriously sitting on data that important?

Your best bet is grabbing Hiren's Boot CD, burning it to a disc, and booting from that. It’s loaded with tools for wiping stuff securely.

Sounds pretty straightforward at first glance... though if I actually knew how to boot anything or what that even means, it would be great.

Benjamin King2 said:Just head into Disk Management, wipe those partitions, make new ones, and format them. You don't even need to mess with the BIOS.

That sounds way too simple... like, "just do this" and it's done.
But how am I supposed to delete partitions? Especially the system one... it won't let me...
I managed D:, but C: is being stubborn...

Thanks for the tips... sometimes they're just really hard to actually pull off. I tried a few things... I struggled with downloading it and couldn't get it to work, so I eventually just grabbed a drive and tried running something, but I had no clue where to click or how to start it. Did I actually fix anything? Who knows. The computer basically doesn't work anymore... if anyone wants it, they'll have to figure it out themselves.
I'll check a different thread for an estimate... everything was working fine until a couple days ago, nothing is broken.

Michael Jackson10 said:Once you buy one of these, you'll discover a dark secret passed down through generations—usually from grandfather to grandson before he passes on: there's no such thing as a power strip with enough outlets. I actually got on my knees because I needed yet another strip just to handle my eight-outlet one...
So I just unplugged everything and left only 4 cables plugged in...

😁
How did you even manage that?
If I have to unplug speakers, the DVD player, headphones, the printer, the TV... what am I supposed to ditch? My PC? 🤣
I already ordered (so far 😉) three... two with 5 outlets and one with 8. 😁

By then, who knows what will be relevant. Carpe diem...
Besides, if I remember correctly, you haven't even been using all that extra hard drive space lately anyway...🤷

Not really... but if I need to run all my programs on that system, maybe getting a bit more capacity is better than getting too little.
But hey... like they say, it'll work itself out.

Even though you guys said my old NI unit isn't worth much, someone on an appraisal thread valued it at $133 once it's cleaned up.
I posted it on the classifieds and Craigslist, so if anyone happens to be interested...

Does anyone know anything about this?
I haven't called them yet... it feels weird that someone would drop that kind of cash on something so old and broken...😕

Rachel Jones8 said:😁
How on earth did you pull that off?
If I were to request speakers, a DVD player, headphones, a printer, and a TV... what should I leave out? The PC? 🤣
I finally pulled the trigger and placed my order (for now)! 😉 So, let me get this straight... three with 5 holes and one with 8? 😁

Exactly. I finally moved my setup into the spare room: just the PC, the monitor, and this little stereo system that doubles as an amp for my speakers and headphones. I’ve also got a single lamp—I'm big on dim lighting, honestly, it helps my eyes relax. I have two printers tucked away since I barely print anything, and I tossed that old TV in the trash. Haven't even touched a DVD player in years, and those tiny desktop speakers? Total junk. My laptop is basically just my backup for when I need to wander around the house while I'm working from home.

So, I’ve got this absolute mess of tangled cables sitting right in the middle of my living room floor. It looks like some kind of electrical octopus. Now, I’m facing a serious dilemma: do I call the guys from ConEd to come untangle this nightmare, or do I just grab a chainsaw and try to slice through the Gordian knot myself? The problem is, every time I try to pull one wire loose, something else in the apartment dies. Outlets stop working, the breakers trip... it's a total disaster. What do you think?

Man, I’m out here giving everyone else advice while my own apartment looks like a high-security nuclear facility. Seriously, there are cables everywhere. It’s just one power strip plugged into another power strip, which is then plugged into yet another power strip. What am I even doing?

Michael Jackson10 said:Exactly. I moved my setup to the bedroom: PC, monitor, a small stereo system that handles both my speakers and headphones, and one lamp (I’m a fan of low light—keeps my eyes from straining too much)... got two printers tucked away since I barely print, tossed an old TV in the trash, haven't touched a DVD player in years, and those tiny computer speakers are basically junk... a laptop is just my backup for when I need to move around the house...

Unfortunately, I can't snap a photo of my rig and everything hooked up to it, including the TV and gear nearby... still can't take stuff out of NYC, you know? Not even phones, routers, or phone lines... etc.
Yeah, there really is a ton of it.

And in the corner of my living room, there's this octopus of tangled cables. My dilemma is whether to call an electrician to untangle the mess, or just grab a chainsaw and cut through the Gordian knot: the problem is, whatever wire I pull, something else stops working—the outlets upstairs, the breakers...

I'm not going to fix it right now... more like save up some cash first...
Maybe I won't do a full overhaul, but at least I can vacuum around that knot and see if there's a dead wire I can just rip out. Plus, I'll finally have an extra outlet so I don't have to unplug my lamp every time I charge my phone.

Man, here I am giving advice to others while my own place looks like a miniature nuclear reactor of cables... power strips plugged into power strips like a freaking chain reaction...

He-he... nothing actually plugs into my power strips anymore, just other power strips... it doesn't work any other way.

Just stick to decent power strips instead of those cheap ones you'd find at $5.00 and you should be fine 🙂

Unfortunately, I can't swap everything out all at once. For now, my plan is probably just to plug one of those new 5-outlet surge protectors into a standard 2-outlet wall socket, then run the TV, DVD player, headphones, and a basic old power strip into that. Then, I'll take the other wall outlet and plug in an older surge protector—assuming it still works, right?—and daisy-chain a new 5-outlet strip into it for the PC, printer, and monitor...
The one with 8 outlets is going on the other wall for the phones, router, and landline.
That’s the deal with the DB setup... I should probably upgrade elsewhere too, but that's it for now.

I also have a question about surge protection. Someone asked earlier if you could just buy the version with one outlet instead of the multi-outlet ones since they're cheaper... and the answer they got was that it wasn't a good idea because that's not how they're designed.
Now I'm wondering... looking at the websites, it seems like besides the single outlet, the 5, 6, or 8-outlet versions, and maybe the 2 or 3-outlet ones, there isn't much else. So, is it okay to plug a basic 3-outlet strip into a surge protector, but just not a massive 5+ outlet strip? And is it fine to plug a simple 3-outlet strip into a 5-outlet surge protector?
What do you guys think?

Michael Jackson10 said:Dual channel mode isn't what's causing this mess. Honestly, using Win32 with more than 3 GB of RAM just doesn't make sense regardless of how you set things up. You could fix this right now by doing a clean install of Windows—just grab the 64-bit version so you can actually use what you've got. Or, you could just wait until you decide on a RAM upgrade, though there's no guarantee on that yet, and you might end up breaking the system even further in the meantime.
Maybe call over the neighbor's kid to help out? Get those pancakes cooking fast...

Well, it happened—reinstalled everything, and now I'm running 64-bit Windows, so I have a question.
The board is an Asrock FM2A88M EXTREME4+ link
The memory is Kingston RAM 4GB, DDR3, 1600MHz HX link

Can I add another stick just like this to get to 2x4GB, or does it have to be an exact match?

Rachel Jones8 said:Well, it finally happened—reinstalled everything and now I'm running 64-bit Windows, so I have a question.
My board is an Asrock FM2A88M EXTREME4 link
The memory is Kingston RAM 4GB, DDR3, 1600MHz HX link

Can I just add another one like this to make it 2x4GB, or does it have to be a perfect match?

Ideally you want an identical match. It'll probably work with something else as long as the frequency matches—stay at 1600MHz—and keep the latencies the same so you don't run into compatibility headaches.

I guess this should be a good fit for 😉

What about something like this, staying within that same budget?
Take this one for example—DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Kingston, 1866MHz, CL10, HyperX Fury, HX318C10F
The shop said they’d throw in the installation for free since I'm buying their parts... (maybe that's just while the warranty is active, but hey, I'll take it)

So... are these two sticks good for dual-channel mode, or is adding just one more enough?
I'm pretty sure an SSD is still on my wishlist, but quick question... if I grab one, is it a hassle to move Windows over to it?

Rachel Jones8 said:What about something like this, staying within that budget?
Say, this one — DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Kingston, 1866MHz, CL10, HyperX Fury, HX318C10F
The shop said they'd throw in the installation for free since I'm buying their parts... (maybe that only applies during the warranty period... but I'd love to take them up on it)

So... if I want dual-channel, just one extra stick is enough?
I assume SSD prices will drop soon, but quick question... if I get one, is it a hassle to move Windows over to it?

Yeah, two sticks are all you need for dual-channel. Try to get the same frequency; if you buy the fast one, it’ll just throttle down to match the slower stick anyway.

And no, moving Windows to an SSD isn't an issue. Just use cloning software—takes a few minutes tops.🙂

Hey guys. 😉

Robert Rodriguez2 said:Yeah, you only need two modules for dual-channel mode. If possible, try to get them at the same frequency. Even if you grab this faster one, it’ll just throttle down to match the slower speed anyway.

And no, moving macOS over to an SSD isn't an issue. There are plenty of cloning tools out there that make the whole process take just a few minutes.🙂

Sorry to jump into this thread like a parachute, but I wanted to ask Robert Rodriguez2: what's the best way to "clone" macOS from one Western Digital to another? My current drive is basically on its deathbed.

Since I had some issues with the USB adapter (couldn't find any drivers to download), I thought I was gonna have to go out and buy a whole new wireless USB stick...but it actually worked in the end. (Of course, a buddy came over to help, and I didn't even realize I needed him)
So now I'm looking into it... and I see there are PCIe cards too. Makes me wonder, which one is actually better? Which USB stick or card should I get? Which brand is top-tier... without being crazy expensive, but still an upgrade from this old Motorola like this)
Maybe around $15? (I don't think I'll grab one right now since it's working... but just so I know for later... what should I look for, what's the best pick)
Router is an Sx763 ( this )
Internet speed is 10 Mbit/s
OS - Windows 7 64bit
Distance is about 12-15 feet.
If I went with a card, I'd probably need to get it through Best Buy so they can set it all up for me. But I can just plug in a USB stick myself, right? 😁

Justin Rogers59 said:Sorry for jumping in here, but I wanted to ask Robert Rodriguez2 how to "clone" Windows from one Western Digital to another because my current drive is pretty much on its last legs.

You talking to me?
I'm not the original poster. 🙂
Everyone's welcome here—the more questions we ask, the more it helps us newbies.