Windows Tech Support Thread

[jeffdrafttech]

This forum is a good place to get computer advice. The Mac tech support thread is awesome. We need a Windows version (hell, I definitely need a Windows version).

To avoid starting a new thread for each issue like I have in the past, I'll post my question here. Hopefully others can get use out of it too.

[jeffdrafttech]

Originally Posted by my original question

After installing my new video card my (Vista desktop) computer is now stable after a year and a half of crashing.

I have but one issue now. The damn thing wont stay asleep. I'm sure it drew at least 200watts before the video card, and the new card idles at over 100watts. I don't want to spend $200/yr to have my computer on 24/7. The new video card has a noisy fan too, adn I can hear it at night when I'm trying to get some sleep.

Does anyone have any idea what would make a computer fail to stay in sleep mode? Sleep mode only lasts about 30 seconds then it just starts back up.

I figured this one out, it was a multifold problem and I had to get several solutions from different forums. First, I went into device manager and opened both "network adapters" and "mice". Both of these have a "power management" tab. You have to tell it to not allow these items to wake your machine, on the power management tab (uncheck "allow device to wake computer"). Evidently an optical mouse can easily detect a slight vibration on your desk to wake the machine, and the network adapter wakes the machine every few minutes to see if it's still connected.

Also, you have to go to: control panel (classic view) > power options > change plan settings (on whatever plan you are using) > change advanced power settings > multimedia > when sharing media > Select the "allow computer to sleep" option. Evidently, when you set up vista for the first time it asks whether you want to be able to share your media with other computers. If you tell it yes it won't ever allow your computer to sleep and this is the fix for that

Originally Posted by my original question

Also, if I can manage to get it to sleep, will it wake automatically when Media Center needs to record a TV show?

Everywhere I can find says that the computer will wake to record a program then go back to sleep. I can't verify this

[bithead]

Go into Device Manager, and check the properties of each of your hardware devices. It's possible that something, by default, is configured to "allow this device to wake the computer". Something new that you've installed and/or re-installed since Day 1 perhaps?

i.e.

[rehtaFrey]

2 network points with the same switch settings. one vista pc. one point works, the other one doesn't. took me 1 hour to troubleshoot and even then, i came to no conclusion.

[jeffdrafttech]

God damn it.

Another one.

My laptop (running XP SP3) BSOD'd after closing the lid (which should trigger hibernation). I opened the lid later to the BSOD and pulled the battery to get it to restart.

Now my wireless card doesn't see my home wifi router.

I've checked what I know to check. I've reverted to the last restore point. I've rebooted countless times. I've tried to roll back the wireless driver (no earlier driver). I've connected to the network wired, and tried to update the wireless driver (none found). I've disabled, rebooted, enabled, rebooted, and still no network found. My ipod and my desktop see and connect to the wifi just fine (and I restarted my router for good measure).

Help!!!

[ababuu]

how did you try to update the driver?


download the drivers from the wireless card manufacturer's site.

check the add/remove programs list for your wireless card and remove it if it's there. then open the device manager and look for the wireless card. if it's there, delete the wireless card.

just to be safe restart the computer and then install the wireless drivers

[Mikey]

only fags use windows

[bithead]

Originally Posted by Mikey

only fags use windows

The ratio of straight and gay people in the world just got turned upside down.

[Sokkratez]

The species is doomed!

[ababuu]

Originally Posted by Mikey

only fags use windows

i-like-turtles.jpg