# Have a Computer Question ? Read this first. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 6, 2004, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-a-computer-question-read-this-first/248887 "2004-06-06T00:41:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2006, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-a-computer-question-read-this-first/248887/201 "2006-09-16T21:55:44Z")
[QUOTE=dougie\_monty] Thanks. I’ve done so–but on my Dell Laptop, since I can’t get the Compaq PC to boot up. Will it still give me data about the PC rather than the laptop? [/QUOTE] No. Sorry, I forgot the desktop was kaput. I am at a loss. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2006, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-a-computer-question-read-this-first/248887/202 "2006-09-18T06:24:18Z")
[QUOTE=Fear Itself] No. Sorry, I forgot the desktop was kaput. I am at a loss. [/QUOTE] FWIW, I have opened the lid and found two items at the front of the case which I figure, logically, are the CD drive and the floppy drive. Where the hard disk is I have no idea, but there is a metal compartment at the back on the right with a lot of wires going into it. Of course, I have no idea what a hard drive even looks like. I tried popping the CD-ROM for the Windows 98 operating system in. But I got a message on the screen saying the setup could not proceed: apparently the hard drive is somehow disconnected or on the fritz. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-a-computer-question-read-this-first/248887/203 "2006-09-20T19:28:42Z")
I’ve lost access to Windows. BSOD, and now I can’t get in anymore. For me, the simplest thing to do would be just to reinstall windows. The catch: I can’t access windows, so I can’t back up my files. And, naturally, I ain’t exactly been backing up regularly. I tried a repair install, and I’m pretty sure that made things worse, somehow. I was able to boot into safe mode before, not anymore. So, I wanted to do a clean reinstall. Are my documents, images and songs going to be wiped, or is it just the programs that have to be reinstalled? ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-a-computer-question-read-this-first/248887/204 "2006-09-20T19:29:45Z")
Meant to post that as a new thread, and will do so now. Sorry. But this proves that I did “read this first”! ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2006, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-a-computer-question-read-this-first/248887/205 "2006-10-01T23:31:48Z")
I had been redoing some old pages in scrapbooks. One involved the old pennies-on-a-chessboard problem–one penny on the first square, two on the second, four on the third…and you wind up with something like $180 quadrillion worth of pennies on the board! And I had calculated this by hand in 1972! Now, however, the very highest numbers the computer insists on rounding off-- whether I try to produce them by formula or key them right out. _How_ do I get my computer’s Excel program to print out the amount equaling two to the sixty-fourth power? ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2006, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-a-computer-question-read-this-first/248887/206 "2006-12-04T08:24:38Z")
I prepared a long list in a file in MS Word, so I decided to shorten it by making it 4 columns to a page instead of one. For some reason, however, a column will stop in the middle on one page, at random! I use the “show-hide” button to see if therre are any symbols causing this; and I even deleted and rekeyed the same text and got the same ragged effect! And the same thing happened when I reverted to one column and back to 4! Why does this happen?! :mad: ---
**Author:** ![kilowatt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/aca169/32.png) [@kilowatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kilowatt)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2006, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-a-computer-question-read-this-first/248887/207 "2006-12-25T12:53:53Z")
I have a problem. My computer is under virus attack now. I installed antivirus but it doesn’t work. * * * [accetone@digitalhardcore.us](mailto:accetone@digitalhardcore.us) ---
**Author:** ![Myglaren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Myglaren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myglaren)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2006, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-a-computer-question-read-this-first/248887/208 "2006-12-25T13:06:58Z")
Have you read through the previous posts. Most solutions to virus infections are dealt with there. Otherwise further information is needed. Operating Sysem? Browser? What is your AV program? What other anti-malware software is installed? Is it up-to-date? What does it report the virus as being? ---
**Author:** ![Myglaren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Myglaren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myglaren)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2006, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-a-computer-question-read-this-first/248887/209 "2006-12-25T13:08:09Z")
Also, not wise to display your email address on an open forum - you are just asking for trouble. ---
**Author:** ![Dottygumdrop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Dottygumdrop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dottygumdrop)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2006, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-a-computer-question-read-this-first/248887/210 "2006-12-27T16:21:27Z")
So I have been using AVG for the last while and it works fine, but now I keep getting a message saying it will no longer be free from 1st January. Can someone recommend a good AV to buy. I get that McAfee and Norton are crap, but what is worth the $$$? ---
**Author:** ![Myglaren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Myglaren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myglaren)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2006, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-a-computer-question-read-this-first/248887/211 "2006-12-27T16:50:53Z")
AVG will continue to be free. There is a new edition (7.5) available, the previous version will not be supported after 1/1/07. Got to the AVG site and download the newest release. They have strategically placed it at the bottom of the list of options so it appears that you now have to pay for it. Get it from the foot of this page [AVG 7.5](http://free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php/doc/2/) ---
**Author:** ![SanibelMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@SanibelMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanibelMan)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-a-computer-question-read-this-first/248887/212 "2007-01-29T00:35:43Z")
I had a thread in IMHO about cleaning out my in-laws’ computer. It’s a 2002 Gateway 300S with XP Home, SP1. I ran AdAware and SpyBot in Safe Mode, and both caught hundreds of things, and I installed ZoneAlarm. When I restarted in the normal mode, it’s running slower than ever. It gave me a number of “application errors” for various programs (I remember smsc.exe, suge.exe, wuamgrd.exe and crss.exe). And now it won’t let me into the task manager. It says: > [@](#): > > taskmgr.exe - Application Error > The application failed to initialize properly (0xc0000142). Click on OK to terminate the application. That’s the same error number that it gives me for the other programs (suge.exe and so forth). What the hell do I do now? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-a-computer-question-read-this-first/248887/213 "2007-01-29T01:02:34Z")
[QUOTE=SanibelMan] What the hell do I do now? [/QUOTE] You still have spyware. Sometimes Spybot and Adaware are not enough. I suggest you download [HijackThis](http://www.majorgeeks.com/download3155.html) and scan your computer. **Do not delete anything at this time!** You can do a lot of damage if you don’t know what you are doing. Save a log of your scan (using the button at the lower left of the window), and post it in a new thread on the [SpywareInfo Malware Removal forum](http://forums.spywareinfo.com/index.php?showforum=18). They have a number of very skilled volunteers who can walk you through the cleanup process step by step. ---
**Author:** ![SanibelMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@SanibelMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanibelMan)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-a-computer-question-read-this-first/248887/214 "2007-01-29T14:44:34Z")
[QUOTE=Fear Itself] You still have spyware. Sometimes Spybot and Adaware are not enough. I suggest you download [HijackThis](http://www.majorgeeks.com/download3155.html) and scan your computer. **Do not delete anything at this time!** You can do a lot of damage if you don’t know what you are doing. Save a log of your scan (using the button at the lower left of the window), and post it in a new thread on the [SpywareInfo Malware Removal forum](http://forums.spywareinfo.com/index.php?showforum=18). They have a number of very skilled volunteers who can walk you through the cleanup process step by step. [/QUOTE] Thank you for directing me there; I think I’m making progress. Now, once it’s all clean, I’d like to install more memory - I think the fact that it has only 128 MB of RAM is part of the problem. But there’s about 6 different Gateway 300S models on dealram and I’m not sure which one it is. Is there a utility I can download onto it that can tell me what kind of ram it is? ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Badger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/848f3c/32.png) [@Dead\_Badger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Badger)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-a-computer-question-read-this-first/248887/215 "2007-01-29T14:53:46Z")
[QUOTE=SanibelMan] Is there a utility I can download onto it that can tell me what kind of ram it is? [/QUOTE] Crucial seem to have one on the front page of their [website](http://www.crucial.com/). Not used it personally, but I’ve always found them to be a very reliable company, and their system guides to be very accurate. Edit: and yes, 128MB would be truly painful for XP. 512MB at a minimum, I’d recommend, and 1GB can hardly be much more expensive (if the board will support it). ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-a-computer-question-read-this-first/248887/216 "2007-01-29T18:12:58Z")
[QUOTE=SanibelMan] Is there a utility I can download onto it that can tell me what kind of ram it is? [/QUOTE] Go to [this page on the Gateway website](http://support.gateway.com/support/default.asp), and enter the serial number of your computer. You can then view the original system specifications, which should tell you what kind of memory you have. I second the recommendation for [Crucial.com](http://Crucial.com) for memory. But they also list both DDR and SDRAM for the Gateway 300s, so we need to determine which type of memory you need first. ---
**Author:** ![SanibelMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@SanibelMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanibelMan)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-a-computer-question-read-this-first/248887/217 "2007-01-29T18:48:44Z")
[QUOTE=Fear Itself] Go to [this page on the Gateway website](http://support.gateway.com/support/default.asp), and enter the serial number of your computer. You can then view the original system specifications, which should tell you what kind of memory you have. I second the recommendation for [Crucial.com](http://Crucial.com) for memory. But they also list both DDR and SDRAM for the Gateway 300s, so we need to determine which type of memory you need first. [/QUOTE] [Here’s](http://support.gateway.com/support/allsysteminfo.asp?sn=0029038352) the page Gateway gives me. Under My Support Docs - Memory, it says: MEM DDR 128MB PC266B 16X8 R0 [Part #5000580] Would [this](http://www.buy.com/retail/Product.asp?sku=10348796) memory work? Crucial says it’s out of stock for that kind of memory. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-a-computer-question-read-this-first/248887/218 "2007-01-29T19:32:59Z")
[QUOTE=SanibelMan] Would [this](http://www.buy.com/retail/Product.asp?sku=10348796) memory work? [/QUOTE] No. Your motherboard is limited to a maximum of 512MB. You can use [either of these](http://www.crucial.com/store/listparts.aspx?model=300+Series+%28DDR%29), or you can buy two of the 256MB modules, and remove the 128MB module currently installed. This would bring you up to the maximum allowed on your motherboard. ---
**Author:** ![SanibelMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@SanibelMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanibelMan)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-a-computer-question-read-this-first/248887/219 "2007-01-29T19:40:05Z")
I’m glad I asked. I’ll get two of the 256 modules to max it out. (Even totally clean, it’s a real bear to use with 128.) Thanks for all of your help! ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-a-computer-question-read-this-first/248887/220 "2007-01-29T19:41:19Z")
[QUOTE=SanibelMan] I’m glad I asked. I’ll get two of the 256 modules to max it out. (Even totally clean, it’s a real bear to use with 128.) Thanks for all of your help! [/QUOTE] You will notice a big improvement, even with 512MB. WinXP is a complete dog on 128MB. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-a-computer-question-read-this-first/248887.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-a-computer-question-read-this-first/248887.md?page=12)