Top products from r/techsupport

• I couldn't have a repair kit without these cables. Need to hook a hard drive up but don't want to put it inside of a computer? Done! You can also get a usb 3.0 if you're so inclined!
  
  
• Everyone loves magnetized screwdrivers..so I bought this set and it seems to be of good quality so far.
  
  
• Need to do some fine adjusting and use a strong tool? I bought this and love it! It fixes iPhones, has a flathead and philips bit with it as well!
  
  
• Need to do some prying for phones or laptop screens? This is the perfect tool for it! bends when it needs to, but doesn't lose its form or shape!
  
  
• Drop a screw or need to do some fine tuning? Perfect! These tweezers are amazing and I would recommend them to anyone, including you.
  
  I also bought a 128GB flash drive to keep some common repair program on and it has saved me a lot of time and trouble.
  
  Put it all in a small backpack and you have a nice repair kit on the go!
  
  
  edit/
  
  Software! I use these weekly and it saves me a lot of time and trouble. I am open to suggestions on what you can also use, and would recommend using google for tutorials if you need help :)
  
  
  
• Seagate File Recovery Have missing files or wiped a hard drive that you weren't suppose to? Use this to recover those files.
  
  
• SeaGate Discwizard Need to clone a drive, format or mount an image? This is the tool for you! Simply download and you're on your way!
  
  
• Malwarebytes Need to remove a virus, spyware or adware from a computer? Here you go! Simply run it (quick scan and full scan do the same thing!) and you'll be able to remove those violations after.
  
  
• CCleaner A system cleaner all in one. I wouldn't recommend using the registry cleaner as it shouldn't do too much, but this is a streamlined way to remove all app data and computer files in one swipe.
  
  
• BitDefender Free I don't use antivirus on my personal computer/devices, but I do install this on my customers computers. Easy to manage and low interference, makes it the perfect solution for those who don't know much about computers.
  
  
• Hirens Boot CD This is an amazing tool that has endless capabilities. Forgot a windows password? No problem! Google guides for this to use it fully :)
  
  edit//
  
  If anyone else has suggestions on programs/tools to use i'm all ears. I've been doing repairs for the past 6-10 years (personally and for business) and these are the best things i've found so far. You can never have too much info/tools though :)
  
  And make sure you upvote everyone else who is giving you ideas/suggestions. A community that grows together knows more :)
  

You are good at this troubleshooting, gold star to you sir!

You're getting there, but basically you just need to be more careful in future not to remove the drivers, but uninstall the device itself (because how are you going to get the drivers again without a connection)

Right, you need to get the drivers somehow. Do any of your friends have a WiFi USB dongle you could borrow? It's basically a wireless network card on the end of a USB. You can pick one up for pretty cheap on Amazon, and I would recommend this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Edimax-EW-7811Un-150Mbps-Raspberry-Supports/dp/B003MTTJOY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1491853009&sr=8-2&keywords=edimax

Invest in one of these, they are lifesavers for situations exactly like these. I have about 5 lol.

If you can find a friend who has one, or get one yourself, install the driver that comes with it on CD and plug it in. You should get a WiFi connection right away under something like 'Wifi 2' in your network settings.

Go back into Device Manager and under the Unknown Devices section you should find some devices there, that are not recognised because of the lack of drivers.

Right click on each of them and click Update Driver Software, and then click Search automatically on the popped up window.

Let it do its thing, and it may take a few minutes. Windows 10 happens to be fantastic at searching for drivers, and it should find the drivers you need no bother at all!

Best of luck :)

Some things I do:

• Make sure your drivers are up to date, namely the chipset drivers and the graphics drivers.
  
  
• Once a month or so, take a can of compressed gas or something like this and blow the dust that accumulates out of the heat-sink ventilation area of the computer, and the keyboard area, that shit gets dirty. not only that, the accumulation of dust inhibits heat transfer from the CPU which will ultimately lead to an early death of the laptop if not taken care of.
  
  
• Install ccleaner: run the file cleaner and registry cleaner at least once a month.
  
  
• You already have MSE (Windows Defender in windows 8), but also use common sense and you shouldn't get any viruses. I'd also recommend running Malwarebytes every month or so. Also set up windows defender to run on a schedule.
  
  
• Go to your task manager and under the startup tab, deselect any programs you don't need starting up when windows start (pretty much all of them)
  
  
• Download and install Startisback, it will make the transition to windows 8 less of a pain. In fact it will pretty much make it so there is almost no transition.
  
  
• If you never use the hibernation feature on windows machines, then remove the feature (use the window 7 guide), which will free up between 2-16GB of hard drive space depending on how much RAM your computer has. reducing the size of the pagefile can free up some space as well. You can still use the sleep feature afterwards.
  
  
• From the start menu (or screen depending on your set up) type in 'msconfig' without the quotes and run that. In the boot tab, check the "No GUI boot". idk if it really makes it boot any faster but it removes the circling dots when windows 8 starts which makes me happy.
  
  
• Make sure to install your updates in a timely manner, for windows AND it's programs.
  
  
• I like WinDirstat to see how my hard drive space is being used
  
  
• I like Speccy to get a quick look at system information and certain temp of computer components
  
  
• I like Coretemp to have in my notification area which always tells me the temp of my CPU
  
  
• I would recommend uninstalling start screen apps (right click on them and select uninstall, you can do this with multiple at a time) to free up drive space and de-clutter the start screen, which i never really see anyways since I have startisback.
  
  
• Try to not pick the computer up by one handedly grabbing it near the webcam, this kills the webcam. Trust me.
  
  
• This is your computer, there are many like it but this one is yours. know it inside and out. If you're not comfortable with taking laptops apart, learn.
  
  I'll update if I think of anything else.

Where I previously worked, all the techs were equipped with the following before going out in the field:

• Hammer
  
• Boxcutter
  
• Pliers (needlenose & slip joint)
  
• Wire cutter
  
• Scissors
  
• Precision Screwdriver kit (hex, flathead, philips and torx). I have this one which is great but the plastic case it comes in breaks easily
  
• A corded drill with drill bit & spade bit
  
• Punch down tool
  
• Crimper
  
• RJ45 connectors
  
• About 100ft loose Cat5 cable
  
• Tape measure (for measuring distance needed to make cable rather than eyeballing it; also for knowing how long the cable was if you're charging the customer $x/foot)
  
• Cable tester & toner
  
• Three pre-made ethernet cables (usually 7-10 feet)
  
• One crossover cable (we came to the conclusion that making one on the spot cost more time than it did to just spend a few bucks on a pre-made one)
  
• Ethernet couplers
  
• Wire ties
  
• Headlamp
  
• Power surge protector
  
• Extension cord
  
• USB B cable (B to A)
  
• Serial cable
  
• Parallel cable
  
• A wireless network card (usb)
  
• An ethernet adapter card
  
• A switch
  
• A wireless router
  
• A power supply
  
• CD case with blank CD-Rs and blank DVDRs, as well as copies of the various flavors of Windows XP SP3, Vista, 7. Also UBCD4Win, OPH Crack, Hirens Boot CD and whatever else has been picked up or used on the job.
  
• A 16GB USB drive with all the assortment of troubleshooting software, malware removal, portable programs, a few large packages such as all the service packs from XP SP1 to Win 7 SP1 and ISOs of commonly used programs such as Office 2007 (in the case that it needs to be re-installed).
  
• Most techs had their own additional USB drive that either was also a boot utility (Hirens) or was used as both a swap drive to transfer files when necessary and just as a copy of the provided USB drive.
  
• VGA/DVI adapter
  
• PS2/USB adapter
  
• Power/Molex adapters of many types, especially molex to SATA and fan header to molex
  
• A few other adapters which were rarely if ever used (mostly the serial and parallel ones)
  
• SATA/PATA to USB adapter kit for mounting hard drives externally
  
  
  
  
  We also experimented with carrying compressed air cans but that stuff gets used too much. Where I currently work, we use this electronics duster/blower and even though it is quite loud, it works really well.
  
  Most of it (except for the spart parts of switch, router, power supply, ethernet card and USB wireless card) fit into a tool bag. I don't think I forgot anything. If I remember, I'll add it to the list.
  

Access Points are better than a repeater, but they need to be wired - either you'll have to do ethernet cable run or use powerline adapters (that make use of house wiring) to connect your router to AP unit.

There are 3 in 1 units that can act as either an AP, repeater, router. So maybe get one of those and keep your options open. Something like an Asus RT-N12 or similar.

Then if you can run an ethernet cable from your router to the AP unit, that would be best. But I'm guessing you can't/won't do this, or you would have run a cable already to the bedroom.

So that leaves you with Powerline Adapters. Get a kit from a place with a good return policy in case it's not compatible with your home wiring. Then if all good, just connect your router and AP with it, and you're good to go. Something like this powerline kit should be good enough. Though you can get units with gigabit ethernet or passthrough if you lack wall outlets.

So you tried without the power strip and on a different circuit and it didn't go away? The problem your running into here is it's a fairly old system, so even if you're willing to spend some, is it worth it?

You could invest in a PSU tester they're pretty cheap. But I've never used one before so I can't say if it would show a fault related to your problem. Or take it in to someone, but the cost more than likely doesn't really justify it. You could phone around and see if any shops will diagnose for free. Doubt they will, but it's worth a shot I guess.

Do you have any geek friends. I know I have a couple of backup PSUs just kicking around, so maybe a geek friend would have an extra one to troubleshoot with. Are you interested in eventually upgrading your system or is it still pretty useful?

If you are, you could always use the PSU in the future build. And to be quite frank, trying to replace that MB will be more trouble than it's worth IMHO. It'd be ebay and finding one that wasn't faulty would be hard. Or at least 50 bucks for brand new, if you can find a AM3+ board.

Edited: posted before I was finished writing. lol

WD Black (3.5"): https://www.amazon.com/Black-Performance-Desktop-Hard-Drive/dp/B00FJRS6FU/ref=pd_sbs_147_1/138-2200904-9500565?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00FJRS6FU&pd_rd_r=aebe322f-1268-4416-bcf4-344f1483f9ff&pd_rd_w=k3Ban&pd_rd_wg=Hpesb&pf_rd_p=43281256-7633-49c8-b909-7ffd7d8cb21e&pf_rd_r=60ABZBZ0F3H18EK9F8XE&psc=1&refRID=60ABZBZ0F3H18EK9F8XE

​

Looks like Amazon also has some drive enclosures if you don't actually want to crack yours open. This one looks like it could even be easily replaced if you wanted to switch up the drive down the road! https://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-External-Lay-Flat-Docking-EC-DFLT/dp/B00LS5NFQ2/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=external+hard+drive+enclosure+3.5&qid=1567645642&s=electronics&sr=1-5

​

Otherwise that WD_ Black that you found seems like a good option too and at a reasonable price point for a 2TB drive. The DIY solution using the links in this post would be roughly $40 more to get the same 2TB capacity. But I guess the benefit of the DIY is that you could switch out the drive at any time and the enclosure is compatible with both 2.5 and 3.5 HDDs/SSDs... I may have to buy one of those for personal use lol.

​

Are you using the external drives with a laptop or desktop?

That's definitely a closed-loop system. These are supposed to last 4-5 years, but they have been known to break before that. There's a propylene glycol/water antifreeze fluid (just like a car) inside them, and a little pump (powered by the blue/green/yellow/black cable) pushes warm water from the CPU to the radiator, where is is cooled down and returned to the processor. When they fail they go one of two ways, either they get a crack in them and the water leaks, or the pump quits working.
It's possible that for some reason your motherboard has decided to not run the CPU fan (which is actually the pump) at 100% even though it's overheating (things like quiet mode can do this) and it's possible that when it's running at say 85% that it's not enough juice to start the pump... Check your BIOS for any quiet/silent mode settings and see if you can disable them. If the CPU fan is showing an RPM rating, this is actually the rating of the pump.

If you have gigabyte's tuning software installed, make sure you max out the CPU fan speed. Pumps are not fans, and it's possible that the pump just isn't getting enough power.

If the pump has gone bad, you can replace it with something similar (expect about the same life span and noise level). Personally, I'd switch to air cooling, as there's less that can go wrong. /r/buildapc could probably make suggestions... The only thing you need to be sure of with your next solution is that it works with AM3 processors. Your motherboard is compatible with standard 3-pin fans and 4-pin PWM fans, so you can pretty much use anything.

Personally, I have this a Coolermaster Hyper 212 Evo. It's big. Very big. My case side almost doesn't fit on, but it's super quiet and doesn't depend on a pump. When idle, my CPU fan doesn't even need to run. It relies on heatpipes, which are VERY different from water cooling systems.

If you wanted to, you could switch back to a stock heatsink as well. The one that comes with your processor looks like this, but you may have a problem, it clips to a piece of plastic that appears to be missing from your motherboard (see here). You may have problems fitting OEM parts. I believe the Coolermaster fan I listed above will work even though that bracket is missing, but I'm not 100%

*edit: it looks like there's another black cable going into the heatsink in your top picture... Where does that go?

I don't know that there is an official "proper" way to back up data from a hard drive after a failed update/install. In this case, you have several options available. You can use something like a Linux Live distro to read the files on the drive and copy over anything important to an external hard drive or usb/thumb drive. You could also remove the hard drive completely and put it in another computer to copy files over or use a SATA/USB device like this to hook the hard drive up to another computer/laptop via USB: https://www.amazon.com/Vantec-CB-ISATAU2-Supports-2-5-Inch-5-25-Inch/dp/B000J01I1G/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1485921299&sr=8-6&keywords=sata+usb+adapter

As far as doing a fresh install, that part should be relatively easy. You can download Windows 10 and either install it to a USB or burn the ISO to a DVD using Microsoft's Media Creation Tool: https://www.google.com/#q=windows+10+media+creation+tool

As far as reformatting, Windows 10 will give you an option to do that on install. I think by default it just asks if you want to save files or do something else and you can pick to format. I usually just delete/format then tell it to install when that window comes up during install.

As far as backing up data after everything is set up - a good online backup and a local backup are pretty standard and usually easy to set up. Even using Windows you can schedule file backups to either remote networked drives or just other hard drives attached.

RAID setups are pretty popular as well, just note that Mirrored raid is more for protection against drive failure (hard drive crapping out) than it is for data protection as data is written to both drives at the same time RAID 1.

Hopefully this helps you out a bit.

You could try powerline ethernet adapter like this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00AWRUICG/

If the plug where your room is and the plug where the router is are in the same circuit, it should work great, if not it may be hit or miss.

Other than that you next best bet is to try to improve your wifi with a better access point.

Something like this will be better than most ISP provided routers

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002YETVXC/

Or something like this should really cover a lot of area

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00HXT8S9G/

You don't need an enclosure, but you will need a power cable. You could improvise if you have a spare power supply lying around, but it sounds like that's unlikely. Your best bet is probably getting something like this.

Do not trust that drive as far as you can comfortably spit a rat, though. Just get what you can off it and discard it. Depending on how important the data is, if you can find a circuit board for exactly the same model disk (eBay can sometimes help here) that might help it hold together longer and/or let you get more data off the disk. They are usually pretty east to swap.

I've been using ASUS RT-N56U and been happy with it.

• Dual Band, Data Rate: 802.11n - up to 300Mbps data rate; Wired Performance: WAN to LAN: up to 900Mbps; LAN to LAN: 1Gbps
  
• Interface: 1x WAN port, 4x LAN ports for 10/100/1000 BaseT, Port: 2x USB 2.0 ports
  
  They also have a newer model ASUS RT-N66U
  
  
• 3 x Detachable antenna for 2.4GHz/5GHz with peak gain 3dBi/ 5dBi
  
• IPv6 support; VPN Server Support
  
• 802.11n: up to 450Mbps ; 802.11a/g: up to 54Mbps; 802.11b: up to 11Mbps
  
• Supports Ethernet and 802.3 with max. bit rate 10/100/1000 Mbps
  
• 4 x LAN ports for 10/100/1000 BaseT
  
• 2 x USB2.0 support got Printer sharing or HDD sharing

> Is there a way to quickly connect the HDD to my laptop,

You'll need something like an external enclosure or a SATA to USB adapter to be able to connect it to your laptop. The enclosure/docking station I listed is a bit overkill as it works with both 2.5" and 3.5" disk drives. You can save almost half the price if you get a dedicated 2.5" OR 3.5" dedicated enclosure.

> permanently delete the already deleted files, then disconnect it and put it back where he had it?

Assuming you can get the HDD connected to your laptop, the free version of CCeaner has the capability to permanently remove those "deleted" files that still reside on the drive. Here's a youtube video showing how it's done (sorry the guy is a little hard to understand, but I think you'll get the idea). Good luck and feel free to ask questions should you have any.

TL;DR - but made it through the first 3 paragraphs.

From that, I can say for certain that the drive is dead - the fact your system slows to a crawl once it is connected is a good identifier of this.

Now, I have had some luck in the past with the following steps:

• wrap the drive in very absorbent paper towel
  
• seal the wrapped drive in air tight ziplock bag
  
• freeze the drive for 24 hours (providing a nice long deep freeze)
  
• unseal/unwrap frozen drive and connect EXTERNALLY (This is a great tool for this - but only works on 2.5in drives)
  
• quickly start pulling files (once the drive thaws, game over)
  
  The details behind this method is that when you freeze the drive, the components constrict slightly, providing some buffer space for the heads to move along the drive without contact. If this does not work for you, then your only option is to send it in for professional recovery. My method here is fairly "safe" from doing further damage to the drive, since, you know, the details behind the method.
  
  BE CAREFUL the paper towel and air tight sealed bag is a must or you will get moisture in the drive during freezing - and this will mess it up good.
  
  
  ALTERNATIVE (and you must be really good, and very precise)
  Find another drive of the EXACT make and model of the drive that has failed. Dismantle it and swap the platters (alignment of the platters must be exact, and be careful not to damage the heads) The dead drive's platters with the good drive's components will allow you to recover the data - in fact, you can leave it like this since it's basically a new drive. This is essentially how professional data recovery is done (although they pull the platters and mount them on a special machine to read the raw data and recompile it)

Follow the power is the best method of troubleshooting.

First check if the power supply works. You can do this by either getting a power supply tester or shorting out pins 14 and 15. If the power supply doesn't start, it's dead.

If after replacing the power supply, your computer still doesn't start, take out your motherboard and start looking for black stains on or near the surface and through-hole mounted components. Start at the power connectors on the motherboard (CPU and ATX) and work your way from there. You will need good lighting and good eyesight (or magnifying glass).

Any black stains means an exploded component and should be replaced.

The same will hold true for any other peripherals, especially video cards which take power directly from the power supply.

Good luck!

Get yourself a Hard Drive Transfer Kit, this little guy has saved me more times than I care to remember! It allows you to plug any HDD (IDE or SATA), into a USB port on any PC, and transfer files as needed. Now the HDD has to be functional for this to work, but it's great for situations just like you are in, best $20 I ever spent!

My best recommendation is the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo, according to the manufacturer of your case and the manufacturer of the cooler it will fit just fine inside your case.
It has better cooling capabilities than the Noctua and it's also cheaper. Hope this helps you out and good luck!
Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-RR-212E-20PK-R2-Direct-Contact/dp/B005O65JXI/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=2A2GA6J7P609D&keywords=hyper+212+evo&qid=1554571326&s=gateway&sprefix=hyper+&sr=8-1
Newegg:
https://m.newegg.com/products/N82E16835103099

I suggest doing a virus scan that's completely outside of Windows. That way any malware that might be there will have less chance to execute and interfere with the scan. It's also useful just as a second opinion.

1. Download Xubuntu or Lubuntu and follow their instructions ( Windows USB | Windows DVD | Mac USB | Mac DVD) to put it on a flash drive or DVD. Or you could use your preferred Linux distro, if you have one. Lubuntu is more lightweight, while Xubuntu has a nicer interface. The reason you may want to burn a DVD is that some computers are unable to boot from USB.
   
2. With her computer off, plug the drive in (so that Windows has no chance to modify the drive), and boot her computer from it. Choose the "Try without installing" option.
   
3. If you're not using Ethernet, connect to WiFi (probably the default password on the side or bottom of the router). If her WiFi card doesn't work out the box, use Ethernet (perhaps via Powerline Ethernet adapters) or a well-supported USB WiFi adapter.
   
4. Look in the app menu (similar to Windows start menu) for the package manager / software center / app store / whatever they call it.
   
5. Once there, search for ClamTk. ClamTk is a GUI for an antivirus program called ClamAV. If you prefer, you can use ClamAV from the Terminal, but you'd need to look up the commands yourself.
   
6. Open ClamTk, make sure it downloads the latest virus definitions, and then tell it to do a recursive scan of a directory: the top level of her hard drive.
   
7. Let it run. It may take a while to go through all the files.
   
8. If it finds anything, look through the list to check for false positives.
   
   When finished, click on the app menu (same one as step 3) and tell it to restart. When prompted, remove the flash drive / DVD and then press enter.
   
   These are NOT complete, step-by-step instructions. They're only enough to sort of convey the general idea, so some of these may require a little trial & error or Googling. If this is new to you, try it on your own machine first before doing it on hers. VirtualBox is a free program for using virtual machines, and you could use that for practice.
   
   Keep in mind that no work or settings will be saved while booted from the flash drive. Everything is kept in RAM unless you save to a disk. Linux doesn't get installed to her machine unless you deliberately run the installer program.

good news, there's a thing called a 'powerline adapter' that will allow you to use the copper wiring in your house as a lan cable

I've used these in the past and they're excellent for your situation.If you ever need more than one port up in your room you can buy a switch to connect to this thing.

Heres a link to amazon for one i recommend:

(under $50)https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Powerline-ethernet-Adapter-TL-PA4010KIT/dp/B00AWRUICG/ref=sr_1_1_acs_ac_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1549467799&sr=1-1-acs&keywords=powerline+adapter

(under $100)https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-AV1000Mbps-Powerline-WiFi-Extender/dp/B0725LPTZR/ref=sr_1_4_acs_ac_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1549467595&sr=1-4-acs&keywords=powerline+adapter

Heres a link to a youtube video futher describing how these things work:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywQeJCa3jl8


You mentioned your house may not have the proper electrical wiring/layout in order for one of these to work. In my experience that's rarely the case, but it is possible. Amazon has an excellent return policy though. If you buy one of these and it turns out it doesn't work due to your homes electrical layout, you can always return it free of charge and be in the same boat you're in now.

that one is ancient.

and no, you would need to configure it as such with the same settings but a different wireless channel, or disable the FIOS wifi.

http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-UniFi-Access-UAP-LR-US-Version/dp/B005H4CDF4/

or

http://www.amazon.com/Business-class-High-power-Wireless-n-300MBPS-Access/dp/B005SSQHTM/

or

http://www.amazon.com/RT-N66U-Dual-Band-Wireless-N900-Gigabit-Router/dp/B006QB1RPY

put it into AP mode

or

http://www.amazon.com/Apple-AirPort-Express-Station-MC414LL/dp/B008ALA2RC/

put it into Bridge mode.

The Ubiquiti's are great if you want to us multiple and have your devices switch to the strongest signal seamlessly. i would recommend a POE injector for the EnGenius but its not required. a POE injector allows you to have the power supply up near the main router and only run an ethernet cable to the unit. the Ubiquiti MUST use an injector, but it comes with an injector.

the Asus and Apple units will be the most user friendly to install and set up.

Beep codes mean there is most likely a hardware issue, this website here supposedly can help you identify where the start looking https://www.acerrepairblog.us/aspire-5920g/phoenix-bios-beep-codes.html

Honestly with a laptop that old there is bound to be some part of the board or memory giving out. The good news is that it sounds like the hard drive could still be perfectly fine. You can buy something like this https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-SATA-Drive-Adapter-Cable/dp/B00HJZJI84/ref=sr_1_3 that can take your hard drive and mount it on someone else's PC to recover data.

What router do you currently have? I know that the Asus RT-N66U is probably some of the most robust routers (that thing can take a lot!), but, you could improve the performance of your current router by using DD-WRT.

The Linksys E3200 is also rather robust and should be able to handle simultaneous tasks over ethernet. The Wi-Fi capabilities are OK, and you can take some of the load from the 2.4 GHz band to 5 GHz if you have an iPhone 5.

The Linksys E2500 is probably the most basic you can get with how many devices you want to handle, but Ethernet is slower (no gigabit) and Wi-Fi has less TX power (which you can adjust with the right Firmware).

If you have any more questions, just ask!

There are some nice routers having price drops, but I would still recommend the ASUS RT-N66U

Feature-rich stock firmware, strong 2.4ghz channel, good hardware, flashable with dd-wrt and other 3rd party firmware.

Yea, it's not 802.11ac, but most devices still only have 802.11n adapters and I would wait for the 2nd wave of 802.11ac routers to fully cycle in before considering. There's a 802.11ac verison for $20-30 more that's just as solid.

LOL, I love that you admit you need to recover porno. I have clients dance around this all the time. "Can you backup this folder... but don't look in it please"

ANYWAY, If you only other computer is a laptop you will need an adapter to connect a desktop hard drive to your laptop. This is my favorite. If you have USB 3.0 on your laptop then this may be a better option.

Once you have it hooked up you should be able to copy onto/off it like a flash drive. If not, you may need to use some recovery tools. Recuva is free, but somewhat limited. Use it and see what you can get.

If you still can't get anything, you can use GetDataBac as a trial to see if it can find anything for you. If the demo finds stuff you want you will need to buy the full edition so you can copy it all onto your hard drive. You want the NTFS version BTW, it should be $79.

You should get the USB adapter regardless. That is a handy tool to have. Just get a universal one, then you can connect pretty much anything by USB (laptop or desktop hard drive, CD drive, even a floppy disk drive)

If they didn't delete the windows partition or format it, then bringing it up as an external drive on another Windows system should work. Everything should be accessible, although you may need to take ownership of the directories you need access to.

I like to use Rich Copy or Roadkil's Unstoppable Copier for this kind of thing because it retains the file metadata (modified date, etc) but can drop the security information so you don't have issues with it on the machine your copying to.

If these guys did format or delete the partition then you'll need a data recovery tool. Bootmed, like most other Linux based rescue CDs, uses TestDisk and PhotoRec for data recovery. Bootmed is designed for users who aren't familiar with Linux, so it's supposed to be a bit easier to work with, which is the only reason I recommend it. Ubuntu, GParted, etc all have these tools too.

EDIT: The thing with Bootmed or some other Live CD is you can use it right now with the drive in place. These all have File Explorers too, so if there's a readable NTFS partition, you'll be able to see your files and copy them to an external drive (even though it's not Windows). As long as you can download a live CD image (ISO) and burn it to a CD (as a disc image - please ask if you don't know what this means), you can work on it as soon as the CD is burned. No waiting to get an adapter.

Do you have stock cooler/radiator? is so I would look into upgrading. This one is good one Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO for budget and best on market right now. As for thermal paster Here is a pretty good one ARCTIC MX-4 Thermal Compound Paste

The thermal paste goes on top of your CPU when you fix your radiator/cooler, here is a good video on how, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2MEAnZ3swQ

Go with # 3 definitely. As others have mentioned you need to remove the drive, which should be fairly simple. The details will be different but it'll be something like what you see at 2:25 on this youtube video.

Next you'll need a IDE or SATA to USB adapter. This one on Amazon is a good one. There are other styles, some that include a case for the laptop drive (the above video shows him using a case style don't pay any attention to that part of the video). For a one time transfer the linked one is all you need.

This youtube video does a pretty good job of explaining how to connect things and access the files. The instructions for a laptop drive start at about 5:20. One thing not mentioned is that the files are most likely under the USERS directory. Under that directory will be her user name, under that will be the folders for pictures, documents, etc.

Your router might have two types of connectors at the back: One for ethernet (RJ45), one for phone (marked with the phone sign). If you plug in your phone into the designated phone plug, it's not a VoIP phone! If you only have ethernet ports, it's a VoIP phone.

If you don't have a VoIP phone and don't need one, look into cheap DECT phones. You can move your router now and have one extension of the DECT phone where your phone is currently located. It's the cheapest solution.

If you already have a VoIP phone, you can extend your network. Move the router and use e.g. powerline adapters to make the connection to the VoIP phone in another room. The powerline adapters transmit the network information via the electric cables in the wall. There will be a slight increase in latency, but VoIP has that anyway. There are proprietary wireless VoIP phones as well that work for specific router models. Check your ISP's homepage if you are interested or call them.

The solution /u/jeffrey_f suggested is viable as well, but only for VoIP phones! However it has the downsides of high cost of purchase and upkeep. In addition the latency will increase. If you don't need another router there to plug in additional devices, I would not purchase one.

Edit: /u/AizenStarcraft suggestion is a VoIP to analogue converter. You can't use that, since you'd need to run a cable.

Yeah I download a lot of movies/shows so I definitely wouldn't want to go all the way down to a 128/256 GB SSD, since that's about the most I could afford with a SSD. Rather save up to replace this laptop.

Are 5400 RPM drives preferred over 7200? I was always under the impression 7200 was better with its faster speeds (at least before SSDs came out)

As for the Seagate Hybrid. Am I understanding the tech correctly? Its basically an 8 GB SSD with a 1 TB traditional HD. And the OS would go on the SSD part while everything else goes on the traditional side?

Do you have any resources on replacing the HD? I was planning on buying this cable:

https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-SATA-Drive-Adapter-Cable/dp/B00HJZJI84/ref=pd_sim_147_2?ie=UTF8&dpID=41RlR-Q1siL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&psc=1&refRID=CMVE184DYW1R1YM8P7EG

and then cloning my current drive and then its just swapping the two? but how exactly does it know to put the OS on the SSD portion?

Thanks again for all your help, I really appreciate it.

1 Cloning is the way to go as there is no real evidence a clean install of windows is better. however it's a lot more time consuming.

2 on HDD, delete recycling bin and as many files/unused programs as possible. Then long degrag drive using degraggler

3 use this guide if windows doesn't recognize ur new SSD.

4 Follow this guide using Macrium Reflect to clone HDD to SSD. Here is a step by step video

If you have a laptop and only space for one drive you'll need to clone to the SSD while it's external and need a USB to SATA cable, enclosure etc. An enclosure might be a better choice if later you plan on using the HDD for external storage. The cable is a better choice if you plan on doing this often, for friends.


Edit: Reddit has been a total bust for computer support for me. I just condensed 15+hrs of research and execution into a few simple steps, links included, and it's downvoted. Now I know why so few people are willing to help here

If all you're looking for is an internet connection but can't run a cable across the house a Powerline adapter works pretty well, as long as they're on the same circuit.

I have these: TP-Link AV200 Nano Powerline Adapter Starter Kit, up to 200Mbps (TL-PA2010KIT) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AWRUIY4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_WHrGzbAM87XEE

Alternatively, a cheap USB adapter would be nice, I have used this one before: Edimax EW-7811Un 150Mbps 11n Wi-Fi USB Adapter, Nano Size Lets You Plug it and Forget it, Ideal for Raspberry Pi / Pi2, Supports Windows, Mac OS, Linux (Black/Gold) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003MTTJOY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_OJrGzbXJTB3PB



Ps sorry about the links, I'm on mobile...

As you said no beeping, then it's not a memory issue. If the motherboard works, your next step is to check your power supply.

I recommend getting a cheap but efficient power supply tester and see if the throughput is correct. Otherwise, a replacement power supply doesn't cost too much.

If that doesn't work, it's most likely a CPU issue, which will be pretty expensive if you have to replace it, I recommend taking your computer in to a respected hardware shop to see what they can do or have to say about it before making any expensive moves.

I suck at comparing specs (espeically mobile graphics cards), but thankfully there is CYRI (can you run it), which isn't perfect, but I have found it to be good at giving you an idea if something will run or not - it also doesn't touch on how well something will run, so you may need to tweak settings. As for tweaking those settings, I am not sure if Titanfall has the "auto" thing that most games have now to figure this out.

1. You need the wireless gaming receiver. There are a lot of 3^rd party versions out there, but they seem to suck extra hard, so look for a 'genuine' MS version. Personally, I have had a wired 360 controller for a very long time (I hate dealing with batteries) and it has worked quite well from WinXP up to Win8.1. Amazon may not be the best price - I think I saw something over at /r/GameDeals, but that's usually for a promo code at NewEgg to knock a few bucks off.
   
   
2. 360 version vs PC version? I am rather biased here, but I am going to say PC - I play at a minimum of 1080p and I likes my frame rate higher than 30 fps. I am sure there are probably some actual reasons someone can give you.
   
   
3. The game mechanics aren't going to be any different. It's the same game, but you can control how pretty it is and what controller(s) you use.
   
   
4. Using a 'second' screen would add some strain to your system, how much, I couldn't say. If I ever have that issue when gaming on my laptop (not meant for gaming in any way shape of form), I just turn down some of the graphic settings.
   
   

EDIT: I just followed your links, sounds like you are already looking at USB adapters and not internal cards. Sorry.

I like these: http://www.amazon.com/Edimax-EW-7811Un-150Mbps-Raspberry-Supports/dp/B003MTTJOY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419545144&sr=8-1&keywords=usb+wifi

Better make sure that model doesn't use a hardware whitelist for the WiFi/BT card. I'm pretty sure it does.

If so, you will need to either modify the BIOS (risky) or modify the firmware on your new wireless card (also risky).

I'd recommend a tiny USB wireless adapter.

The best solution for using WiFi on your desktop would probably be to get a PCI wireless card, like this one.

If you aren't comfortable adding a PCI card, or don't have any space for one, you can get a USB wireless adapter, such as this one.

Finally, if you want a better solution that's not running a long cable, buy power line adapters. You plug one into a socket near the router and connect it via Ethernet to the router, then you plug another one in beside your PC and run Ethernet from it to your PC. It uses the wiring in the house to carry data, and is often better than WiFi.

Personally, I would go with the power line adapters then the PCI wireless card.

"My question is, is there a way to take that one Ethernet connection that is going straight to the PC and put it into a splitter or something that allows me to have multiple Ethernet ports so I could hook up one to the desktop"

You can get a Switch. Yes like the person below stated. Think of it this way, if you want more then ONE computer to that area, why not have this person run 4 lines and then get a 4 Gang Wall Plate to the end of it.

So :

MODEM in room to >>>> Switch 4 port >>>> CABLE LINES RUN TO ROOM TO >>>>> $ Gang Wall Plate and 4 rj45 ends.

Also use for Cat 6 cable.

Best of both worlds, since most ISP router modems have like 4 ports in the back for multiple connections. Also if you hire this CABLE LAYER, tell him you will buy the cable (like the one above) and save yourself a surcharge. U bet you'd pay 150$ a box or more if they come in with it.

I've got one of these Edimax mini USB Wifi's and it works real good. It is showing < $10 and if you look at the "Other Sellers on Amazon" to the right, you will see several listed for < $10 with free shipping. This little guy works great. His antenna is obviously small, so the range isn't ideal for all situations. I personally was quite surprised at the range and never noticed the lack of a full antenna in my use of it. Your perspective may vary.

This other product has an actual antenna and is ~$5 with free shipping all day long. I can't attest to its quality though.

Either one, on one of the many cheap similar "mini USB wifi" adapters, should get you by for awhile, if nothing else.

I would pay attention to what you buy however. A lot of the newer SATA-USB adapters are made for USB 3.0 and are listed as being "optimized" for SSD drives and only have a single USB 3.0 connector. What this means is that if you don't plug the adapter into a USB 3.0 port (usually blue, but they are sometimes not marked as such) then your hard drive won't be able to draw the necessary power to spin the drives and read/write data.

The older models (like the one I use) got around this by using two USB 2.0 cables, one for power and date and one for strictly power. If you're not sure if you have USB 3.0 capable ports, I would make sure you look for something like this that has a separate power supply, just to be safe. If you think plugging in SATA drives is something you'll be doing fairly often, I would consider even splurging for a docking station (similar to this one) to make life easier for you.

Dude. Go for the ethernet through power lines adapter first(btw this is more commonly called a powerline adapter).

This one has 500 mbps, which is considerably higher bandwidth than wifi. It will also give you lower latency, and a generally more stable connection. Take it from me, I have had some TERRIBLE experiences with wifi repeaters. Powerline ftw.

Or you could go all out and get the best of both worlds. Buy one of these, another router, and a powerline adapter. Then what you do is you set it up downstairs (where you normally have your router), and have it go, modem -> ethernet switch -> old router. Then plug one end of the powerline adapter into the switch.

Then plug in the powerline adapter into the wall upstairs where you want wifi. Plug in your new router to it. Set the SSID (the wifi name of your router), as the same name as the router you have downstairs. BAM. You now have STRONG wifi anywhere in the house. Devices will automatically connect to the router with the stronger signal. It will only appear as one wifi network on phones, tablets, etc.

I have read all of your post (including updates) as well as everyone's comments, and although I am neither as technically skilled nor as experienced as you, I do believe you and I are having the same issue.

The utterly strange part is that you have employed a TP-Link brand smart switch, and I have employed a TP-Link Ethernet power-line adapter. I sure hope there isn't some correlation here, because this adapter has been one of the best things I've ever purchased. I guess I'll start some testing on my own end to see if I can reproduce the issue without this product in service. Like you, I've tested the CPU, GPU, RAM, and power supply to no avail, and it would seem that drivers have not caused my issue either.


I hope we can figure this out.

I use a Asus n66u with merlin firmware its been rock solid for me. I like ASUS routers but Apple routers are also rock solid products too

AC is new wireless that will improve on the 5GHZ signal and AC is able to go through concert walls and such better and offer better speeds in a LAN (i think), but you will pay a premium for that.

http://www.trustedreviews.com/opinions/802-11ac-vs-802-11n-what-s-the-difference

Asus N66U- http://www.amazon.com/RT-N66U-Dual-Band-Wireless-N900-Gigabit-Router/dp/B006QB1RPY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408222428&sr=8-1&keywords=asus+n66u

Asus n68u - http://www.amazon.com/RT-AC68U-Wireless-AC1900-Dual-Band-Gigabit-Router/dp/B00FB45SI4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408222403&sr=8-1&keywords=asus+n68u

For internet package, get the best internet-only you can afford (based on actual price and not some "deal" or "promo" pricing). If you do find a good deal/promo pricing, get a recording where a CSR tells you that you will be locked in at this price for X months. If they try to hike the price up on you, play back the recording. If you are out of the promo pricing period and they try to hike up prices even higher than non-promo pricing, you can threaten to leave but you don't really have any fallback if they just say OK and don't transfer you to retention. Based on all the terribad customer support on some ISPs, I'd just record any conversation you have with them.

Don't rent any hardware from them. Pick up this modem if needed, and any name brand router (remember you don't need a dual band router if you don't have any devices that can talk on the 5GHz band).

EDIT: More

Monoprice has good and cheap cables, but anything with high enough ratings will be fine. You'll need Cat5e Ethernet cabling if you want gigabit, but you really should be running 5e/6 even if you don't have gigabit NICs.

For router security, WPA2 on (WPA if no WPA2) with a non-dictionary password, WPS off. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES USE WEP.

If the hard drive is still functional, then yes, it'll basically act like an external hard drive. There are a few variables (partition type), but it is likely to work. Make sure to get a good adaptor. One like this should do just fine.

I'll also recommend this. Either the SB6141 that /u/Demache linked to, which I've heard great things about, or the one I recently purchased and installed, the SB6121, which is currently $17.72 cheaper, but it only gets 172Mbps down vs 343Mbps on the SB6141.

As far as routers go, I've been using a WZR-D1800H that I bought refurbished last year with 0 problems. (other than bricking it myself. Note: DD-WRT is NOT stable on this router. I would highly recommend sticking with the stock firmware if you buy this.) When I did the research last year it seemed like this router was the best bang for your buck when it comes to being future proof, having high throughput, and reliability.

I'll be up front, that is not good news. What I'm about to tell you is actually my least favorite part of my job. It sounds to me like your external drive's controller board is fine, but your hard disk might be failing.

If you are comfortable enough and have another drive that will fit for testing, swap another drive in there and try to read it. If you get nothing, your controller is fucked and you should get one of these and back up its contents ASAP.

There's also a chance that it's been formatted RAW. In this case, if you're okay with rolling the dice, you can attempt to clean it with diskpart, format it and go back over it with Recuva or Shadow Explorer to help you retrieve your files. Do so at your own risk! But it is important to know that when you format a disk, you aren't deleting the data. You're telling the drive that it is okay to write over any data on the disk. So don't write anything to it and you will be fine.

Barring that, you may need to seek out advanced data recovery services. A platter transfer might be necessary and is best left to a data recovery specialist. This can be very costly.

There's an unfortunate final option, which is that there is no Sata to USB converter inside the drive and it goes straight to USB. Straight to data recovery.

Edited because Amazon puts all that extra shit in your clipboard when you share from the site.

Awesome, thanks. Out of curiosity, do you know what kind of speed I will need with/in the switch to not slow me down too much?

I get something like 24Mb/s. Would a cheap splitter cause a bottleneck? Or will they all cover that?

I was looking at something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-SF1005D-5-port-100Mbps-Desktop/dp/B000FNFSPY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412096871&sr=8-1&keywords=ethernet+switch

>at least getting some compressed gas dusters and blowing out the enclosure.

FTFY


Please don't use the "canned air" name or suggestion, as it implies incorrectly that these gas dusters have "air" in them. They don't, and for the most part, are not that great anyways.


Remember kids, "canned air" is not air, and in fact, are not even close to air. Older ones are propane and butane(have some still, last forever, not good in enclosed spaces or around sparks or flames of any kind, anywhere near), newer ones are usually fluorocarbons instead, but they will still burn.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_duster

This is something I suggest to all when I see it. If you want something that you can use safely in any environment, I suggest you get one of these blowers. While it seems pricey at first, consider that a pack of new Gas dusters, with fluorocarbons, which last much less than hydrocarbons did, will run you about $25, and will only last a few time uses each can, and can only be used in short busts because of the nature of the way they pack all that in there(might cause frostbite too if used too long), blowers like this one will cost you one time, and work hundreds of times, with no use on the time limit you have with them, and best of all, they won't cause frostbite.

OK. I see on the TP-Link page you sent an illustration that helped clear things up for me.

One unit plugged in next to the router, connected by an Ethnernet cable.

One unit plugged in next to where I want better wifi, connected to "any device" with an Ethernet cable.

Now... what would that "any device" be? Is that the AP? I'm guessing AP means access point. OK! Is that one of these things, Ubiquiti Networks Unifi 802.11ac Dual-Radio PRO Access Point (UAP-AC-PRO-US)?

I'd recommend you take it somewhere than can take the drive out and back it up, so you can access the files. Or you could pick up a sata to usb adapter and do it yourself, but you'd likely have to order one from Amazon, or MAYBE pick one up at Best Buy. Amazon

You could also create a bootable Linux flash drive, and back the files up through Linux. Here's a guide to that.

"Note A standard Xbox 360 wireless controller can be connected to a Windows PC, but you must have an Xbox 360 Wireless Gaming Receiver to play games, even if you have an Xbox 360 Play & Charge Kit."

Taken straight off of Xbox's support page.

I used to use one of these https://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Xbox-Wireless-Receiver-Windows/dp/B000HZFCT2

You might be able to find it cheaper somewhere else that's just the first one I found when googling.

I would play it safe--if you're concerned about data, before doing anything with the laptop, pull the HDD out, assure it has no liquid and keep it in a warm dry space for a little while. Then use a SATA -> USB connector to back the files up to another computer before attempting to power it on inside a potentially wet/damaged laptop.

As for the laptop itself, I'd look into potentially disassembling it as much as you can (look for guides on this and be very careful of thin, breakable cables), and wiping down components that you see beer on carefully, with 91% isopropyl alcohol and a lint/dust free cloth or q-tip. Beer is yeasty and sticky, so you'll want to get it off any components. Isopropyl alcohol as pure as possible is my go-to for component cleaning because it's generally safe on plastics and dries very quickly from electrical components.

Yes, we have 3-pin plugs over here.

Here is the same make/model as I had but with US plug type. (via Amazon.com)

Shop around as you may find them cheaper elsewhere, but Amazon is pretty good with its prices for most things.

The easiest solution:
return the new modem to comcast, as well as the old one

buy this

Save your parents $10 a month on rental fees, and ensure that they don't have an open wifi network run by and visible to Comcast in their home.

Yeah you're totally good man, just wait and see if you can pick up a sata cable or buy one https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-SATA-Drive-Adapter-Cable/dp/B00HJZJI84 and then reset it on a friends PC. You could also save yourself that headache and just format a USB drive to boot into and then boot from the USB drive!

Yes and no. That one wouldn't work but there are products like it that have the 22-pin sata connections that HDD and SSDs use. Also make sure to get a USB 3.0 or 3.1 model.
They also make enclosures that fit 2.5" (laptop size) drives so that you can turn them into portable hard drives.

Let's see I should have the one that i bought in my amaz history...
Yep. It's out of stock now. But here's a similar one.
https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-USB3S2SAT3CB-Drive-Adapter-Cable/dp/B00HJZJI84/

Out of curiosity what are you using it for?

Stuff like this is why I like to purchase my own router. Cable companies either want to charge you a rental fee or force you to be a hotspot to pay for the router.
Good routers are very reasonably priced. For example:
SB6121 SURFboard DOCSIS 3.0

Edit: Well that was a cable modem. Let's post some routers instead. Thanks /u/A_Water_Fountain

ASUS RT-N66U

or something cheaper:

ASUS RT-N16

Likely the audio chip got shorted out someway or another then. If you're cheap you can get USB audio for like $7.

https://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-External-Adapter-Windows-AU-MMSA/dp/B00IRVQ0F8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1501798280&sr=8-3&keywords=usb+audio

Ideally imo you'll want an external audio card as it'll sound a lot better than $7 audio. $38 for a sound blaster card which would sound a lot better than the USB audio.

https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Blaster-Audigy-Performance-Headphone/dp/B00EO6X4XG/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1501798360&sr=1-3&keywords=sound+card

Sorry for your loss. As the other user mentioned for the PC you should be Able to remove the hard drive from it , (generally located for easy access by removing a few screws on the underside of the laptop.) A USB to Sata adapter cable would make this a simple process, you simply plug the hard drive into the sata adapter and the usb into another PC. It essentially enables you to read the drive like a flash drive. This will only work providing the drive isn’t encrypted, by encrypted I don’t mean the windows password, I mean something like BitLocker. But it’s certainly worth a shot. Good luck.

Can you recommend a router? or should pretty much any do?

i've been looking at these four, I like the bufalo because of the dd wrt, and i like the asus because you can change out the antanae

http://www.amazon.com/BUFFALO-AirStation-HighPower-Wireless-WZR-600DHP/dp/B0096239G0/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1367438283&sr=1-1&keywords=buffalo+router

http://www.amazon.com/BUFFALO-AirStation-HighPower-Gigabit-Wireless/dp/B005CSOE1G/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1367438283&sr=1-4&keywords=buffalo+router

http://www.amazon.com/RT-N66U-Dual-Band-Wireless-N900-Gigabit-Router/dp/B006QB1RPY/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1367438300&sr=1-1&keywords=asus+router

http://www.amazon.com/RT-AC66U-Dual-Band-Wireless-AC1750-Gigabit-Router/dp/B008ABOJKS/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1367438300&sr=1-2&keywords=asus+router


I just don't know what the specs mean or how they compare

You can quite likely find disassembly instructions online for one, and for two, draw a map of the laptop on a piece of paper, then tape the screws you remove to that map. Layer by layer.

Lastly, consider getting this rather than cans of compressed air. It costs about as much as 4-7 cans, but it'll last forever and it's also great for blowing up air mattresses and other fun stuff.

As far as a top class router at an awesome price I would recommend this. We use them in all our businesses we support. I can't mention a time the router actually had to be reset for any internet issues where it wasn't the ISP's fault.

Don't use driver tools like "Driver Talent" or any such "helpful driver software". They are all full of it, and either don't work or don't install the correct drivers. Did your card come with any driver disk (old school)? I have done some searching for you and can't find any official drivers for it. I would highly recommend to just buy a new wifi card. This is the one I have in my system. I know it's more on the pricey side, but this one I just put into a friends PC I built. I did find this driver, if you want to keep trying.

You said it was "an Xfinity router", so they should be replacing it.

Other than that, it's really a matter of personal preference. I personally don't get anything under $50 (too many bad experiences), and tend to get a $100-ish device. I like Asus and I like sales. So this one : http://www.amazon.com/RT-N66U-Dual-Band-Wireless-N900-Gigabit-Router/dp/B006QB1RPY at Amazon seems a pretty good deal. But again, there are as many opinions on what constitutes a "good router" as there are people on this forum.

Basically any PCIe wifi adapter will work. I'd get something like this

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Wireless-Express-Adapter-TL-WDN4800/dp/B007GMPZ0A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492674096&sr=8-1&keywords=pcie+wireless

It has more features than you need, but still isn't that expensive at $35

If you just want the bare minimum at $16

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Wireless-PCI-Express-Adapter-TL-WN881ND/dp/B0079XWMEI/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1492675033&sr=1-2&keywords=pcie+wireless

Assuming you don't live a densely populated area where lots of people will have their own networks, or your router is close to your computer then the second will be perfectly fine. The first will provide a bit more future proofing such as being able to connect to 5ghz networks.

For sure:

The way I do it is I remove the hard drive from the computer (you should be able to Google "<computer type/model> harddrive removal" and find documentation for it), then you would need the appropriate usb cables to connect that computer to another. Once it's connected, it'll act like an external harddrive, from there you just copy it to the computer you're on.

The cables vary depending on the type of harddrive (laptop/desktop), but something like this bundle is cheap and has them all: http://www.amazon.com/Drive-Adapter-Converter-Optical-External/dp/B001OORMVQ

So basically you're turning the harddrive into an external harddrive temporarily so you can access/copy the files from the user account. Make sense? Happy to answer more questions.

okay so what you need is a displayport/dvi to VGA adapter
dvi to vga,
displayport to vga.
even though there is a pretty big price difference, either will work just fine, just giving you options. you will plug one end of the adapter into the card and the cord goes from the other end to the monitor. Then it should work with the monitor, and will be able to dual screen or mirror screen with the monitor and TV if you wish.

You've got two real options:

First is a switch like this for like ten bucks

This technically puts you on whatever network the campus' router is putting you on. They could keep everything isolated on a per port basis... or they could have you networked to internal resources... or even to the entire dorm. You could probably tell by opening up network places and seeing if anything pops up.

Second is a router. I'd say get a wireless one and then you'd be able to share your own wireless SSID to your phones/tablets/laptops or whatever. For 30$ you can get this Asus one. I like Asus because it's pretty easy to configure their stuff and you're able to use it as an AP, Repeater, Router or a plain old switch if you want to.

I'd suggest a router so you'll have your own firewall and you'll be able to setup your own wireless network in your dorm.

Yikes, that's pretty high, I'd definitely try replacing the cooler and use some good thermal paste. I recommend http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Hyper-212-RR-212E-20PK-R2/dp/B005O65JXI/ and http://www.amazon.com/Arctic-Silver-Thermal-Compound-Grams/dp/B000OGX5AM/

I would say its depending in the ambiental temps. Here we are at 38°C and my idle CPU is ranging from 35 to 45°C, and I find it pretty normal. But I find yours to be just fine. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong though.

The Coolermaster Hyper 212 Evo seems pretty good at that price range.

After a lot of google searching and a phone call to comcast WE have fixed the problem! My wireless wifi card doesn't work well with windows 10. I downloaded a new driver(for windows 7) and now it works. Oh btw I have a [tl-wdn4800] (http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-WDN4800-Wireless-Express-Low-profile/dp/B007GMPZ0A) but this is what it looked like before the driver and after the driver Thanks for the help! EDIT the before and after are backwards

Hi.

Probably just need what’s called a WiFi extender or booster it boosts your signal for your wireless devices. I do have one more solution for you. It’s called a TP-Link adapter. You might not understand what that is so I’ll explain. You get a package of them with two boxes they boxes have a Ethernet port on them. One of the boxes goes in the room with the router and a cable going to it with it plugged in. Now the second box you can put anywhere in your house or garage if it’s on the same circuit board this second box can be plugged in anywhere in your house and garage and it goes into a outlet and you can use a small cable to any device that way. It sends the internet through the power lines in your house. And you can buy more boxes for other rooms in your house.


Here’s what I’m using so i can vouch for this product and this brand it’s amazing I have one in my router room another in-my bedroom.

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-AV600-Powerline-Ethernet-Adapter/dp/B00AWRUICG

In a nut shell this gives you wired internet to any room or place in your house or garage without a long cable or feeding it under your house or below or stuff like that.

External storage is a stop-gap measure at best; as is cloud storage. But you're in luck, because the 2013 MacBook Pro is easy to upgrade with a larger hard drive or SSD. (Some newer models can't be upgraded.)

1. Start by checking the 'About This Mac' option in Finder to confirm which model you have.
   
   
2. Decide on the capacity you need to buy. SSDs slow down and become more prone to failure when they're used for long periods at close to their capacity so buy at least one size up from what you use. (e.g. is you store 200GB, don't buy a 250GB, get the 500GB).
   
   
3. If you have any thoughts of adding RAM at the same time, it's cheap, easy to do, and for machines with only 4GB, can significantly improve performance. If you have or are planning to upgrade to OS to Sierra, then you definitely want more than 4GB. Enter your MacBook Pro model information here and they'll show you the right RAM.
   
   
4. Watch a youtube video on how to replace the hard drive. It's super easy; as is adding RAM.
   
   
5. After you're don't you'll reload the OS via the Internet but you'll need a way to connect the old drive to the computer so you can copy your data files to the new drive. An inexpensive USB-SATA adapter will do the job.

Ok cool thought that woudl be the case as some motherboards have a second fan for CPU for cases of aftermarket coolers.

For removing dust I use an air compressor if you don't have access to one you could try one of the following:

• Compressed air in a can
  
• DATA-VAC
  
  Whatever you use make sure it has a plastic end too protect your machine from ESD.
  
  Do you know how to replace the thermal paste?

Then yes, you would benefit from a upgrade.

I'd recommend this. http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-WDN4800-Wireless-Express-Low-profile/dp/B007GMPZ0A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419112389&sr=8-1&keywords=tp-link+pci+5ghz

I can help you check if it will work.

I'd recommend getting an external USB to sATA adapter like this model:

https://smile.amazon.com/StarTech-com-USB3S2SAT3CB-Drive-Adapter-Cable/dp/B00HJZJI84?sa-no-redirect=1

I have some variation of this which is very helpful however this does require plugging the drive into a different PC. To mitigate this boot the PC off a live Ubuntu disk (DVD or USB) and use the file manager built in to copy files to another external drive like a flash drive.

Pull the drive out of the laptop, boot the PC to the live ubuntu image, connect the drive it to the adapter, plug it into the PC, and pull files via the file manager. You can then use built in disk tools to format the drive ready for reinstall. You don't need to DBAN it but could if you wanted to. A single format is probably fine.

Once done, with all files on a new drive, shutdown and unplug then use the media creation tool to get a current installation media for Windows. If you are using Windows 7 it might be complicated to find media.

Ok, so an update.

-Latest drivers have made no difference
-Deleting the drivers under Device Manager and reinstalling did not work
-Speakers worked for a little bit, while the headsets did not, but now speakers are full of static like the headset again
-Device Manager lists Realtek High Definition Audio AND AMD High Definition Audio Device

I'm at a bit of a loss on what to do. I would like to fix this so we can spend time together over the holidays, but I ordered a USB sound device as well, just in case we can't fix this. Any more ideas?

Edit: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IRVQ0F8?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=od_aui_detailpages00 is the device I purchased. One additional note as well:

-Using the "test" feature for speakers works fine-there is no static in that regard.

You can buy your own modem, if you'd like. If you'll use it for a least a year you probably break even versus the lease costs for the one they "gave" you.

The modem I have is an SB6141. I've had zero issues with it.

The SB6121 is a little cheaper and quite similar; it has a lower (but still high) speed cap.

The router I have is an Asus RT-N66U. It's 802.11N, not AC, but I've been happy with it. I don't have devices that support AC yet anyway.

I use something like this because I constantly need to plug internal drives into various computers and don't like to go through the time of putting it into an external hd case. If you don't think you'll need to use the adapter in the future though, a case works great and then you have the added bonus of having a new external HD floating around.

Probably your CPU. Have you considered replacing the cooler? The CPU cooler for the AMD FX series CPUs is not very good. It generates a lot of noise and doesn't cool the CPU very well. I suggest something like the this:https://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Hyper-212-RR-212E-20PK-R2/dp/B005O65JXI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486646840&sr=8-1&keywords=cooler+master+212+evo

Also make sure you have proper airflow through your case. You said you have one fan, but you may want to put a few more in. Make sure the case is pulling air in through the front and pushing it out the top and back.

Something like [this] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000J01I1G/ref=pd_aw_sim_147_of_6?ie=UTF8&dpID=41mJqEr4cwL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_SL500_SR100%2C100_&refRID=1SXCC5CFDNMP4W2JXVN7) should work.

As for a gift, I'd rather you make a donation to a worthwhile charity such as a local food bank, animal shelter, or tech education program.

What you do now really depends on how much money you want to sink into the thing.

It's a pretty safe bet the CPU is toast, and you can replace that E6600 for >$10 on ebay, so I'd start there.

PSU testers are cheap, and could be considered a reasonable investment generally. If you've got a multimeter and a paper clip, you can save the ~$10.

For the motherboard...not much you can do short of throwing a new CPU in there.

Might be time to upgrade the heatsync.

My CPU hit 85-90C while running ARK prior. Now runs between 30-35C. An obvious, but important note, make sure all your fans are pushing air the same direction.

Edit: Pretty inexpensive upgrade ($30). Cooler Master. Large unit, almost did not fit in my case. Not a difficult installation either, I just watched a couple YouTube videos.

Depends on if your old laptop hard drive has IDE or SATA interface. If they are both SATA it should be easy and quick.

• Get your desktop updated and running and then shut it down. Pull power cord.
  
• Start Steam on your laptop and use the option to back up your games. This should create a big file.
  
• Shut down your laptop, pull power cord and battery.
  
• Pop the desktop case open and look for the SATA cables, they are typically red and the power cables that go with them.
  
• Open up your laptop and pull the hard drive.
  
• Use another SATA data cable that came with your system or pull power/data off of your DVD burner.
  
• Plug your laptop hard drive into your computer using the power and data cables. It is ok if it dangles, just don't short anything out.
  
• Boot up your desktop and you should see your old hard drive. Navigate to the Steam back up file and copy over to your new computer under a temporary folder.
  
• Start Steam on the new computer and use the option to recover from the back up.
  
• Go make some waffles, because waffles are tasty.
  
  If your old laptop has an IDE interface, go and order one of these and then use it to connect to your new computer.
  
  That should be the fastest. But transferring anything other than save data across computers is screwed now days. If you don't understand any of these steps, use Google. Good luck.

Yep, agree with the other guy. You’ll need an adapter so your computer can read the drive.

https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-SATA-Drive-Adapter-Cable/dp/B00HJZJI84/ref=mp_s_a_1_2_sspa?keywords=sata+to+usb&qid=1563420014&s=gateway&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1

Plug the weird looking end into the drive carefully, ensure it’s straight on there and not at an angle. Plug the rectangular end into the computer and open windows explorer. The files should be there on the left side navigation pane. Windows will give it a drive letter like D: or E:

it is possible to short out the ports my best suggestion would be to pickup a USB to 3.5mm converter off amazon for like 3 bucks and use it

I have used this one many time and it has worked quit well

You will not need to buy another Windows license, as the one you have is tied to the BIOS of the laptop. But, it's a good idea to link it to a MS account just in case.

To clone the HDD to the SSD you can use Macrium Reflect which is free. It's a simple straight forward process. You will need a USB to SATA adapter, or an enclosure, to do this.

Cloning is fine and seems to be the route you want to take as you mention you do not want to re-install all your programs, settings, etc. The only drawback is it's not a fresh/clean install.

No. Not saying that. You won't be able to boot from that drive, but you should be able to mount it. You have a few options: put a different drive in the iMac and install your 10.4, or acquire 10.5, and install that. Get one of these http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001OORMVQ/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1312802147&sr=8-1 and hook up your old drive externally via USB. The drive will still mount, as long as there's nothing wrong with it. Copy your stuff and wipe that drive.

Otherwise if you have a windows PC, get something like "Mac drive" and hook it up over USB using the bridge I linked on amazon. Either way, you're good to go. Let me know how it turns out

Could be that your CPU is dead. It would allow the laptop to show a power light but never actually turn on in any way.

Just get a basic external sata connector and take the hard drive out of the laptop, connect it to a different computer and transfer the files. Something like thisshould work perfectly fine.

Interesting. Of course the manufacturer of your laptop put the USB ports right next to each other... wouldn't that just be the most illogical thing to do...?

It probably was connecting to a network using the built in wireless card in your laptop and it's nothing to concern yourself with.

This is kind of a weird situation but ultimately I'd recommend buying a new wireless adapter. You can try uninstalling the old driver for your USB wireless card in Device Manager on your desktop PC and then shutting down the PC, rebooting it with the USB device in and hoping it works, but I think you'd be surprised at how much of a hardware bottleneck a USB wireless adapter is. If you do look into one, here's used listings for my person PCI wireless card for $18.00 from the same seller I bought mine from.

50 Mbps is a great connection, congrats.

Modem: Motorola:

http://www.amazon.com/Motorola-SURFboard-SB6141-DOCSIS-High-Speed/dp/B007IMPMW4

http://www.amazon.com/Arris-Motorola-SB6121-SURFboard-DOCSIS/dp/B004XC6GJ0/ref=zg_bs_284715_1

Your two TVs: connect them with ethernet cables if you can. Wired is better.

You don't give a budget but, if you can afford the Apple Airport Extreme (either the new Gen 6, or the recent Generation 5), that will fill your needs nicely.

If not apple: Asus, and get the RT n56U at a minumum.

http://www.amazon.com/AirPort-Extreme-802-11n-5th-Generation/dp/B0057AVXJA/ref=zg_bs_300189_18

A lot of IT professionals use the Apple Airport Extreme at home, the reason being they don't want to have to deal with network hassles. It just works.

http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-Dual-Band-Wireless-N-Router-RT-N56U/dp/B0049YQVHE/ref=zg_bs_300189_10

http://www.amazon.com/RT-N66U-Dual-Band-Wireless-N900-Gigabit-Router/dp/B006QB1RPY/ref=zg_bs_300189_2

http://www.amazon.com/RT-AC66U-Dual-Band-Wireless-AC1750-Gigabit-Router/dp/B008ABOJKS/ref=zg_bs_300189_3

None of these routers is cheap, but, with a 50Mbps connection, a cheap router is not going to be able to keep up.

I'll suggest that you get them separate, mainly for two big reasons in my head:

1. As /u/wft_gamer pointed out below somewhere around here, combo units typically aren't as reliable (in my experience as well) and will lack features.
   
2. Separation allows you to only replace one of two devices, instead of one whole device in case. You'll want a reliable modem and a separate router also because you can replace just the router if you are so inclined to, such as when you're looking for some shiny new features, like 802.11ac or Gigabit Ethernet.
   
   I suggest getting the SB6121, which supports DOCSIS 3.0, something important that you'll need to keep in mind when purchasing modems so that you'll get the most bandwidth out of your connection. Then pick out a router that you like.
   
   If you are set on picking out a combined router/modem combo (again, not advised), here are key words you'll want to find (they're usually promoted somewhere on the box in big letters):
   
   

• DOCSIS (that's the cable modem standard)
  
• Wireless-N (That's a home router feature)
  
• 4-port (Router)
  
• Router/Modem (Okay, this one is sorta obvious.)
  

• Clean your PC with a power duster. You probably just have excess dust and debris in your system and fans.
  
  That is easily the best product I have ever purchased.

You could update and get something like http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-Wireless-Express-Adapter-TL-WDN4800/dp/B007GMPZ0A/ref=sr_1_5?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1464989349&sr=1-5&keywords=5+ghz+wireless+adapter

and run the 5 ghz.

If you already on 2.5 ghz it could be that you have some interference on there but you never know either if the wireless router supports 2.5 and or 5 ghz.

I would report the issue to your land lord too because it could be there equipment and if you paying for it, might as well look at their end of it as well.

The closest thing that you're going to find is powerline ethernet. You can run a signal through the electrical wiring. It's not going to be the same speeds, but it may be moderately better than your wireless connection. I don't have EXTENSIVE experience with them, but I know that they work and I've given them out to a few clients who experience similar issues.

Something like this.

EDIT: See this response. It's important to note that you may have issues with this type of device and they are not entirely reliable. If it were me, I'd go wired if at all possible.

Here's a good switch that I use for my computer setup in my room. They are pretty inexpensive and easy to setup!

Does the speed drop during certain parts of the day? For instance, the speed is fine in the morning, but in the evening it's extremely slow. This would most likely be because you're sharing a node with everyone in the apartment.

Next question is, do you have a Docsis 3.0 modem? Unless you also utilize a Concast phone system, I highly recommend you purchase your own modem and notify them of it. Then send back the one you're renting for $7 bucks a month.

quick question would you say either of these are good choices to get? i mean do they have good specs at first glance?

http://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-SATA-Drive-Converter-USB-DSC5/dp/B000HJ99DI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449650088&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=sata+ide&psc=1

http://www.amazon.com/SANOXY-A12940-Drive-Adapter-Converter/dp/B001OORMVQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449650647&sr=8-1&keywords=sata+ide&refinements=p_n_condition-type%3A6461716011

should i go for more expensive? will these break down in like 3 days cause of the cost?

If running cable isn't an option, power line network adapters might be a solution. They communicate using electric wiring.

The catch is the performance is dependent on how your home is wired. I got my parents a pair of these and they work great, but your milage may vary: http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-PA4010KIT-Powerline-Adapter-Starter/dp/B00AWRUICG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422637832&sr=8-1&keywords=tp-link+powerline

Latency isn't as good as ethernet, but tends to be better (and more consistent) than wireless in my experience with them.

(Not sure what country you're in, but they make different models for different types of electric outlets.)

Hey,

Still using USB, but I would suggest just temporally pulling out the drive and using a SATA to USB. Your computer will see the hard drive like a USB drive and you will be able to pull everything off in one go.

Here's a link. Only $9 and super handy to have around:

http://www.amazon.com/Drive-Adapter-Converter-Optical-External/dp/B001OORMVQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422332172&sr=8-1&keywords=desktop+drive+to+usb

First of all, you need to get a USB 3 dock to get good speeds: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LS5NFQ2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_dQosybY4Q9SNW

USB 2 can only handle up to 40MB/s and on many computers doesn't get more than about 25MB/s. USB 3 can handle the full speed of the hard drive and will be a much better experience.

And yes, you will be able to access the drive just fine, and be able to reformat it to use as a storage drive .

Not sure if you're talking about this one, but I found one that looks good on Amazon, here
If you want something a bit more... sturdy, there's one here as well.

If it's a wireless controller you would need something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-360-Wireless-Gaming-Receiver-Windows/dp/B000HZFCT2

If it's a wired unit and you're running Win 7, you can just plug it in and it will be recognized like any other game controller.

http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-360-Wireless-Gaming-Receiver-Windows/dp/B000HZFCT2 - I have this and it works. The xbox 360 controller just shows up as a standard gaming controller. A lot of the new games auto detect that it is attached and auto re-map the controls. You can get these all over the place, including best buy, amazon, ebay, etc. Hope this helps.

Also, microsoft has software you need to install...

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/933710

If the system won't POST with the IDE drives then it has nothing to do with Windows. The best solution, if you just need the data off, is to leave them removed from the system and get an IDE-to-USB converter like this one, boot from the SSD, and then pull the data off each drive as if it was just an external drive (because it is, that's all externals are).

I'm with what /u/Wokuworld said with regard to the TAP adapters. So. Many. Virtual. Adapters.

As /u/tapharoot the one DNS setting is incorrect however everything appears to be fine.

As you said the issue only occurs on wireless yet all other wireless devices are fine I'd suggest drivers but you've tried those too. Your easiest bet would be to buy something like a small edimax wifi adapter such as this one: https://amzn.com/B003MTTJOY

1. It needs power some will work off USB, You can but don't have to. This is a cheap and effective one that we used at work for years. http://www.amazon.com/Vantec-CB-ISATAU2-Supports-2-5-Inch-5-25-Inch/dp/B000J01I1G
   
2. Doesn't matter, if you aren't going to be using it as a place to play games off instead of just copying the data get 3.0 if your laptop has supports 3.0. 2.0 is going to be MUCH cheaper.
   
3. If you're going to permanently use it as a external maybe Price is a factor if this is a one time deal, then no just buy what ever is on sale.

Is there any chance you can get the exact name of your wireless card? you can simply go to the maker's website and try updating your drivers.

Also I'd like to know the motherboard, its hard to tell now whether you have a dedicated wireless card, or you're using one thats built into your motherboard.

As for my recommendations you should definitley stay on rj45 if you plan on doing any fps games or anything that require low ping, but if you need a replacement if wifi is the only option, you can go for this or this (depending how much gain from the antennae you need).

http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-WDN4800-Wireless-Express-Low-profile/dp/B007GMPZ0A/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1426397992&sr=1-1&keywords=wireless+adapter

http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-WN722N-Wireless-Adapter-External/dp/B002SZEOLG/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1426397941&sr=8-16&keywords=wireless+adapter

As others said wireless N card will be better.

Also I realize wired Ethernet may not be possible But power line networking is usually very reliable. You could try a Powerline Kit like this one they are pretty cheap. I've been gaming on the AV500 kit for nearly 2 years and absolutely zero issues.

You'll certainly need to buy something.

Here's one possible solution: First, purchase this DAC, this y-splitter, and two 3.5mm cables. Connect the y-splitter to the PS4 headset jack. Connect the DAC and headset to your PC. Use one cable to connect the green port on the y-splitter to the red port on the DAC; use the other to connect the green port on the DAC to the red port on the y-splitter.

Follow these instructions or something similar to "listen" to your mic. Select the USB audio output in step 4. This will send it to the PS4's input. Do the same thing to "listen" to your USB DAC's mic input. Select the headset in step 4. This will send the PS4 audio to your headset.

If you have any questions, feel free to comment.

http://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Electronics-External-Sound-Cards/zgbs/electronics/3015427011

pick one.

a 7 dollar sound adapter is probably worth what you would expect.

i would actually just spend 30 usd and buy 3 cheapest and see witch of them work the best.

the problem with these is, that realtek sounchip that we probably all use cost like 80 cents.

so who knows how awesome these are.

edit: from reviews this does not sound so horrible: http://www.amazon.com/Plugable-Headphone-Microphone-Aluminum-Compatibility/dp/B00NMXY2MO/ref=zg_bs_3015427011_4

I guess it's a common issue for creative sound cards to combine some channels on 4 pin audio cables. Despite this, I've yet to find a 3-to-4 cable anywhere online. I may try a couple of mic/headphone splitters and see what happens. Thanks for your help.

Something like this or this should do the job pretty easily.

http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-PA4010KIT-Powerline-Adapter-Starter/dp/B00AWRUICG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420771824&sr=8-1&keywords=powerline+ethernet+adapter

Would this be something that would help me? I appreciate your help by the way.

It's no problem at all. :) There's nothing to worry about compatibility wise, just be sure to keep the receipt as USB WiFi adapters usually have an unnecessarily high mark-up in retail stores. When you install the USB adapter, make sure to go to your Device Manager and disable your onboard wireless NIC to prevent any conflicts.

Once you determine if it is indeed the onboard WiFi/NIC that's causing the issue, I would return the USB adapter and purchase an internal NIC with an external SMA antenna for better connectivity, such as this, or if you want to use a hardwired connection, this.

It's an optical port, which means it uses light instead of electricity to send the signal. There are converters for those, but they tend to be more expensive than just getting a sound card.

You can get a cheap usb sound card pretty easily. Here's one for less than $7.
https://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-External-Adapter-Windows-AU-MMSA/dp/B00IRVQ0F8/

Yes and since it's a 3.5" drive the OP will probably need a power adapter as well. These are usually included. I have something like this that works well http://amzn.to/2ljFl9i for temporary use.

Newer Motorola Arris SURFboard's are probably the best modems out there. DOCSIS 3.0, compatible with pretty much every ISP (Comcast).

Link to Modem

Do you want to use wifi or lan connections ?

Also where are you located ?

If EU i would recommend a Fritz!Box Router, if not this one is not to bad but expensive.

Give some more information, and also what you are willing to spend, i will give you some more suggestions :)

Your friends psu was for sure 100% good ? Check for 12v and 5v coming from yours. You can get a tester for this on amazon for about 12$. https://www.amazon.com/Insten-24-pin-Power-Supply-Tester/dp/B005CTCD6S

Thanks for the suggestion. Have you heard anything about Ethernet over power? My friend recommended this: https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Powerline-ethernet-Adapter-TL-PA4010KIT/dp/B00AWRUICG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1540143000&sr=8-3&keywords=powerline+ethernet

I'm not 100% sure I've understood this correctly, but I'm presuming that:

The Razer headset only has a single 3.5mm jack (rather than a separate jack for mic and headset speakers) and the speaker part has broken, but the mic still works. you want to use the mic from the headset, but have sound come through some earbuds.
I'm also going to presume (for some reason) you only have 1 3.5mm input on your laptop/pc/whatever.
If that's the case, the easiest solution is probably to get something like this

if you have 2 3.5mm inputs on your laptop/pc/whatever then putting the razer into the microphone socket, and earbuds into the speaker socket should work fine (you might need to change some settings in the OS, depending on what OS you have)

i checked that modem, and it actually supports docsis 2. That being said, regardless of whether Comcast is moving your area to docsis 3.0 or not, i would say your trusty old modem is reaching end of life.

I would suggest calling them, and asking if they sent the notification because they're moving to docsis 3.0... if they are moving I'd say get a motorola surfboard http://www.amazon.com/ARRIS-Motorola-SB6121-SURFboard-DOCSIS/dp/B004XC6GJ0/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1405542886&sr=1-1&keywords=motorola+surfboard+docsis+3.0 and see what happends from there.

If you are still not getting proper speeds, then you KNOW your modem is good, and you will have a better time harassing them, and perhaps there is an issue with the wiring to your house.

NOTE: it could also be the wiring IN your house.. to figure this out, I would try finding the cable (coax) connection that is closest to the comcast entry point of your house, and boot the modem up there and run a speed test. I've had this trouble before with comcast, and ended up needing to have my modem in a different room, because the signal was too weak at the original location.

Correct, there is no mic-only input. I mean, on my T420 there's a mic on the laptop itself even if you don't spec it with a webcam, but no mic jack. I think the idea is that if you're a person who needs a mic-only input, then your setup probably doesn't use the laptop's mic-in anyway. You're either a podcaster or streamer with a USB mic, or a professional audio person with a whole external sound card setup. Sound quality just isn't that good with built-in audio chipsets. For people like you and me that have older gaming headsets with separate plugs, adapters are pretty easy to find.

Thanks for the suggestions, I've been looking at this TP-link PCI Express card (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007GMPZ0A) but I'm really worried about signal strenght. Been looking at USB adapters where you plug them into a USB and place on your desk (TRENDnet, etc) but those doesn't seem to be that popular in Denmark (where I live) and I can't get them shipped from the US or UK, or if its possible it would cost the double.

Budget is not that bad, as long as it isn't absurd.

EDIT: I ordered the TP-LINK TL-WDN4800, gonna test it out, hopefully it works out.

Netgear or Linksys would be my choice.

This Netgear is only 10/100, but it's $20.

This Linksys is only 10/100, but it's a few bucks cheaper.

If you want gigabit, you could get yourself this Netgear 10/100/1000 for $35. There's also an 8 port option on that page for $50.

Any of those should work great for what you're doing.

Yes. That works great. Or if you want to go the external route, get one of these IDE or SATA to USB adapters.

What cable to you have? Looks like there are several that come with this headset. If you have the TRRS cable, then yes it looks like you would need an adapter to separate that into two TRS connections for microphone/headphone functionality.

You'll need something like this USB - SATA adapter. It will allow you to connect that drive to another computer as if it were a big external drive. This is a great thing to have in your bag of tricks, along with an extra mouse and keyboard.

A blown PSU can indeed take out core components when they go. Power supplies usually have fuses to keep this from happening but I am not sure if all do.

The only way I know of safely testing it would be something like this

Get either a 5 port or 8 port Netgear Gigabit switch depending on how many devices you need. If you have 5 devices, get the 8 port because one of the ports will be used by the connection to the wall.

Don't get a super cheap one. They don't last.

5 port: https://smile.amazon.com/NETGEAR-GS105NA-Ethernet-Replacement-Unmanaged/dp/B0000BVYT3/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1502858441&sr=8-1&keywords=netgear+gigabit+switch

8 port: https://smile.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Ethernet-Lifetime-Replacement-Unmanaged/dp/B00MPVR50A/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1502858441&sr=8-2&keywords=netgear+gigabit+switch

Not the cheapest, but they'll last and won't give you any problems. Make sure you get network cables to go along with them. Buy them on Amazon, not the local super store. They'll be 1/10th the price on Amazon as they will be at Best Buy or whatever.

ASUS Black Knight router would work fine with your ISP's modem for what you're requirements are. It's not exactly the top of the line anymore, but it works great for my home wireless/ wired network with a desktop, a couple laptops, IP cameras, phones, Roku, Chromecast, etc. It also is dual band wireless so you can run a few devices at 2.4GHz band and a few on the 5GHz band so you don't have dropping issues due to too many devices using the same wireless frequency.

It's slightly more than a cheapo Linksys/ Belkin/ Cisco or Netgear, but I've had way less issues with my Asus router than I've had with over my 5 Linksys/ Netgear branded routers.

I have heard nothing but good things about this router and I (and several other people I know) have this one and I haven't had any issues with it. Definitely upgrade the firmware though if you get the second one, the new interface is much better.

Plug in the external drive and open up disk management (open the start menu and type in disk management) and see if anything other than the hard drive in your laptop is showing up...For example, you may see that it lists three disks, one of which would be your C: drive, another would be your DVD drive, and the third would be the external drive. If you see the external drive, but it doesn't have a drive letter associated with it, then that means that somehow or another your partition was deleted...your data should still be there though. It may be easiest if you post a picture of what you see when you open up disk management if you are uncertain as to whether or not the drive is there. If your portable hard drive doesn't show up in disk management, see below. If your drive does show up in disk management, report back, and I or someone else may be able to help you retrieve your data.

I had a portable WD drive die on me before, but it turned out to be a bad connection between the usb port and the hard drive itself. If you are otherwise unable to get the drive working, carefully remove the plastic shell to get the drive out. Once you have the bare drive out, you can then plug it into your laptop using something like this or if you have a desktop, you can just plug it in to one of the internal connections. Assuming that your problem exists somewhere in between the usb connection and the drive itself, this will allow you to retrieve your data.

If all else fails, or if you would rather not mess with this, you may consider taking it to a shop (or a computer savvy friend) to have it diagnosed. Though it wouldn't be free, it is likely that they would be able to help you, and it would save you from buying a special adapter just to test your drive.

The maximum TDP of the Cooler Master 212 is 180W. That means it can only effectively cool a processor of up-to 180W. The FX-9590 is a 220W processor; your heatsink simply can't keep up with it. I would suggest something like the Corsair H100i.

A cheaply or incorrectly made adapter could send too much power to the drive. This happened recently with faulty USB-C cables, which resulted in phones being fried. Just select one based on good reviews, and you should be alright. This one looks almost identical to the on I purchased at Tigerdirect ~10 years ago, which has worked great.

best one i can recommend is from edimax http://www.amazon.com/Edimax-EW-7811Un-Wireless-Adapter-Wizard/dp/B003MTTJOY/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1383175093&sr=8-3&keywords=raspberry+pi

Yeah I'd recommend this over the USB suggestions. Get a good one. Or try the power link setup.
This is what I use.

Ah, I was wondering how your files remained intact. Best option your have is to grab one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/SANOXY-A12940-Drive-Adapter-Converter/dp/B001OORMVQ

You can pull out your hard drive, attach it to the above adaptor then plug into another computer via USB and back your files up that way. Once you have your files backed up, put the hard drive back into the laptop and do a fresh install (delete all partitions and format)

Greetings!

I would try first by replacing your wireless dongle as that is the cheapest and easiest start at troubleshooting.

Give this an order and report back to let me know if it works for ya.

This is the one I got. Good price and works extremely well.

Cooler Master Hyper RR-212E-20PK-R2 LED CPU Cooler with PWM Fan, Four Direct Contact Heat Pipes https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005O65JXI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_wrBNpwuq9KO5m

Sorry I don't have any experience with fixing damaged drives.

When trying to pull data from a failing drive I've had much better luck attaching the drive via a kit or adapter to another PC via USB and pulling the data that way. If the bad sector contains OS data it may struggle to boot but pulling your data off shouldn't be an issue. I personally have this cheap adapter from Amazon and have used it many times in this kind of situation.

Best of luck.

You might want to check if you can run multiple devices off your connection as they may only provide you with one IP address (similar to a normal home service from an ISP).

In this case you will need a router to connect up all your devices. Any standard home router will do the trick. I use an ASUS RT N66U - 4 wired gigabit ports, 802.11n Wi-Fi and it's nice and speedy with my 100mbit WAN connection. $129.99 @ Amazon.

However if your uni/college allows for multiple devices per room (ie, they provide you with multiple IP addresses) you will be able to get away with using an ethernet switch. As mentioned in other comments, opt a model with faster Gigabit ports as nowadays there is really no big price difference and the extra bandwidth could come in handy one day. A basic 5-port TP-Link Gigabit switch is $19.99 @ Amazon (or you can get an 8-port model for $24.99 @ Amazon).

Don't get a hub. I honestly haven't seen one on sale for years anyway, good luck trying to track one down!

Ethernet over power adapters would work as well, pretty well in fact. http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-PA4010KIT-Powerline-Adapter-Starter/dp/B00AWRUICG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405021225&sr=8-1&keywords=ethernet+over+power

I do have Amazon Prime, So something like http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-SF1005D-5-port-100Mbps-Desktop/dp/B000FNFSPY/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1409625286&sr=1-1&keywords=LAN+switch would work better

There is one thing you can try, and it might work because you have 780p files. Set up a dlna server, that reduces the amount of overhead your wireless has to do to stream the file. It might just work on your situation, but if you have higher bitrate files, get the roku or WDTV.

Wireless can't handle HD streaming. A 1080p requires a solid 40-50mbps connection. Wireless networking has extra overhead on top of that. You can't get that on a cheap consumer grade router. You can get that kind of speed on a new router like this one, which has a tested throughput of 200mbps, but it costs $150.

You can buy a roku or WDTV media streamer, both of those have a usb input so you can plug in your external hard drive and watch the movie without worrying about the wireless. They are around $60.

If you only have a little bit of data to transfer, you could copy what you need to a USB flash drive and move it with the help of that.

If you have a fair bit of data and don't mind removing the hard drive temporarily, you could consider getting an enclosure like this to turn your desktop hard drive into an external drive. Then you can either keep it that way or copy the files you want over to your laptop, then put the drive back into the desktop.

Surely the uni will allow you to use a switch and a small NAS, which is what I would recommend.

As the other poster said, the Edimax USB wifi is probably your best bet. I've got one on a raspberry pi and it works well enough.

$8.99 USD on amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Edimax-EW-7811Un-150Mbps-Raspberry-Supports/dp/B003MTTJOY

$14.49 CA on amazon.ca
http://www.amazon.ca/Edimax-Wireless-Adapter-Wizard-EW-7811Un/dp/B003MTTJOY

EDIT: fixed links

Ah, ok I think you're having a ground loop issue. Analog mics using the 3.5mm jacks are susceptible to it. If anything I would say try a cheap usb to 3.5mm sound card like this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IRVQ0F8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_Ph3izbNHE0NSE to see if it helps.

You can buy an external wireless card. This is pretty common when your builtin wireless card stops functioning. If your current wireless card is the issue then a new one will resolve this issue. Here are some examples from amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Edimax-EW-7811Un-150Mbps-Raspberry-Supports/dp/B003MTTJOY/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1493679602&sr=8-4&keywords=usb+wireless

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-N150-Wireless-Adapter-TL-WN725N/dp/B008IFXQFU/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1493679602&sr=8-6&keywords=usb+wireless

Sorry, office terms, yes! oh okay well hmm, theres a very handy USB WiFi adapter that you can buy:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Edimax-EW-7811UN-Wireless-802-11b-150Mbps/dp/B003MTTJOY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347288525&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wireless-Nano-Adaptor-Dongle-150Mbps/dp/B005AVKIC4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1347288525&sr=8-3

Try those possibly?

Your neighbor's internet connection is most likely more powerful to the cheaper adapter than your home internet, causing interference and therefore dropping your connection. I would recommend removing the USB adapter and using a Powerline kit instead: https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Powerline-ethernet-Adapter-TL-PA4010KIT/dp/B00AWRUICG/ref=sr_1_4?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1541131976&sr=1-4&keywords=powerline+adapter

If you have a free USB port, this is all you’ll need. $8 and it’s a way better option than trying to crack open the case and solder in a new one.

A simple, unmanaged switch will work fine. Netgear is a good choice. Gigabit speed, metal case, lifetime warranty. Like this:

[Netgear GS105](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000BVYT3?aaxitk=Xekmbr5YXPQy1qtRc8A0-g&pd_rd_i=B0000BVYT3&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=3ff6092e-8451-438b-8278-7e94064b4d42&pf_rd_s=desktop-sx-top-slot&pf_rd_t=301&pf_rd_i=netgear+switch&hsa_cr_id=1113147310301&sb-ci-n=productDescription&sb-ci-v=NETGEAR%205-Port%20Gigabit%20Ethernet%20Unmanaged%20Switch%2C%20Sturdy%20Metal%2C%20Desktop%2C%20Plug-and-Play%2C%20ProSAFE%20Lifetime%20Protection%20(GS105NA)

If the internal network card is causing unfixable problems, just purchase a micro wifi usb dongle like this. Super easy fix. Also, has your wireless network's encryption changed at all? Many older devices have a hard time working smoothly on WPA2.

I'm looking at one on amazon

So the switch and the router don't have to be connected at all? Or do I have to connect them in some way? The switch I've linked is quite cheap compared to a router. Does that mean there are downsides to using a switch vs. a router? Thanks for answering my questions too, by the way. I appreciate it.

One I have used. Easy and cheap. Worked Everytime. It may save you time in case it might not be the PSU. It will rule it out at least.

https://www.amazon.com/Insten-24-pin-Power-Supply-Tester/dp/B005CTCD6S/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1549703504&sr=8-6&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=psu+tester&dpPl=1&dpID=51oGO0bfPqL&ref=plSrch

Thanks. So like this?

I would test my connection using http://www.speedtest.net/ 2 times once wired and once wireless and compare the results. Also I would do some ping testing, ping your router from laptop and ping the outside of your network (ping google.com maybe?) and see the results for yourself.

I would not expect a big difference as, still, your connection is not completely wired as it is a booster. However, having a completely wired connection is always better, more stable and has minimum latency/ping, packet loss and interference.

I would say that the best practice in your case is use power-line adapters, it comes with two parts. Part A connects to your main router, connects in house powerline socket and will transport your internet connection using electricity wires inside your wall and part B will connect in a different powerline socket at the other end of your house and receive Part A's internet with, basically, 0 loss. Then connect your laptop to Part B using an ethernet cable and then you will have completely wired connection without having to run a visible cable through your house.

http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-PA4010KIT-Powerline-Adapter-Starter/dp/B00AWRUICG

Yes, anything connected through a USB will just act like removable media/flash drive.

Either a Docking Station or SATA to USB cable should suffice. They both do the same thing, but the station has the ability to power up 3.5" drives.

Maybe try getting an external sound card. They’re super cheap on amazon!

https://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-External-Adapter-Windows-AU-MMSA/dp/B00IRVQ0F8

Plug your 2male to 1female connector into the sound card and plug your headphones into that.

I'm guessing they're wireless? If so, do you have the USB Wireless Adapter?
I'm pretty sure this is the driver I use.

Your headset doesn't work on computers, for the most part. Your computer has one microphone jack and one audio out jack but, your headset only has 1 jack, it can't plug into both jacks at once. There are computers with combined audio/mic jacks but, it doesn't look like yours is one of them, cell phones on the other hand almost always used a combined jack (So, it works fine on your cellphone).

There are adapters out there to convert it. This might work: http://www.amazon.com/StarTech-MUYHSFMM-Headset-Splitter-Adapter/dp/B0058DOWH6/

It's about the same price to just buy the two-jack version of the headset you have now: http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-981-000459-Stereo-Headset-H110/dp/B003H4QPJQ

You can easily get a card to gain the functionality: https://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-450Mbps-Wireless-Express-TL-WDN4800/dp/B007GMPZ0A/ref=sr_1_1?srs=2530652011&ie=UTF8&qid=1478809891&sr=8-1&keywords=pci+wifi+card

I use this card

If you can avoid using the laptop until then, no. I'd recommend getting a sata to USB adapter like this:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00HJZJI84/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498148482&sr=8-1-spons&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=sata+to+usb&psc=1

Remove the HDD from the laptop and use the desktop to transfer to the new external. That way you aren't relying on the laptop HDD to also run the OS.

That's probably your best bet.

Looks like Crucial gives you free access to Acronis.

https://www.acronis.com/en-us/promotion/CrucialHD-download/

https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-SATA-Drive-Adapter-Cable/dp/B00HJZJI84

Using W10 media creation tool, you should in theory have all the updates (or at least all the ones that matter). I would uninstall the netgear/TP Link drivers, go into device manager and disable/uninstall the wna3100 and WN823N. Might as well run a system file check to repair any missing system or registry files during the upgrade then reboot computer and install the drivers again.


And if all else fails, Powerline Adapter + Ethernet USB adapter is a good solution as well, since you don't want to deal with long cables