PC and Tech Support

[Distortedreasoning]

so many nerds here able to help you with your pc problems. i dont do macs but im sure we got a nerd for that too. maybe. idk.

[CartoonPlanet]

So I go to Adult Swim videos whenever I can't find a series on Hulu or Netflix and they have it.

 

I'll start an episode, go full screen, and the progress bar at the bottom disappears for like

three or four seconds, then it comes back and stays. It's very distracting. How do I make it stay hidden?

 

I'm running Windows 7, Firefox 50.0, and I've updated Flash Player but no results. Any ideas?

[Guest The Hound]

So I go to Adult Swim videos whenever I can't find a series on Hulu or Netflix and they have it.

 

I'll start an episode, go full screen, and the progress bar at the bottom disappears for like

three or four seconds, then it comes back and stays. It's very distracting. How do I make it stay hidden?

 

I'm running Windows 7, Firefox 50.0, and I've updated Flash Player but no results. Any ideas?

 

It's honestly a browser issue that pops up from time to time on people's computers.

 

Sometimes switching browsers works.

 

Try switching to chrome, and just to be sure install "Ublock Origin". It's the new better replacement for Adblock+, it's way better and almost always blocks ads on videos.

[CartoonPlanet]

It's honestly a browser issue that pops up from time to time on people's computers.

 

Sometimes switching browsers works.

 

Try switching to chrome, and just to be sure install "Ublock Origin". It's the new better replacement for Adblock+, it's way better and almost always blocks ads on videos.

 

Tried it but it didn't work unfortunately. Honestly if the bar won't go away I wouldn't mind just watching the video with it showing.

[CartoonPlanet]

Actually, it improved it a little bit. now when I hover over the buttons and then move the cursor out of the way, it stays hidden longer now.

[Rumb0]

You can use VLC Player (ick) to stream videos off of Adult Swim's website.

 

All you have to do is find the URL that includes the raw video file and input it to the VLC's URL bar (or whatever they call it now).

[rpgamer]

Well this place looks active. But for a last ditch effort/opinion, here goes.

 

Laptop, Asus, N53JQ. Problem: suddenly shut down, does not power on, not even an led indicating it's getting power.

Usually runs plugged in without battery, not a battery problem. Have no means of testing the power supply, but it was replaced only a couple years ago, seems unlikely to have developed an instantly fatal error.

 

Expecting it to be a motherboard problem. Seems a common cause of death in laptops.

So yeah, expecting this to be a brick situation, had started looking at new laptops anyway.

But, question I have is, could this possibly be solved by replacing the dc power jack instead? Or is the problem likely deeper than that on the board itself?

 

Disassembled the rig easy enough, finding and replacing that part seems doable, if I haven't ruined anything else in the process. But if that doesn't do what I'm thinking it does, would be a waste if there's no likely chance of revival.

[Guest The Hound]

Well this place looks active. But for a last ditch effort/opinion, here goes.

 

Laptop, Asus, N53JQ. Problem: suddenly shut down, does not power on, not even an led indicating it's getting power.

Usually runs plugged in without battery, not a battery problem. Have no means of testing the power supply, but it was replaced only a couple years ago, seems unlikely to have developed an instantly fatal error.

 

Expecting it to be a motherboard problem. Seems a common cause of death in laptops.

So yeah, expecting this to be a brick situation, had started looking at new laptops anyway.

But, question I have is, could this possibly be solved by replacing the dc power jack instead? Or is the problem likely deeper than that on the board itself?

 

Disassembled the rig easy enough, finding and replacing that part seems doable, if I haven't ruined anything else in the process. But if that doesn't do what I'm thinking it does, would be a waste if there's no likely chance of revival.

The issue is laptops themselves. They're all shit and overpriced. Though if you're going to get one, get an MSI or Asus.

[rpgamer]

Well yeah. But, convenience factor. If I could build a tower that allowed me to use it without being stuck to the desk, I would. But the whole lightweight monitor/keyboard setup seems elusive. I would love having the form factor with actual power. 

 

Coincidentally, couple models I'm looking at are Asus and MSI.

[Distortedreasoning]

Well this place looks active. But for a last ditch effort/opinion, here goes.

 

Laptop, Asus, N53JQ. Problem: suddenly shut down, does not power on, not even an led indicating it's getting power.

Usually runs plugged in without battery, not a battery problem. Have no means of testing the power supply, but it was replaced only a couple years ago, seems unlikely to have developed an instantly fatal error.

 

Expecting it to be a motherboard problem. Seems a common cause of death in laptops.

So yeah, expecting this to be a brick situation, had started looking at new laptops anyway.

But, question I have is, could this possibly be solved by replacing the dc power jack instead? Or is the problem likely deeper than that on the board itself?

 

Disassembled the rig easy enough, finding and replacing that part seems doable, if I haven't ruined anything else in the process. But if that doesn't do what I'm thinking it does, would be a waste if there's no likely chance of revival.

 

worth a shot. i was working on a laptop a few weeks ago but broke the power button when i was putting it back together. had to solder back the switch because the thing cost like $30 bucks for such a small part. you could check out and see if you can order a power plug or solder it.

 

im thinking its probably the power plug since it sounds like it's not receiving any power then the battery isnt charging as it normally would. power adapters are usually stable but theres always a chance they go bad.

 

if i were to trouble shoot i'd look for a new power adapter first. then if that doesnt work you might have a lose power connector which you might just have to solder back or maybe can order a new one online. if you want to keep going you can look for a charger for your laptops battery to make sure the laptop is being supplied with power. after that it would get a bit more extensive.

 

 

[rpgamer]

Yeah. Was thinking that. The power jack board is pretty small/cheap. Doesn't even need soldering, unless the disconnect is after that board connects to the mb.

Guide I followed to get to the part, for reference.

 

Probably will end up getting something new anyway. Don't think I want to be without computer until I troubleshoot all I can.

[Distortedreasoning]

looks pretty easy, good luck.

 

if you get a new laptop make sure it has a ssd drive.

[rpgamer]

Yeah. Looking forward to that, too. I've even seen some that have ssd and a slot for hdd, which might be useful for the drive I cannibalised out of my last laptop.

 

Thanks for the opinion. I figure worst case, just out a little bit if the power board isn't a fix; best case, I end up with a backup computer. Maybe I'll use it just for music or something. Might actually be nice if new one doesn't have an optical drive.

[discolé monade]

ok. here's my problem. and i apologize if i don't explain it correctly. it's a new laptop. the 'arrow' gets 'stuck' sort of glitchy like. then a menu will pop up.

 

also, the screen will adjust by itself to a smaller %. i don't have slow internet, because my other computer was pretty fast. but this one takes for ever to load.

 

is there a way to clean it up? or how do i make the screen size stop changing. or that annoying menu stop popping up?

 

also. when i type...the letter don't appear right away..like a lot of lag.

 

and please @ me so i know you are replying to my request..because i won't remember to come here, and keep looking for this. thank you.

[Raptorpat]

discolemonade[/member]

When you say the screen resizes, do you mean like how zoomed in chrome is or the desktop monitor itself?

[discolé monade]

zoomed in chrome.

[Raptorpat]

ctrl-0 resets it to normal

 

does this computer have a touch pad or touch screen where you can resize things? because one thought might be that a touch feature thinks you're touching it and resizing.

[rpgamer]

Guide I followed to get to the part.

 

Ok, so new board didn't fix it. Same lack of response. Next troubleshoot might be trying to find a new wire assembly, that connects the dc board to the main board. Maybe wires came loose or something, keeping the power from getting anywhere.

 

Question for thread is, could anyone maybe point me somewhere to find? This is I think what I need, but can't seem to find it for sale, except maybe bundled with the board I already have.

[rpgamer]

Though if you're going to get one, get an MSI or Asus.

 

If you happen to know, for an MSI, is there any easy way, without installing an extra, to turn off the display? I can open up an SCM program, and that has the option there, but it turns back on instantly on key press or mouse movement (which is good, since there'd be no other way). I can set this P1 button to open up the SCM program, but still doesn't accomplish the task.

 

I use my laptop for some alarms, and it's nice to just turn the display off at night. So it'd be nice if I could leave the alarms as the active window, so opening that SCM program hinders that, and closing the lid is out (especially considering laptop hinges are never able to stand up to daily opening/closing for years). Previous Asus, no problem, display off/on was a Fn key. This is bothersome.

[Guest VegetaFajita]

Well yeah. But, convenience factor. If I could build a tower that allowed me to use it without being stuck to the desk, I would. But the whole lightweight monitor/keyboard setup seems elusive. I would love having the form factor with actual power. 

 

Coincidentally, couple models I'm looking at are Asus and MSI.

theyre built to last and have life long warranties.

[Distortedreasoning]

rpgamer[/member] if youre gonna get the laptop i'd suggest you wait for the 6-core intels. the desktop versions have been released so the mobile versions shouldnt be far off.

 

[rpgamer]

Much as I would've loved to (depending on price points), going that long without a computer would be entirely too detrimental.

[Distortedreasoning]

in that case just read up on which manufacturer has the best warranties and least amount of hassle.

after you find that just gotta put a budget and get the best laptop you can get.

[rpgamer]

Oh. I've already settled, bought, and received. It's been an adjustment. (seriously, who puts speakers on the bottom front of a laptop? tch. I mean, I guess they didn't have much room with the big cooling system, but still.) Mostly been a process of making Windows 10 less of a bother.

 

I'll get used to it, I'm sure. But I'm still dimly hopeful that my last ditch effort could fix the old laptop. I'd love to keep it active, if for nothing other than music storage and watching dvds (no optical in the new one). But, referring back to previous post, I've had trouble finding the wiring connector between the dc power board and the main motherboard. Truth be told, I doubt that's the problem, it's probably something on the mb rendering it useless, but the part should be cheap enough that it'd be worth trying.

 

The alternative is going to be having to buy an external cd drive for when I watch something or buy new music.

[Distortedreasoning]

yea i'd wouldnt go through the trouble of troubleshooting it anymore.

if you want to keep trying to work at it, i'd recommend you find a message board for your laptop. you might get lucky and find something related to what you got. get even luckier if you find out you can fix it.

[rpgamer]

New topic/problem.

 

MicroSD card possible failure. Mounted in my phone (Galaxy S4 Mini), has been working fine for the past year or so since I got it. Have some apps and such that are installed to it (since I've been bumping into the devices storage limit). Earlier today, no problem. This evening, try to open an app, fails to load. Other apps fail to load. Try turning off device, removing battery, unmounting/remounting  card. When I turn the device on, all the app icons are blank (or default "on SD card" icons or whatever). Phone isn't reading the card at all.

Try connecting phone to computer to see if I could find the card. Nothing

Try connecting card to adapter, to read on computer directly. Never comes up.

Try testing alternate microSD card, both computer and phone read it just fine.

 

Google seems to suggest the card may be well and truly dead. Didn't have anything too significant on it, but still figured worth asking, if anyone's google-fu is stronger (or otherwise more knowledgeable).

 

Man, shit just keeps breaking out of the blue on me lately.

[djst]

did the card ask you to format it when you tried to read it on the PC?  not sure of your level of tech knowledge, but do you see it appear in Device Manager?

 

 

https://www.powerdatarecovery.com/sd-card-recovery/recover-data-dead-sd-card.html

 

2 here you might not have tried, among others in the article:

 

Find a clean eraser and use it to rub back and forth for a few times on the sheet metal (this is because the metal contact piece of SD card may be oxidized or worn due to the frequent ejecting and inserting).

Check whether write-protection function is enabled or not (please turn it off immediately when you find it's actually the reason why you can't make any changes to SD card)

 

seems to be some apps out there too, keep seeing EaseUS come up. i have not used the software personally.

[rpgamer]

Nah, no formatting, no device manager. It's a micro, so no write protection on the card itself (just on the adapter card for larger slots). Cleaning is still an option, but it's never been removed from my phone most of the year, so not expecting much from it.

 

It's sorta sounding like something internal in the card itself probably broke, so it's unlikely anything is going to be able to recognize it as a card, let alone be able to do anything to fix it.

[HardcoreHunter]

Try cleaning the gold pins with windex or 90% rubbing Alcohol. Dry it with a cotton or microfiber rag, then let it sit for a bit to make sure it's dried. When it is dry try reading it again. If you are still getting nothing then it's most likely a dead card, if you do get something then it meant that the pins had some corrosion on them. That usually only happens if the card had overheated. In that case be sure to backup which files that you can from the card, then get a new card. You do not want to put components that have a heat problem back into your phone as it can cause damage. 

[PhilosipherStoned]

I tried to call tech support on a mac one time, but the lady wouldn't believe it was broken.

I told her specifically that I found somewhere on the box that it was made by apple...

sounds broked to me.

[Drunkenwarrior]

TOO MUCH PORN!

[IKMongo]

Um.. i was wondering... um... whuts da wecammended dedotaded wam I should have-er survur 

[molarbear]

My computer has started overheating to the point that it shuts off

It only does it occasionally when I'm playing video games

I thought it may be the graphics card but the tower gets hot near where the processor is.  I can see into the side of my case and all the fans are still spinning and what not and I'm not overclocking anything

[Poof]

1 hour ago, molarbear said:

My computer has started overheating to the point that it shuts off

It only does it occasionally when I'm playing video games

I thought it may be the graphics card but the tower gets hot near where the processor is.  I can see into the side of my case and all the fans are still spinning and what not and I'm not overclocking anything

if its not mechanical, like dust filters/inlets/outlets blocked, kept in an enclosed space like a cabinet, next to a heater, stuck/sluggish fans, cpu thermal paste failing..

it could not be overheating at all, the power supply could be failing / underpowered for your PC when it's running at maximum

or it could be malware(does it sound like your fans are working hard when your pc isn't doing anything?)

or if none of those, could be some other failed component generating too much heat, or something too smart for me to help with

https://www.cpuid.com/softwares/hwmonitor.html

that program will show you the temps of your components. if the temps dont actually get too high, it's *probably* power supply. mayb idk i didnt go to college :<

[molarbear]

7 minutes ago, Poof said:

if its not mechanical, like dust filters/inlets/outlets blocked, kept in an enclosed space like a cabinet, next to a heater, stuck/sluggish fans, cpu thermal paste failing..

it could not be overheating at all, the power supply could be failing / underpowered for your PC when it's running at maximum

or it could be malware(does it sound like your fans are working hard when your pc isn't doing anything?)

or if none of those, could be some other failed component generating too much heat, or something too smart for me to help with

https://www.cpuid.com/softwares/hwmonitor.html

that program will show you the temps of your components. if the temps dont actually get too high, it's *probably* power supply. mayb idk i didnt go to college :<

My tower is on my desk really close to the window unit.  I've used the air compressor to blow it out 3x after it overheated and a week later it does the same shit but it's really hit or miss on the graphics required because I can run emulators all day but jack box party pack crashes it.

I had that problem but bought a giant power supply no problems until about 3 years.

Don't know why shit is freaking out now but, all the computer experts I know that work on computers are just like "Dunno what's up?"

It's not the power supply unless it recently went rogue and failed but somehow still works for everything else like Twitch, Youtube, ESPN

 

[Poof]

24 minutes ago, molarbear said:

My tower is on my desk really close to the window unit.  I've used the air compressor to blow it out 3x after it overheated and a week later it does the same shit but it's really hit or miss on the graphics required because I can run emulators all day but jack box party pack crashes it.

I had that problem but bought a giant power supply no problems until about 3 years.

Don't know why shit is freaking out now but, all the computer experts I know that work on computers are just like "Dunno what's up?"

It's not the power supply unless it recently went rogue and failed but somehow still works for everything else like Twitch, Youtube, ESPN

 

power supplies start aging immediately. each year they will be capable of less watts than the year before. theres even calculators online to estimate psu aging. 

those 80 PLUS bronze, silver, gold, platinum psu efficiency certifications are how well the psu performs under 100% load. 80 PLUS means you only get 80% of the specified wattage at 100% load. 80 PLUS platinum means you get 90% (its confusing). So maybe with age and efficiency taken into account, its possible you could be underpowered even with a psu whose label says it's enough for your pc.

and PSUs are one of the most fussy components. even good brands die super fast sometimes for seemingly no reason

i'm not saying its the power supply... but it could be the power supply

[PhilosipherStoned]

10 hours ago, molarbear said:

My tower is on my desk really close to the window unit.  I've used the air compressor to blow it out 3x after it overheated and a week later it does the same shit but it's really hit or miss on the graphics required because I can run emulators all day but jack box party pack crashes it.

I had that problem but bought a giant power supply no problems until about 3 years.

Don't know why shit is freaking out now but, all the computer experts I know that work on computers are just like "Dunno what's up?"

It's not the power supply unless it recently went rogue and failed but somehow still works for everything else like Twitch, Youtube, ESPN

 

If you don't keep your cpu fan from spinning when you blow it out you can seriously compromise the unit..How does your fan sound at high rpms, and how regularly do you clean it.. I'd like a small air compressor to blow mine out, but I usually use the annoying air duster cans that freeze up every 5 mins.. atleast you don't have to be as careful with them though. 

[Distortedreasoning]

14 hours ago, molarbear said:

My computer has started overheating to the point that it shuts off

It only does it occasionally when I'm playing video games

I thought it may be the graphics card but the tower gets hot near where the processor is.  I can see into the side of my case and all the fans are still spinning and what not and I'm not overclocking anything

if its only shutting down during games that should indicate 3 things to you

 

gpu overheating- easy fix just blow the dust away with air. if you still having problems you could apply new thermal paste on the gpu and see if it had any effect.

cpu overheating- same thing again but this time with the cpu. try the same fixes.

too much power draw- your system draws more power than what you psu can handle and simply shuts down. might need a new psu. easy fix but the most annoying one. 

 

go with troubleshooting the easy/cheap stuff first before you buy new components. 

[molarbear]

19 hours ago, Poof said:

power supplies start aging immediately. each year they will be capable of less watts than the year before. theres even calculators online to estimate psu aging. 

those 80 PLUS bronze, silver, gold, platinum psu efficiency certifications are how well the psu performs under 100% load. 80 PLUS means you only get 80% of the specified wattage at 100% load. 80 PLUS platinum means you get 90% (its confusing). So maybe with age and efficiency taken into account, its possible you could be underpowered even with a psu whose label says it's enough for your pc.

and PSUs are one of the most fussy components. even good brands die super fast sometimes for seemingly no reason

i'm not saying its the power supply... but it could be the power supply

I actually replaced my power supply about 2 years ago.  You think it could die that quickly?

 

9 hours ago, PhilosipherStoned said:

If you don't keep your cpu fan from spinning when you blow it out you can seriously compromise the unit..How does your fan sound at high rpms, and how regularly do you clean it.. I'd like a small air compressor to blow mine out, but I usually use the annoying air duster cans that freeze up every 5 mins.. atleast you don't have to be as careful with them though. 

 

7 hours ago, Distortedreasoning said:

if its only shutting down during games that should indicate 3 things to you

 

gpu overheating- easy fix just blow the dust away with air. if you still having problems you could apply new thermal paste on the gpu and see if it had any effect.

cpu overheating- same thing again but this time with the cpu. try the same fixes.

too much power draw- your system draws more power than what you psu can handle and simply shuts down. might need a new psu. easy fix but the most annoying one. 

 

go with troubleshooting the easy/cheap stuff first before you buy new components. 

I've blown it out mutiple times using my air compressor.  I always use the eraser end of a pencil to hold the fans if when I'm blowing near them.

[Poof]

2 hours ago, molarbear said:

I actually replaced my power supply about 2 years ago.  You think it could die that quickly?

Oh absolutely it's possible. Like I said psu is one of the iffiest parts in a pc. If it is the problem, you might still be under warranty if it indeed has been only 2-3 years.

[Sieg67]

On 4/12/2018 at 12:51 AM, molarbear said:

My computer has started overheating to the point that it shuts off

It only does it occasionally when I'm playing video games

I thought it may be the graphics card but the tower gets hot near where the processor is.  I can see into the side of my case and all the fans are still spinning and what not and I'm not overclocking anything

Have you tried applying some fresh thermal paste?

[molarbear]

3 hours ago, Sieg67 said:

Have you tried applying some fresh thermal paste?

No.  I've seen it mentioned in some help threads but most said thermal paste is usually only the problem if you built your own computer

not sure how true that is

[Poof]

19 minutes ago, molarbear said:

No.  I've seen it mentioned in some help threads but most said thermal paste is usually only the problem if you built your own computer

not sure how true that is

if u download hwmonitor, you can see your temperatures. then run the games or open tons of HD videos until your computer shuts down. you can confirm or disconfirm if heat is the issue by noting what all your temps were at right before shutdown. 

[molarbear]

7 minutes ago, Poof said:

if u download hwmonitor, you can see your temperatures. then run the games or open tons of HD videos until your computer shuts down. you can confirm or disconfirm if heat is the issue by noting what all your temps were at right before shutdown. 

I got it but the problem is it's hard to monitor all the temps because I never know when it's going to shut off

[Poof]

1 minute ago, molarbear said:

I got it but the problem is it's hard to monitor all the temps because I never know when it's going to shut off

you can also run a stress test. instead of running videos and games. which should make it fail faster

https://www.pcworld.com/article/2028882/keep-it-stable-stupid-how-to-stress-test-your-pc-hardware.html

https://appuals.com/how-to-run-a-cpu-stress-test-using-prime95/

[molarbear]

58 minutes ago, Poof said:

you can also run a stress test. instead of running videos and games. which should make it fail faster

https://www.pcworld.com/article/2028882/keep-it-stable-stupid-how-to-stress-test-your-pc-hardware.html

https://appuals.com/how-to-run-a-cpu-stress-test-using-prime95/

That will help, thanks Poof!

I'll do it when I have someone that knows more about computers over

[Poof]

7 minutes ago, molarbear said:

That will help, thanks Poof!

I'll do it when I have someone that knows more about computers over

let us know how it goes

[molarbear]

For the record I meant "more than I know about Computers than me" 

didn't mean to sound like a total asshole with my reply

[Poof]

8 minutes ago, molarbear said:

For the record I meant "more than I know about Computers than me" 

didn't mean to sound like a total asshole with my reply

oh np. thats what i thought u meant. i didnt think you meant me

[Sieg67]

12 hours ago, molarbear said:

No.  I've seen it mentioned in some help threads but most said thermal paste is usually only the problem if you built your own computer

not sure how true that is

That's not  true at all.   Thermal paste can degrade over time.  Any Thermal paste.
You can pick up some tg-2 from Thermaltake at Best  Buy.   I suggest not getting the cheap brands.

Take the old cooler off, use alcohol to remove the old paste from the CPU and heat sink and apply a pea size glob on the processor.
You then put heat sink back on making sure it's on snug.  Speaking of the cooler, I would make sure it's on there tight before doing anything else.  Stock intel coolers can be shit.

Edited April 14, 2018 by Sieg67