Computer General Discussion Thread

[Valentine Z]

Windows 98 was the very first system I got accustomed to (my dad was using it). Computers at those times are magical to me, like... wow, all of these features in this one box?

Using Windows 10, and used to use Ubuntu on a VM. Due to space constraints, the VM was deleted, so maybe I will do it again some other time.

I am currently using a laptop because even though a desktop would make a lot of things faster for me (e.g. Lightroom), I'm constantly on the move between Uni and my home, so... portability is the huge factor.

So far, Windows 10 is pretty stable. Sometimes there is an odd crash or so, and an occassional BSOD, but it's not very rampant anymore. I also turned off automatic updates and only restart at my own convenience. Something to do with renaming or moving some system files so that the auto-restart command or .exe cannot be found through a default name search.

On another note, I am called cool-tempered and patient by many people. Little did they know, that I am pure, unadulterated rage when it comes to a computer slowing down or showing all kinds of errors. I don't damage my stuff, but I cursed so hard under my breath, "Stupid Windows 10 POS, stupid MS, good hardware, crappy software... etc."

[Cekoviu]

Windows 98 was the very first system I got accustomed to (my dad was using it). Computers at those times are magical to me, like... wow, all of these features in this one box?

Using Windows 10, and used to use Ubuntu on a VM. Due to space constraints, the VM was deleted, so maybe I will do it again some other time.

I am currently using a laptop because even though a desktop would make a lot of things faster for me (e.g. Lightroom), I'm constantly on the move between Uni and my home, so... portability is the huge factor.

So far, Windows 10 is pretty stable. Sometimes there is an odd crash or so, and an occassional BSOD, but it's not very rampant anymore. I also turned off automatic updates and only restart at my own convenience. Something to do with renaming or moving some system files so that the auto-restart command or .exe cannot be found through a default name search.

On another note, I am called cool-tempered and patient by many people. Little did they know, that I am pure, unadulterated rage when it comes to a computer slowing down or showing all kinds of errors. I don't damage my stuff, but I cursed so hard under my breath, "Stupid Windows 10 POS, stupid MS, good hardware, crappy software... etc."

I only get pissed when it crashes and I lose work.

[The Knockout Gun Gals]

I just recently opened the Microsoft Edge browser (I know what you're thinking, but it is really good for me). Got a notification for a download, something from usnyc.nexage.com. Remember of never accessing such site, I turned to Google for information. Something of it being mentioned as a bug or an annoying but not threatening virus.

Anyone have ever get the same thing?

[Minoa]

I just recently opened the Microsoft Edge browser (I know what you're thinking, but it is really good for me). Got a notification for a download, something from usnyc.nexage.com. Remember of never accessing such site, I turned to Google for information. Something of it being mentioned as a bug or an annoying but not threatening virus.

Anyone have ever get the same thing?

It appears to be bad coding in a ad network, but you should not accept any download unless really you know where it comes from.

https://security.stackexchange.com/questions/186440/

[Salandriagado]

So uh...any good motherboard suggestions?

Depends what you're doing. If you're not after ultra-optimised overclocking, just get a decent mid-range motherboard and go for it. ASRock's boards are generally of decent quality, as are Biostar's.

[Cekoviu]

So uh...any good motherboard suggestions?

Depends what you're doing. If you're not after ultra-optimised overclocking, just get a decent mid-range motherboard and go for it. ASRock's boards are generally of decent quality, as are Biostar's.

I have a Gigabyte and it also works well. Iirc it can overclock non-K CPUs, but I've never tried doing so.

[The Knockout Gun Gals]

I just recently opened the Microsoft Edge browser (I know what you're thinking, but it is really good for me). Got a notification for a download, something from usnyc.nexage.com. Remember of never accessing such site, I turned to Google for information. Something of it being mentioned as a bug or an annoying but not threatening virus.

Anyone have ever get the same thing?

It appears to be bad coding in a ad network, but you should not accept any download unless really you know where it comes from.

https://security.stackexchange.com/questions/186440/

Yes, it seems to be a bad coding or a bug. I also checked the security stack exchange site and yeah...some kind of bug/bad coding.

[The Corparation]

Could anyone recommend Linux Mint as a replacement for Windows 7 (when it is obsolete)? I want Windows 10 but I don't have money to spare for a new laptop for the time being. The software is at no cost and it has nice features but the downside is- so much software I'm familiar with, isn't available to the Linux world. I have to find or use substitutes or best effort equivalents. But I suppose that is the cost of it being free.

If I recall correctly if you use "Accessibility" features you can still do the upgrade from 7 to 10 if you know where to look. The website to do it still worked ~9 months ago and while they always say its going away I've seen no evidence that it has. You also don't actually have to use those features. Only say you do. If you want 10 and you have a valid 7 install I'd look into it as an option.

[Minoa]

Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-44351214

I am sceptical of this, since supporters of Free and Open Source Software do not take Microsoft too kindly.

[Imperializt Russia]

So I had an unfortunate incident last night. I was playing Stellaris, having finally turned a somewhat doomed save into a promising one.
And the computer completely crashed. New-look "something went wrong:( " BSOD and all.

But then it wouldn't reboot. For a couple hours it just kept trying to reboot and being unable to with the BAD SYSTEM CONFIG INFO message. I tried a system restore (to two days prior) to no effect and in the end had to Reset 'the PC' (which really meant my C: drive with my OS), automatically reinstalling the OS.
I've not been able to test anything since I'm at work now and will be going straight home for the weekend. Stellaris is not a remotely taxing game on my PC. It suffers from frame-dropping, especially on higher game speeds, but never problematic temperatures.

I guess my OS crashed and corrupted, but wouldn't a system restore have fixed that?
All my data on the C: drive seems to be intact, tucked away in Windows.old and it boots and runs fine now, and the E: drive seems untouched.

[Minoa]

So I had an unfortunate incident last night. I was playing Stellaris, having finally turned a somewhat doomed save into a promising one.
And the computer completely crashed. New-look "something went wrong:( " BSOD and all.

But then it wouldn't reboot. For a couple hours it just kept trying to reboot and being unable to with the BAD SYSTEM CONFIG INFO message. I tried a system restore (to two days prior) to no effect and in the end had to Reset 'the PC' (which really meant my C: drive with my OS), automatically reinstalling the OS.
I've not been able to test anything since I'm at work now and will be going straight home for the weekend. Stellaris is not a remotely taxing game on my PC. It suffers from frame-dropping, especially on higher game speeds, but never problematic temperatures.

I guess my OS crashed and corrupted, but wouldn't a system restore have fixed that?
All my data on the C: drive seems to be intact, tucked away in Windows.old and it boots and runs fine now, and the E: drive seems untouched.

You seem to be like me in having a whole drive just for documents (E:), but I guess it isn't uncommon for people who do intensive work, as I used to do before my health problems really got bad.

In general, and this is for everyone in general, it may make sense to do a backup at that stage, and then check the health of the system disk (C:) via CrystalDiskInfo or HD Tune. It was a bit troublesome to swap the disk and then clone the image to the new disk, but it is still better than losing important data.

[Imperializt Russia]

I have an SSD C: drive, for smooth running (allegedly) of the OS and one or two competitive games that I want rapid loading for. The E: drive is a standard HDD for the purpose of storing p much everything else.

[Cekoviu]

Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-44351214

I am sceptical of this, since supporters of Free and Open Source Software do not take Microsoft too kindly.

NO NO NO NO

[Industrial Republics]

I have an SSD C: drive, for smooth running (allegedly) of the OS and one or two competitive games that I want rapid loading for. The E: drive is a standard HDD for the purpose of storing p much everything else.

It should still support S.M.A.R.T. and crystaldiskinfo should tell you information on the health of the drive. Otherwise some OEMs have built in testing if you start the computer up through the boot menu, or others like HP have it in the BIOS settings. Those tests could tell you more about the system, especially if you do extended testing (which is mainly testing the memory).

[Saiwania]

https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Aspire-i5-8 ... op?ie=UTF8

Can anyone recommend this model if someone wanted a traditional laptop and only had $600 to spend?

I would perhaps get it, but I'm waiting until sometime next year before I finally get a replacement for my current hardware. Something better might come out but if the time to buy was this year, it is a likely candidate for me. I like that it comes with a dedicated graphics card, even if it is weak. The CPU looks good, and the only other draw for me really, is the SSD. The space is limited, but it seems just enough for me to comfortably use. I use only around 110 GB as of now.

The net effect is that it'll be the first time I can use an SSD instead of a traditional HDD and have more than integrated graphics.

[Minoa]

I plan to try out Canaima 6.0 (Kavacs) on VMware as soon as possible, as part of the OSes from Dictatorships collection.

Downloading the ISO image is a pain, because the official site (part of the Venezuela government) is not on 24 hours a day, and even when it is online, the download from the servers is extremely slow.

Given the crisis there, it seems the Maduro government regime is basically robbing Peter to pay Paul, given the crackdown on bitcoin mining (CNBC, 2017). However, the regime is still unable to get a better uptime than a template personal website hosted on GoDaddy.

[Soldati Senza Confini]

https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Aspire-i5-8250U-GeForce-E5-576G-5762/dp/B075FLBJV7/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

Can anyone recommend this model if someone wanted a traditional laptop and only had $600 to spend?

I would perhaps get it, but I'm waiting until sometime next year before I finally get a replacement for my current hardware. Something better might come out but if the time to buy was this year, it is a likely candidate for me. I like that it comes with a dedicated graphics card, even if it is weak. The CPU looks good, and the only other draw for me really, is the SSD. The space is limited, but it seems just enough for me to comfortably use. I use only around 110 GB as of now.

The net effect is that it'll be the first time I can use an SSD instead of a traditional HDD and have more than integrated graphics.

Not a big fan of the off-center keyboard tbh, but if that's what you like...

I would however look on eBay for cheap used laptops, see if they got anything good in there that is better than that Acer. Plenty of old, good laptops are going for cheap nowadays.

[Cekoviu]

https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Aspire-i5-8250U-GeForce-E5-576G-5762/dp/B075FLBJV7/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

Can anyone recommend this model if someone wanted a traditional laptop and only had $600 to spend?

I would perhaps get it, but I'm waiting until sometime next year before I finally get a replacement for my current hardware. Something better might come out but if the time to buy was this year, it is a likely candidate for me. I like that it comes with a dedicated graphics card, even if it is weak. The CPU looks good, and the only other draw for me really, is the SSD. The space is limited, but it seems just enough for me to comfortably use. I use only around 110 GB as of now.

The net effect is that it'll be the first time I can use an SSD instead of a traditional HDD and have more than integrated graphics.

Get a Raspberry Pi and turn it into a laptop using a screen, a 128 GB SD card, a small briefcase, a wireless keyboard, and a bunch of tape. Then you can look like a businessperson when you're really just watching porn.

[Minoa]

Get a Raspberry Pi and turn it into a laptop using a screen, a 128 GB SD card, a small briefcase, a wireless keyboard, and a bunch of tape. Then you can look like a businessperson when you're really just watching porn.

It seems that Saiwania wants to play games with intensive visual effects, but I am not sure if building a desktop is a viable alternative, since I see a desktop solution as a thing that would last longer due to standardised parts.

[Saiwania]

It seems that Saiwania wants to play games with intensive visual effects, but I am not sure if building a desktop is a viable alternative, since I see a desktop solution as a thing that would last longer due to standardised parts.

I have a Windows 7 laptop which was manufactured in late 2011 that I've used since December of 2012. I'm looking for the same type of device which can perform the same or similar functions, only with newer and thus more powerful hardware. Budget will be up to $600 at most. Current equipment was worth $700 when I first acquired it. Intended service life of the new laptop will be until Windows 10 is obsolete or if the hardware depreciates enough as to no longer have satisfactory performance, whenever that may be. No less than 5 years and no more than 10 years is my general rule.

Only hard requirements I have is that it comes with Windows 10 or the latest Microsoft OS, a 15 inch or larger screen, and has relatively good hardware specs for the amount of money allocated. All parts combined adding up to or below $600 in total. I badly want a 256 GB or larger SSD and a dedicated graphics card of some sort (because I've never had either). But neither of those parts is mandatory for me. If I had to choose, I'd go with just an SSD with integrated graphics. Optical drive, can't say I care about that any.

I don't intend to get a gaming laptop per say, but rather- a laptop that can do a little bit of everything. One of the so called, General Purpose laptops. A tier above cheap ($200 to around $500) but a tier below the expensive category. ($1,000+) I'm willing to spend more for better hardware, but am not willing or able to pour too much into it. So my hard ceiling is somewhere in the middle price ranges.

To sum it up, I basically need to know if a potential set of hardware specs are a good value or not- for the price. (In this case, from $500 to $600)

[Imperializt Russia]

My laptop really needs to just go in the bin. Absolute garbage fire.

[Industrial Republics]

My laptop really needs to just go in the bin. Absolute garbage fire.

Don't do that.

Recycle it.

[Minoa]

My laptop really needs to just go in the bin. Absolute garbage fire.

Don't do that.

Recycle it.

At least do it in stress-busting style (I have been waiting for a Windows Me smash video).

[Imperializt Russia]

My laptop really needs to just go in the bin. Absolute garbage fire.

Don't do that.

Recycle it.

I thought it had fucking broken. Okay so, the Acer Aspire 5742 has no keyshift lights. No num lock light, no caps lock light, no lights like that.
The mute FN key is directly next to the 'disable touchpad' FN key.

Why does this FN key exist and why is it next to a useful one like mute.

I spent hours using tab to navigate windows menus and webpages to try and redownload fucking drivers.
There is no notification whatsoever on the machine.

[Industrial Republics]

Don't do that.

Recycle it.

I thought it had fucking broken. Okay so, the Acer Aspire 5742 has no keyshift lights. No num lock light, no caps lock light, no lights like that.
The mute FN key is directly next to the 'disable touchpad' FN key.

Why does this FN key exist and why is it next to a useful one like mute.

I spent hours using tab to navigate windows menus and webpages to try and redownload fucking drivers.
There is no notification whatsoever on the machine.

Because people what functionality from their keyboards but not everyone wants a 17" laptop that can fit 108+ keys.