Topic Wiki

I figured that even this thread can have a wiki.
If your computer or phone is giving you issues:

• Please read this before posting: 4 Reasons Why IT People Ignore Your Requests for Help
• Restart the computer. Hopefully this will take care of any issues
• If your problem has not yet been solved, try to Google it. There may be a very simple solution
• On a Windows computer, a system restore may do the trick.
(This is a work in progress, please feel free to add whatever you may feel is helpful)


Please post whether or not the problem was fixed

Apple iPhone Master Thread
« Last edited by Thingywingy on May 07, 2019, 08:00:02 PM »

Author Topic: Computer Troubleshooting/Help Master Thread  (Read 976966 times)

Offline pixi

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Re: Computer Troubleshooting/Help Master Thread
« Reply #3420 on: December 14, 2016, 09:08:16 AM »
No, get a 2.5" wide SSD.
So a Samsung evo 850 (pro) should be my best option.  Right?
money doesn't talk......      it SCREAMS !

Offline Yisroel Tech

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Re: Computer Troubleshooting/Help Master Thread
« Reply #3421 on: December 14, 2016, 09:13:20 AM »
So a Samsung evo 850 (pro) should be my best option.  Right?
Right.

Offline avromie7

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Re: Computer Troubleshooting/Help Master Thread
« Reply #3422 on: December 14, 2016, 02:36:14 PM »
So a Samsung evo 850 (pro) should be my best option.  Right?
IMO there is no reason to get pro unless you plan on using it on a server. Just get the 850 EVO it is top of the line.
I wonder what people who type "u" instead of "you" do with all their free time.

Offline sruliL

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Re: Computer Troubleshooting/Help Master Thread
« Reply #3423 on: December 14, 2016, 03:09:34 PM »
So a Samsung evo 850 (pro) should be my best option.  Right?
I haven't used the Pro but I do have the evo and can attest that it is fantastic under load, I don't know if you will be taking advantage of the Pro features.
Life's not about doing things good, its about doing good things.

Offline etech0

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Re: Computer Troubleshooting/Help Master Thread
« Reply #3424 on: December 15, 2016, 11:38:58 AM »
What could be causing this?


Chrome has 9 tabs open, which shouldn't be too much to handle. This happens every so often, and my tabs often freeze/hang up.
Workflowy. You won't know what you're missing until you try it.

Offline Yisroel Tech

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Re: Computer Troubleshooting/Help Master Thread
« Reply #3425 on: December 15, 2016, 11:48:56 AM »
What could be causing this?


Chrome has 9 tabs open, which shouldn't be too much to handle. This happens every so often, and my tabs often freeze/hang up.
How many tabs are open in Firefox? Both seem to use way too much CPU and RAM (though I'm not sure how much RAM and CPU power the machine has.)

I'd suspect an extension or something like that. In Chrome open the Chrome Task Manager and look for something specifically consuming alot of resources.

Offline etech0

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Re: Computer Troubleshooting/Help Master Thread
« Reply #3426 on: December 15, 2016, 11:54:31 AM »
How many tabs are open in Firefox? Both seem to use way too much CPU and RAM (though I'm not sure how much RAM and CPU power the machine has.)

I'd suspect an extension or something like that. In Chrome open the Chrome Task Manager and look for something specifically consuming alot of resources.
I don't remember how many tabs FF had at that minute, but probably around 10.

Computer (laptop actually) has 16gb RAM and an i7 CPU.

I'm looking at chrome task manager and the biggest RAM eater is a set of 4 tabs which total about 500mb. Nothing seems to be using very much CPU power.

Right now in the Task Manager, CPU is showing at about 30% and RAM about 40%. Next time it shoots back up I'll check out Chrome Task Manager.
Workflowy. You won't know what you're missing until you try it.

Offline Work-for-ur-muny

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Re: Computer Troubleshooting/Help Master Thread
« Reply #3427 on: December 15, 2016, 02:49:27 PM »
I found that when I open a site that has heavy advertising especially videos (i.e. mathaids.com) it really hikes the computer's resource usage. Depending on what they feature at the given time it can really slow things down.

Offline etech0

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Re: Computer Troubleshooting/Help Master Thread
« Reply #3428 on: December 15, 2016, 03:04:45 PM »
I found that when I open a site that has heavy advertising especially videos (i.e. mathaids.com) it really hikes the computer's resource usage. Depending on what they feature at the given time it can really slow things down.
Interesting... I do use uBlock, but maybe some ads get through. I'll have to analyze the pages I have opened and see if that's related.

Thanks
Workflowy. You won't know what you're missing until you try it.

Offline Work-for-ur-muny

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Re: Computer Troubleshooting/Help Master Thread
« Reply #3429 on: December 15, 2016, 03:10:03 PM »
Interesting... I do use uBlock, but maybe some ads get through. I'll have to analyze the pages I have opened and see if that's related.

Thanks
Then maybe there were ads that were to be displayed had you not enabled uBlock, and it's actually the uBlock slowing things down as it works to suppress the ads.

Offline etech0

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Re: Computer Troubleshooting/Help Master Thread
« Reply #3430 on: December 15, 2016, 07:33:40 PM »
Then maybe there were ads that were to be displayed had you not enabled uBlock, and it's actually the uBlock slowing things down as it works to suppress the ads.
Now THAT's interesting!
Workflowy. You won't know what you're missing until you try it.

Online cholent

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Re: Computer Troubleshooting/Help Master Thread
« Reply #3431 on: December 18, 2016, 07:10:46 PM »
A DVD got stuck in my laptop's CD/DVD drive. How can I get it out? Initially the drive opened with the DVD still inside, now it is stuck shut.
Don't ask stupid questions and you won't get stupid answers

Offline etech0

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Re: Computer Troubleshooting/Help Master Thread
« Reply #3432 on: December 18, 2016, 07:12:28 PM »
A DVD got stuck in my laptop's CD/DVD drive. How can I get it out? Initially the drive opened with the DVD still inside, now it is stuck shut.
See if there is a tiny hole in the drive. If yes, straighten out a paperclip and insert it, you should be able to push the tray out eventually.
Workflowy. You won't know what you're missing until you try it.

Online cholent

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Re: Computer Troubleshooting/Help Master Thread
« Reply #3433 on: December 18, 2016, 07:21:42 PM »
See if there is a tiny hole in the drive. If yes, straighten out a paperclip and insert it, you should be able to push the tray out eventually.

Thank you! That succeeded in getting the drive back open but the DVD is still stuck inside, any suggestions?

ETA: Never mind, got it out with the help of a letter opener. Totally scratched but maybe it will still miraculously work?
Don't ask stupid questions and you won't get stupid answers

Offline etech0

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Re: Computer Troubleshooting/Help Master Thread
« Reply #3434 on: December 18, 2016, 07:45:37 PM »
Thank you! That succeeded in getting the drive back open but the DVD is still stuck inside, any suggestions?

ETA: Never mind, got it out with the help of a letter opener. Totally scratched but maybe it will still miraculously work?
You're welcome... I don't know if the DVD will work, but it's worth a try!
Workflowy. You won't know what you're missing until you try it.

Offline Work-for-ur-muny

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Re: Computer Troubleshooting/Help Master Thread
« Reply #3435 on: December 19, 2016, 06:14:57 PM »
Now THAT's interesting!
I just opened the link in the following post
http://grammarist.com/spelling/doughnut-donut/
and had it open as a separate tab. Not realizing how heavy it is I tried purchasing the kindle books from the most recent DDMS deal. It took like 10-15 times longer than it should've taken. I was getting so annoyed, but didn't know why. At first I was blaming it on the books downloading. Once I closed the tab everything sped up all of a sudden...

Offline Galitzyaner

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Re: Computer Troubleshooting/Help Master Thread
« Reply #3436 on: December 25, 2016, 11:16:19 PM »
I have these really nooby questions, please don't mind me.
I just got this laptop
$379-Dell Inspiron i5 https://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/Dell-Inspiron-15-i5559-Signature-Edition-Laptop/productID.333089700?
and have some questions before I start it up.
As you can see in the link, this comes with a 1TB HDD, which I'd like to upgrade to an SSD.

A) This laptop comes with Windows 10 Signature Edition; where is that stored? Is it stored in the HDD? If I replace it with an SSD, will I need to somehow reinstall windows?

B) 256 GB sounds like not enough storage space for a laptop (yes, I know about the cloud). Does THIS Crucial 525GB SATA work nicely? Or is it worth paying an extra $40+ for the Samsung 850 EVO 500GB?

C) Again, please excuse my terrible ignorance, but are these the same exact physical size as the HDD it's replacing? Is the "slot" the same size in all windows 13"-17" laptops?

D) Is upgrading/adding RAM from 8GB to 16GB something that makes sense for someone who habitually keeps dozens of tabs and multiple windows open at once?
Does installation involve anything complicated or is it rather simple? And (this one is so embarrassing :-[ ) how do I go about buying one (there doesn't seem to be a huge selection)? And is there any specific one that's highly recommended?

Would really appreciate if someone has the patients to respond to my ignorance.
TIA!!

Offline etech0

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Re: Computer Troubleshooting/Help Master Thread
« Reply #3437 on: December 26, 2016, 12:09:43 AM »
As far as D., you can go to crucial.com and download their scanner which will tell you exactly which RAM is compatible. Installation can vary anywhere from pretty easy to very difficult, depending on the laptop.

IMO if you use a lot of tabs you will probably appreciate the extra RAM.
Workflowy. You won't know what you're missing until you try it.

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Re: Computer Troubleshooting/Help Master Thread
« Reply #3438 on: December 26, 2016, 12:14:21 AM »
I have these really nooby questions, please don't mind me.
I just got this laptopand have some questions before I start it up.
As you can see in the link, this comes with a 1TB HDD, which I'd like to upgrade to an SSD.

A) This laptop comes with Windows 10 Signature Edition; where is that stored? Is it stored in the HDD? If I replace it with an SSD, will I need to somehow reinstall windows?

B) 256 GB sounds like not enough storage space for a laptop (yes, I know about the cloud). Does THIS Crucial 525GB SATA work nicely? Or is it worth paying an extra $40+ for the Samsung 850 EVO 500GB?

C) Again, please excuse my terrible ignorance, but are these the same exact physical size as the HDD it's replacing? Is the "slot" the same size in all windows 13"-17" laptops?

D) Is upgrading/adding RAM from 8GB to 16GB something that makes sense for someone who habitually keeps dozens of tabs and multiple windows open at once?
Does installation involve anything complicated or is it rather simple? And (this one is so embarrassing :-[ ) how do I go about buying one (there doesn't seem to be a huge selection)? And is there any specific one that's highly recommended?

Would really appreciate if someone has the patients to respond to my ignorance.
TIA!!
My friend, there's no need whatsoever to point out every 2nd line that your ignorant or noobie...you may ask advice even if you aren't (hint: you aren't...)  ;)

I'll try to answer as for what I know and I hope with other guys' input something will come out for you...

A) Windows is stored on the (1 TB) HDD. If you'll replace it you'll have two options, first - and best - is cloning (in plain English, copying the whole thing) the old HDD to the new one (for which you'll need an accessory like this to have them both connected at once.) 2nd option would be reinstalling Windows. (which isn't that hard either, but you should first sign into the laptop with your MS account so that the license will work automatically even after changing drive.)

B) IMHO 256GB is more than enough "working" space if you don't plan on having a huge collection of Music or Videos saved on there. And if you're going with 250GB the Samsung and the Crucial are almost same price so the Samsung would be the way to go. If you do wanna go with the 500GB it is hard to make the decision, it is not just like five bucks more, but the Samsung is after all the king, and as a bonus the Samsung comes with 2 more years warranty and a great easy to use cloning software (if you go with option 1 for the previous answer.)

C) Yes, all normal laptops use the same 2.5" SATA slot which fits all 2.5" SATA drives.

D) It is more complicated. Not necessarily the mere installation which is a bit more delicate, but the choosing should be complete exact (some tiny, almost unnotable, specs may make all the difference between success and failure) match and some problems that may arise. So I would not recommend it for a first or 2nd-time laptop tinkering.

BTW, as I noted in that deals thread lately laptops come more closed down and in order to change a thing you need to crack them all the way open (unlike in the past that most came with easily unscrewable covers to open and make these upgrades.) How is this specific model in this regards?

Offline DanH

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Re: Computer Troubleshooting/Help Master Thread
« Reply #3439 on: December 26, 2016, 02:30:17 AM »
Just going to reply in regards to A.  There is no such thing as a "Signature Edition" of Windows.  What Signature Edition means is:
Quote
Some new PCs come pre-installed with programs that you might not want and may never use. This can slow down your computer and junk up your Start screen or desktop. When you buy a new PC at Microsoft Store, we ensure there's no third-party junkware or trialware installed.
https://answerdesk.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/html/pbpage.MicrosoftSignature
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