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PC/Windows Troubleshooting

Discussion in 'Technical Board' started by Nettdata, Dec 1, 2009.

  1. Nettdata

    Nettdata
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    Mr. Toast

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    Are you being forced to use IE against your will?
     
  2. wexton

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    I am at work and that is the only reason I use IE at all. Not relevant to this conversation at all but fuck IE.
     
  3. Rush-O-Matic

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    No, lol. I just try to do what's easy - some sites Firefox wants me to update Flash or something, and I'm lazy. So, I do it through IE. IE is still fairly popular, last I heard, so I just posted that info, in case it was useful for someone else . . . which turned out to be useless. I checked now, and it's not google.com anymore. I'm trying to just use Firefox, but I've become accustomed to IE, I guess. I don't like the way the two-step bookmarks for Favorites work on Firefox, for instance, and other "feel" things.
     
  4. Frebis

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    What websites are you visiting that run flash? If it isn't fedex then you have bigger problems than IE.
     
  5. Rush-O-Matic

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    I'm pretty sure this thread will turn in to the "make fun of the dude who can't do computers" thread. But, hey, I don't mind learning things . . . Here are some of the more bizarre websites that want me to update flash: Runners World, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Sports Illustrated.
    upload_2017-4-13_15-15-46.png
     
  6. Binary

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    The websites don't want you to update Flash. It's Firefox recognizing you have an outdated version and refusing to let it run.

    Flash can be called for a number of things, so it's not necessarily a problem if mainstream websites are trying to call it. Even some ad campaigns still use Flash, or outdated bits and pieces of functionality on websites.

    Also, FYI, there are plugins that might help your experience in Firefox. For example, my girlfriend didn't like the bookmarks system in Chrome, so I downloaded an extension called Better Bookmarks or something like that and it made the bookmarks function more like IE. IE is really not a secure browser.
     
  7. Rush-O-Matic

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    Thank you. That's part of my ignorance, and also why I had a hard time leaving IE. Twp parts: IE didn't give me the update notice so I could just keep going, and if I do choose to update a plug-in, I always seem to end up in a domino spiral of one thing blocking another, hardware out-of-date, noncompatability, now some other program won't run, etc. that was just easier to use IE. I guess I pictured a plug-in like software - if I already went to Adobe's website, and downloaded the latest once, why do I also have to download it for Firefox? Either it's browser specific, or IE is just not worried about running an outdated (and, to your point) less secure version.
     
  8. Nettdata

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    Bingo.

    When if comes to Flash, Steve Jobs had a huge hard-on against Adobe because they make shit software that is a resource hog and made his shiny iPhones and iPads look bad when they ran Flash. Never mind the security problems. So he basically killed Flash on iPhones/iPads, kind of pushing most of the web to use non-Flash streaming technology (like HTML5 streaming video, etc). Flash is used by a ton of legacy Internet companies and therefore quite a few haven't or won't move away from it.

    FireFox and Chrome got sick and tired of being blamed for security breaches that were really because of Flash, so they put in place a "stop using Flash when a security issue is detected or a new version is available", forcing the end-user to upgrade to eliminate that security threat, not just keep using it and exposing themselves.

    IE doesn't give a fuck and just lets the end-users keep using it.
     
  9. Nettdata

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    For shits and giggles you can read about the security bulletins from Flash here: https://helpx.adobe.com/security.html#flashplayer

    Any shop that is concerned about security explicitly forbids the use of Flash in their browsers, for good reason.
     
  10. Rush-O-Matic

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    See, I knew I'd learn something if I kept posting. Thanks, guys.

    Also, this is funny:
    upload_2017-4-14_16-24-11.png
    It's the Browser that needs the plugin updated, but the message reads like it's a TiB issue. (I realize it's not.)
     
  11. Rush-O-Matic

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    Last night when I left my office, my computer was working just fine. When I came in this morning, it was making noises it shouldn't make. It was like a whirr/click, like something was trying to start, but couldn't. The sound was like a disc trying to be ejected, but the door wouldn't open. (That wasn't it, just sounded that way.) I'm was pretty sure it's a hard drive failure, and it's the drive not able to spin up. Maybe? So, I was assuming this was a hardware failure, not software. I powered it off, and tried again. It doesn't make the whirr/click sound anymore. The initial HP screen comes on, then the BIOS screen comes up okay, and then as it starts to boot, this is the message I get:
    upload_2017-6-27_9-4-25.png

    HP Pavilion P7-1110
    Windows 7 Home Premium
    6 GB Ram
    2Gen Intel i3-2120

    But, I found this
    https://support.symantec.com/en_US/article.TECH10532.html
    on Symantec's website for their Deployment Solution product (I don't know what that is), and it makes me think there could be a software issue or conflict? I have no idea what I'm doing.

    Is there some simple thing I can try first to figure out if it's a hardware or software issue? So, I know what to start trying or just give up and do something new?

    I have backups, and it's time to replace this computer. But, this one has my CAD software and other software that is not compatible with Win7, so it will cost me several thousand dollars to upgrade everything and restore the backup information.

    Thanks.
     
  12. Nettdata

    Nettdata
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    Definitely sounds like a hard drive controller failure. Hardware.

    You can have drive recovery specialists try replacing the controller component on the drive, but that might be a bit expensive and time consuming.

    I generally try to do boot drive backups (low level images) every so often so I can replace the drive and recover it in case this happens.

    Sorry to hear it.
     
  13. Rush-O-Matic

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    Woo.

    Thanks, yes, it appears that is it. No point in trying to change the boot order off the LAN, as it won't access the hard drive with a bad controller, I guess. This also means I won't be able to use an enclosure or connect it to another PC to recover that data, right? The two other PCs I use have different connectors - like, IDE vs SATA or something, so I'll have to try it on the new PC I'm buying.

    It's been a long time since I took a hard drive apart, but if it's lost, I guess I have nothing to lose. Theoretically . . . would it be possible to get an exact same hard drive with a working controller, say off eBay, and take the guts out? And, then swap it over? Or, is everything soldered in, once I get past the "don't remove this sticker" part? (It's a Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 1TB drive.)
     
  14. Nettdata

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    Spinning, non-SSD hard drives (which I'm assuming this is because of the sound you're relaying) are made up of platters of magnetic material, and a physical arm that moves like a record player arm to read the bits off of those platters. The controller is a physical piece of the hard drive itself that controls the arm and tells it where to go. That "whir-click" you hear is the sound of that arm basically travelling back and forth and not working properly, which is kind of the universal sign of "the controller's fucked".

    [​IMG]

    Regardless of where you put that drive, when it is accessed, it will do the same thing it is now, which is not read the data from the platters.

    This is why a number of "business critical" systems use a mirrored boot drive setup, so in case one drive dies, the other one is still usable and you can replace the FUBAR one.

    If you had just installed the drive, or had moved the computer and knocked a cable loose or something, I'd recommend some other steps, but if it was just sitting there and stopped working, then the drive just up and died/fried.

    I always tend to look at drives as starting to fail as soon as you plug it in and turn it on, so set up systems accordingly. (Again, low level backups and/or mirrored drives, depending on how important the shit is and how much time I can spare to recover it).


    Sorry to hear it... losing a key drive unexpectedly can be quite a kick to the nuts.
     
  15. Nettdata

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    That's basically what the drive recovery guys would do to recover the data. You'd basically just swap out the controller chip, and you never want to open up the platters to open air or you'll introduce airborne debris that will sandblast the spinning platters in no time.
     
  16. Nettdata

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    If you wanted to spend stupid money, then they'd try and remove the platters in a clean room environment and transplant them into a new drive. Or image the raw data off of individual platters with specialized gear.

    Again, STUPID money.
     
  17. Rush-O-Matic

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    Thanks, dude, for all the input. The PCB board is on the outside, so I can actually handle trying to replace that. I bought another identical drive on eBay, so maybe I can swap that out. If that doesn't work, I'll try smacking it with a hammer.

    This is fun.
     
  18. wexton

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    Make sure it is the exact same model and everything.
     
  19. Nettdata

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    The hard part will be the exact firmware... some firmware differences won't really make a difference, some will make all the difference in the world (as in it won't work)...

    it's a bit of a crap shoot at this point, but nothing really to lose except time.
     
  20. Rush-O-Matic

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    Au contraire, I can also LOSE MY FREAKING MIND DID I MENTION I HATE FUCKING CORTANA?!! LALALALALALALALALA

    Having to reinstall and recustomize is sucking balls.