2.5" to 3.5" IDE Hard Drive Cable Adapter at Mwave.com - Only the best-quality components are used when StarTech.com’s expert manufacturing team creates our cable supplies and this adapter is no different. Our 2.5" to 3.5" IDE Hard Drive Cable Adapter allows you to hook up a notebook hard drive to a PC. Backed with a lifetime warranty, these cables help StarTech.com maintain our tradition of offering top-notch parts and products for the best price possible.* 09/03/2006
Dell Power Supply Converter - This Dell to ATX adapter allows you to use a Quiet Power Supply with your proprietary Dell computer (in place of a Dell power supply).
The power supply that came with your Dell computer, manufactured since September of 1998, may look like a standard ATX power supply. A standard ATX power supply will even physically fit into the Dell computer and the electrical components will look like they line up, however, if you don't use a proprietary Dell power supply or a Dell to ATX Power Supply Converter with your standard ATX power supply, your computer will not work and damage may occur to the motherboard and/or the standard power supply.* Courtesy of NoIDAtAll, a.k.a. Bob, from TMF's HWTSC Forum! Thanks Bob!! 12/31/2005
Easy IDE - USB 2.0 To IDE ATA Converter at Cyberguys.com - Now you can access or test an internal ATA/ATAPI (IDE) drive without connecting it to a motherboard and power supply. Just attach the Easy IDE converter, plug it into a USB port and you’ll have fast USB 2.0 access to hard drives, CD burners, DVD drives and more. Great for technicians.* 09/03/2006
External HDD Enclosures for both Desktop and Laptop Computers at Mwave.com.* 09/03/2006
Laptop HDD Mounting Kit - Need to transfer data between your laptop and desktop? Then our laptop hard drive mounting kit is perfect for you; this high quality kit includes all the equipment you’ll need to install a 2.5” drive in a 3.5” bay.* If you have a dead Laptop and want to save the HDD, then search in your City/Town Locally or Online for something similar. 09/02/2006
Laptop to IDE Hard Drive Adapter from CablesToGo.com - With the Laptop Hard Drive Adapter from Cables To Go, you can easily connect your 2.5in notebook IDE hard drive to a 40-pin IDE cable for installation in a desktop or tower PC. Each adapter features 44-pin female to 40-pin male connectors, and a power feed.
Transfer files to/from your laptop to your desktop quickly and easily: Simply attach your laptop's 2.5in drive to this adapter, and connect the adapter to our USB 2.0 to IDE drive adapter (#30500). Then plug the USB to IDE adapter into an available USB port on your desktop. Your 2.5in drive will appear as a logical drive, enabling you to pull files directly back and forth.*
You do not need their USB adapter as you can just use the Laptop to IDE HDD adapter by itself, but the USB adapter is a cool tool to have should you have a need to use it more than once. You can also find an adapter like this one at a local Mom & Pop shop for around $10 to $15. 12/31/2005
PC Interfaces 101 - This comprehensive advisor is intended to function as a reference, aimed at helping newbies and experienced users alike. With numerous pictures and short explanations, we'll tell you all about the slots, ports, and connectors you'll find on your PC, and what kinds of devices typically attach (or plug in) to them. We're especially interested in helping those users out who may not know all the many acronyms associated with computer peripherals, but who seek immediate solutions to their connectivity and assembly problems.
There's one consolation when it comes to connectors though - nearly every one is designed to make it difficult (if not impossible) to reverse polarity when hooking things up. With few exceptions, it is also not possible to plug incompatible devices and interfaces into each other; in the few cases where such possibilities exist, we'll be sure to warn you about them explicitly. But the good news is that damage or destruction caused by reversed connectors is pretty much a thing of the past.* 01/20/2006
Batteries and Chargers
Fuel Cell Adds Life to Your Mobile Devices: Power supply could keep your handheld gadgets running ten times as long as existing batteries written by Matt Berger, IDG News Service, Friday, August 09, 2002*
Mobile Computing Tips: No More Dead Batteries: Products to boost battery life: solar panels, fuel cells, rechargers written by James A. Martin, Thursday, July 25, 2002*
Mobile Gear Gets a Charge on the Run: More power to you: Seidio, IGo unveil kits that recharge notebooks, PDAs, cell phones from various sources written by Tom Spring, PCWorld.com, Thursday, June 27, 2002*
Casio Adds Life to Mobile Devices: New fuel cell generates power through chemical reaction, keeping notebooks running for 20 hours written by Kuriko Miyake, IDG News Service, Tuesday, March 05, 2002*
Battery University is an on-line resource that provides practical battery knowledge for engineers, educators, students and battery users alike. The papers address battery chemistries, best battery choices and ways to make your battery last longer.
The presentations are easy-to-read and are limited to about 1000 words. The material is based on the book Batteries in a portable World - A handbook on rechargeable batteries for non-engineers, and is written in condensed form. The 300-page book and a library of battery articles are available on www.buchmann.ca. Battery service products are shown on www.cadex.com.* 02/28/2006
E Products To Go, Inc - E Products To Go, Inc is a leading online battery source offering a complete line of major manufacturer's brand batteries for motorcycles, jet ski's, ATV's, snowmobiles, motor scooters, electric wheelchairs, UPS's, flashlights, toys, tools and other mobile products. We designed our website to provide a convenient, private, and informative shopping experience that encourages consumers to purchase batteries with great ease and efficiency. We shall continue to strive to provide you with the best online battery source available.
We offer a larger selection of products than a typical store-based retailer, at very competitive prices. Our customers can review in-depth product information, interact with customer service representatives by phone or email, and order products for delivery right to the home or business. We are open to shoppers 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We believe that eBatteriesToGo.com provides its customers with a superior shopping experience, making buying batteries less of a chore.* 04/14/2006
Are you hearing BIOS Beep Codes when your computer starts up? Then check out these sites to properly diagnose those beep codes. - BIOS Central, ComputerHope, PCGuide, PCHell, and the PostCodeMaster.* 03/02/2006
BIOS from A to Z - The Basic Input Output System - aka BIOS - resides in a small Flash EEPROM memory module on the motherboard. It's a form of read-only memory, but may be rewritten or programmed when the right tools and techniques are applied. During PC startup, the processor on the motherboard always executes the program stored in the BIOS as its first major maneuver.* 01/15/2006
The BIOS Survival Guide - This is a short list of settings important for the appropriate configuration of your system. A long list is available in the index section. DO NOT mess with these settings unless you have read carefully their implications. Also, please have a look at the basic optimization tricks on how to coordinate some of these settings.* Links to Other BIOS Related Sites. 05/18/2003
Wim's BIOS site with an informative FAQ, Manufacturer Links (Most BIOS Manufacturer's charge for their BIOS upgrades.) and BIOS Utilities. (He frames other sites, so hold down the Shift button and click on the links to open the actual site.) 05/18/2003
Andy McFadden's CD-Recordable FAQ - This document attempts to answer Frequently Asked Questions about Compact Disc Recordable technology and related fields. It was originally developed as a Usenet newsgroup FAQ, and is updated and posted about once a month. The main foci are explaining CD-R technology, describing hardware and software solutions for creating audio CDs and CD-ROMs, and helping people find solutions to common problems.
The FAQ is heavily biased toward PCs and computer-based recorders, because that's what I'm most familiar with, but I have made an effort to include useful information for owners of other equipment. I don't anticipate the section on stand-alone audio CD recorders expanding greatly, because they're far simpler to operate than computer-based recorders, and most of the "must know" information about them is more appropriate in an FAQ on stereo systems or studio recording. I do try to address deficiencies in Macintosh coverage.
I don't usually address questions that can be phrased, "how do I make my software do this?" The answers to those should be in the manual that came with your software. In general, this is a collection of answers to specific questions, not a "how to" guide. I have tried to make the answers easy to understand by an inexperienced user, but if you know absolutely nothing about recording CDs then some sections may be confusing.
This is not a newsletter. Actively maintained web sites are a much better source of breaking news than this document, which is updated at most once a month. I also don't try to track moving targets, like CD recorder firmware versions or software versions unless a specific release is especially interesting. Ditto for which recorders work with which packet-writing solutions, or which recorders can overburn.* 05/03/2003
AVS Disc Creator - Write your data to CD, DVD and Blu-ray Discs quickly and easily using FREE AVS Disc Creator. The first and the only one free Blu-ray Disc burning software in the international market of multimedia solutions today!
Simple and intuitive interface, fast performance, a variety of features and supported media types make AVS Disc Creator a most convenient software to create data CD and DVD.* 04/14/2006 F
CD Freaks aims to be the main source for optical storage related information. The site is dedicated to subjects related to this technology. Certainly education of consumers is an important factor in this industry because of the large variation of standards and technologies that are not always understandable to consumers. We also publish product announcements and updates. Our website is updated daily with the latest news, but we also publish background articles and reviews. Besides that we have a huge community, which is the perfect place for visitors to meet, share experiences and receive help.* 01/04/2006
Troubleshooting and Repair of Compact Disc Players and CDROM Drives FAQ - Hardware Related Info - What an awesome FAQ!! There is a lot of info here and they also have a Mailing List should you need further help. 12/05/2005
Ars System Guide: April 2006 Edition - System recommendations are harder to do than most people think, but we've diligently worked to keep our guides up-to-date with the most mouth-watering hardware. Our last regular update in January saw some new hardware. This time? Read on...
But reader beware: we're not going to just choose the cheapest stuff or the best stuff and throw it together and call it a system (as many "recommenders" are wont to do). Rather, our guides are meant to reflect real world issues. For example, we'll tally up prices for you based on what we glean from our own online comparison shopping engine, not vendors that we have special deals with, or even worse, MSRPs. Real-world prices, baby.
And, of course, this is Ars Technica. We are not concerned with what you should be buying your 500-person company for your next mass upgrade. These are the systems that we, your fellow enthusiasts, either have, plan to have, or would love desperately to have. We know how you think, 'cause we think that way, too.
Now, when recommending products, you've got to take two main factors into account: available funds and performance. Some lucky bastards have unlimited funds; some have to pinch every penny. Most of us are somewhere in between. So, when you say something is the "best thing out there," it's important to ask, "Best for whom?" In recognition of this fact, our recommendations come in the form of three hypothetical computers. The Budget Box, Hot Rod and the God Box* 04/18/2006
Price-Point Comparing Three-Way Case Shootout - Like all other pieces of that go into a personal home-built machine (and many other goods for that matter), there is a great deal of price points from which one must choose. Should a user splurge and go all out or does it make more sense to simply match one’s needs to a specific model which appears to have the most desirable features for a more reasonable cost?
Given this particular consideration in the decision to buy a case, we decided to match up three rather new mid-tower models from three different price brackets in a close examination to determine just how much bang for the buck that a consumer can get from a chassis.
With Antec’s long history of quality hardware, it’s no wonder that the P150 is an excellent case, but Raidmax is no slouch in this arena either, and their attractive X1 is available for less than half the price of the Antec case. Finally, the Dynamax E68, the last case that we’ll review, is even less yet, but perhaps it will still perform just as well as the other ones.* 02/13/2006
Tom's Hardware BYO Guide - Cases & Modding - Spring Case Madness: 24 Of The Best - Reader response to our last round-up was off the chart. Readers flooded our inbox with a variety of questions and comments concerning our last THG case review, 15 Cases For Review. Although in our last case review we were able to review fifteen models, this time we upped the stakes and got 24 beauties in to the labs. Many of the models presented in this review are a direct result of feedback from you. You spoke, we hope we got many of your favorites into the mix this time.* Updated: 04/18/2006
CPU Stability Test 6.0 - Stability Test allows you to torture test your computer's Central Processing Unit (CPU) and find out if it is overclocked. CPU Stability Test tests: CPU, Harddisks, RAM, caches and many sections of your Motherboard.
The program supports multi-processor systems, features automated crash handling and counting, includes stability rating, and lets you disable the screen saver.* 10/14/2005
Intel Pentium 4 Processor Installation Instructions - The following overview and installation instructions are for professional system integrators building PCs that use Pentium® 4 processors in the 478-pin package with industry-accepted motherboards, chassis, and peripherals. It contains technical information intended to aid in system integration. The term "Pentium 4 processors in the 478-pin package" refers to Pentium 4 processors in the 478-pin Flip-Chip Pin Grid Array (FC-PGA2) package.
IMPORTANT NOTE: This information applies to Pentium 4 processors with 512KB cache on 0.13 micron process and to Pentium 4 processors with 256KB cache on 0.18 micron process.* 04/06/2007
Processor Electrical Specifications - All of the information contained on this page came directly from the various datasheets provided online. Links to the datasheets are provided at the bottom of the page. Since not all of the pertinent information is clearly spelled out in the datasheets, some of the numbers were calculated using formulas found in the datasheets. Where these calculations are used is clearly marked and the formulas used are also provided.
Please note that the 'Max. Case Temp.' is the maximum temperature allowable as measured on the exterior of the processor package in the middle directly above the chip die (under the heatsink). It is not the maximum internal ambient temperature of the system enclosure. The term 'case' refers to the processor's package, not the system case.* Have you ever needed to know what the Maximum Temp Allowed for tour CPU is? Then check this page out!! 03/25/2006
Tom's Hardware Guide - CPU Guide
SharkyExtreme.com - They have an extensive list of CPU Reviews & Articles. 11/23/2002
SocketA.com - The #1 Source for Athlon and Duron motherboard reviews and news.* 05/18/2003
Battery University is an on-line resource that provides practical battery knowledge for engineers, educators, students and battery users alike. The papers address battery chemistries, best battery choices and ways to make your battery last longer.
The presentations are easy-to-read and are limited to about 1000 words. The material is based on the book Batteries in a portable World - A handbook on rechargeable batteries for non-engineers, and is written in condensed form. The 300-page book and a library of battery articles are available on www.buchmann.ca. Battery service products are shown on www.cadex.com.* 02/28/2006
CNET Digital Camera Reviews and Articles.
Digital Image Sensor - How the latest digital-camera sensors create sharper color photographs. - In North America, digital cameras may nearly replace film cameras by 2008, according to InfoTrends/CAP Ventures, a digital-imaging market research firm in Weymouth, MA. The trend is being fueled partly by improvements in the digital sensors that capture images in lieu of film. The latest sensor is the X3 from Santa Clara, CA-based Foveon. It has three layers of silicon, as opposed to one in conventional sensors, which produce sharper, truer-colored photos. Until now the X3 was used only in professional-grade cameras, but Foveon partnered with Polaroid and this summer released an X3-based camera that retails for about $400. Here’s how it works, and how it compares to conventional digital technology and to film.* Click on the "Play Animation" link to see the rest of the review. 06/20/2004
Digital Photography Review - Where you'll find all the latest in digital photography and imaging news, reviews of the latest digital cameras and accessories, the most active discussion forums, a large selection of sample images, a digital camera buyers guide, side-by-side comparisons and the most comprehensive database of digital camera features and specifications.* 04/21/2004
Imaging Resource - The Imaging Resource offers the most comprehensive, informative, and factually accurate digital camera information available anywhere. Here you will find the latest digital camera, scanner and printer reviews as well as our exclusive Comparometer image comparison database and our unique Camera Advisor that helps you find the camera that's right for you..* You must allow Cookies to be able to use the Camera Advisor. 04/21/2004
The Luminous Landscape - The web's most comprehensive site devoted to the art of landscape, nature and documentary photography using digital as well as traditional image processing techniques. You will find on these pages instructive feature articles, product reviews, travel and technical discussions, inspiring portfolios, and a Discussion Forum.* What's New, Site Contents Index, and Tutorials. 07/07/2004
PC Magazine Digital Camera Reviews and Articles.
PC World Digital Camera Reviews and Articles.
Petteri's Photo Lessons - By popular request, here is the web version of Petteri's Photography Classes. These lessons were first published on the Minolta Forum at Digital Photography Review. For the web work, I've edited the texts, cleaned up some of the graphics, and set up this framework into which to plug them. Enjoy!* 07/07/2004
ShortCourses.com - Famous for its books on digital cameras and digital photography. THE digital photography resource for over 4,000,000 visitors a year.* The e-books are for sale, but there are courses for free such as; A SHORT COURSE IN USING YOUR DIGITAL CAMERA, and more. And don't forget to check out #14, Site You Must See. 07/07/2004
TechTV Digital Camera Reviews and Articles.
AVS Disc Creator - Write your data to CD, DVD and Blu-ray Discs quickly and easily using FREE AVS Disc Creator. The first and the only one free Blu-ray Disc burning software in the international market of multimedia solutions today!
Simple and intuitive interface, fast performance, a variety of features and supported media types make AVS Disc Creator a most convenient software to create data CD and DVD.* 04/14/2006 F
DVD Decrypter - This rips encrypted dvd video files onto your harddrive for further processing. It removes region code protection and macrovision.* MrBass.org has several more DVD burning/copying/ripping programs listed. 04/19/2006 F
DVD Frequently Asked Questions (and Answers) - More DVD-ROM info than you'll ever want to know! 09/17/2004
DVD Shrink - DVD Shrink enables you to copy a DVD very easily. Copying a DVD doesn't get much simpler than this. Put DVD into DVD-ROM or DVD burner. Choose either either a Full Disk (1:1) copy or a main movie only. It'll analyze DVD, encode video files , and finally burn a copy of the dvd to DVD±R media. Thus you have a excellent quality dvd copy of your original DVD.* MrBass.org has several more DVD burning/copying/ripping programs listed. 04/19/2006 F
ImgBurn - ImgBurn carries on from where DVD Decrypter left off! (Well, for the burning part anyway!)
ImgBurn can write most types of CD / DVD images and it supports all the latest writers (including booktype / bitsetting on many of the major ones - i.e. BenQ, LiteOn, NEC, Plextor, Sony). You can even use ImgBurn to erase / format your rewritable media!
ImgBurn will try its very best to burn your DVD-Video double layer images using the layer break you've specified in the IFO files, but it can also calculate the best place for you, to save you the trouble.* 04/19/2006 F
MFDnSC said, "robear asked the right questions, but I'll offer that a floppy is one of the most unreliable places to backup data. Terribly un-reliable!"*
To which Phil, a.k.a. Radish, replied, "I worked with floppies for many years; I've designed equipment that copies floppies, and operated a major floppy copying service. Indeed, I've spent years learning what makes a floppy readable or unreadable in thousands of different models of computers, and designing equipment that could copy floppies and discern whether or not they were going to be readable.
So, obviously I think floppies can be reliable. Here's how:
1. Use a good brand of floppy (like Imation, formerly 3M).
2. Before you use the floppy, format it on the computer that's going to write to it. If you use the DOS command FORMAT to format the floppy, don't use the /Q option. If you do, it doesn't really reformat the floppy.
3. Verify all writes. In DOS, this can be done either by typing VERIFY ON before doing any copying, or by adding the /V switch to the COPY or XCOPY command. Unfortunately, there's no easy way to do this in Windows.
4. Never flex a 3.5" floppy. That can bend the metal shutter. Never expose a floppy to direct sunlight or other heat sources.
5. Keep the drive clean. Dust is a big problem for floppies. A spray can of air works well to remove dust from a drive.
6. Eventually, after a great deal of use, the recording heads in the floppy drive need to be cleaned. There are cleaning disks available that use a liquid cleaning solvent.
If you do these things, floppies are very reliable for reading back on the same drive that wrote them, and pretty reliable for reading back on any drive that's clean and hasn't been banged up.
However, most people don't do these things. So I agree with MFDnSC that a floppy is an unreliable place to back up data."*
Awesome advice Phil, thank you!
Accelerated Graphics Port - The Accelerated Graphics Port (also called Advanced Graphics Port) is a high-speed point-to-point channel for attaching a graphics card to a computer's motherboard, primarily to assist in the acceleration of 3D computer graphics. Some motherboards have been built with multiple independent AGP slots. AGP is slowly being phased out in favor of PCI Express.* 10/31/2006
ATI - From desktops to laptops, workstations to handheld devices, video game consoles to integrated solutions, ATI has established itself as a world leader in the design and manufacture of innovative 3D graphics solutions.* 03/25/2006
ATITool is an overclocking utility designed for ATI video cards. Design target is to write a light-weight application for the enthusiast - so no questionable registry tweaks. Sorry.
Main Features
ATITool will only work on Windows 2000/XP/2003 (64 bit versions are supported).* 10/16/2005
Graphics Buyer's Guide Spring 2006, Part 1 - For this latest graphics card buyer's guide, we reviewed 27 cards using either ATI Radeon or NVIDIA GeForce chips. Of those, two are designed for the AGP interface, while the rest use the PCI Express (PCIe) bus. To be eligible for inclusion in our buyer's guide, the candidates must reach our lab in their retail packages. This means that we expect the final hardware version of the card in its final shipping box, with the software bundle and all necessary cables.* 05/10/2006
How-To Install a Graphics Card - It should take less than half an hour to install the new card. 03/25/2006
Matrox - Over the last 25 years, Matrox has taken its place as leader and innovator in today’s hottest, most state-of-the-art technologies designing software and hardware solutions in the fields of Graphics, Video editing, Image processing and New business media.* 03/25/2006
nVIDIA - NVIDIA Corporation is the worldwide leader in programmable graphics processor technologies.* 03/25/2006
RivaTuner is the most powerful tweaking utility for NVIDIA and ATI display adapters running under Windows 98 / Windows 98 SE / Windows ME / Windows 2000 and Windows XP. The purpose of this utility is to give you access to all the undocumented features of Detonator and Catalyst drivers. Drivers have a lot of undocumented registry entries. Some of them don’t affect anything, but there are some that are very useful. In general, they cannot give you big performance boost but they can improve image quality and solve some compatibility problems. RivaTuner will help you to change all undocumented registry entries. It supports all versions of Detonators (now called ForceWare) drivers starting from Detonator 2.08 under Windows 98 / Windows 98 SE / Windows ME (Detonator 5.08 or higher under Windows 2000 / Windows XP).* 10/16/2005
Video Card Upgrade Install Guide - The step-by-step instructions here show how I did a video card upgrade for My Super PC under Windows 98SE and Windows XP. Newer and better video cards are being produced more quickly than any other computer component. Upgrading the video card can make a huge difference in the performace of your computer.* 08/17/2006
Bst5 (Bart's Stuff Test v5) is a small win32 application for long time heavily stress testing storage devices. Bst5 supports testing at file and device level. File level support enables you to test any local or remote volume by file access. This makes it possible to test almost any storage device. As long as the operating system can write or read files from it, you can use bst5 to test it. In bst5 this is seen as a "high" level test, you write/read data to/from a file using the file system support from your operating system.
Device level support enables you to test local devices directly block-by-block. You can use this to test any removable or fixed logical drive, physical hard disk, or tape device. In bst5 this is seen as a "low" level test, bst5 writes/reads data directly to/from the storage device without the use of any file system. In other word, the storage device or media does not need to be partitioned or formatted before testing. If any file systems exists on a storage device or media, a non-read only test will overwrite any data on it.
Bst5 supports very large volumes, up to 16 exabyte (17.179.869.184 Gigabyte) enough to last for at least 30 years.* If you want a way to test that new harddrive before you install anything on it and while the warranty is still in effect, then this could be the answer for you. 06/02/2003
Fujitsu HDD Technical Support Information - Harddrive Software Downloads, Discontinued HDDs list w/Jumper Settings, Mobile HDDs List w/Jumper Settings, Enterprise HDDs List w/Jumper Settings.
Guide to Installing IDE/ATA devices by FreePCTech.com. 05/11/2003
Hard Drive Noises that may indicate a failing hard drive. - Maintained by Hitachi Global Storage Technologies. 02/28/2006
Hard Drive Upgrade Install Guide - A hard drive upgrade is not difficult. The step-by-step instructions here show how I did a hard drive upgrade for one of my own computers which is a legacy version of My Super PC. The hard drive upgrade strategy I used is to first install the new hard drive as a second hard drive, then copy (clone) the old hard drive contents to the new hard drive, and then remove the old hard drive, leaving the new hard drive installed in its place. These steps are written for upgrading a hard drive installed as the master, but can be adapted for any hard drive upgrade. Instead of adding a second hard drive to increase capacity, chances are that installing a hard drive upgrade is a better option than to add a second hard drive.* 08/17/2006
Hard Drive Size Limitations and Barriers - The Basics - The Basics (Cont.) - In Depth - Created by DEW Associates Corp. They also have an in-depth Knowledge Center and Performance Center.* 05/01/2004
HD Tune is a Hard Disk utility which can be used to measure the performance or to get important information from the hard disk such as the temperature, SMART parameters, firmware version, buffer size, etc. Only for Windows 2000 or XP (must be logged on as an administrator).* 04/21/2004
IBM HDD Support Information - HDD Product List and Jumper Settings maintained by Hitachi Global Storage Technologies. You'll have to search for the HDD Model Number to find the Jumper Settings Info.
Install Hard Drive - A guide to installing an IDE hard drive - This guide will take you through the process of installing an IDE hard drive into your PC, step by step with the aid of photos.* 08/17/2006
Maxtor - Knowledge Base, Products and Services, Service & Support, Software Downloads Updated: 03/25/2007
Mike's Hardware - How To's & Tech Help - Installing a HDD. 10/16/2004
PCMechanic - Hard Drives - As anyone who has worked with a computer will know, a hard drive is one of the most important parts of your computer. Although it is a complex piece of hardware and installing one can sometimes be a chore, a little knowledge and practice can make it very easy. The process of replacing or installing hard drives can make you very nervous, but it doesn't have to.* This section of the site is written to help you decide on various types of harddrives, learn how they work, and explain how to install a harddrive and conveniently prepare it for use. 05/24/2003
PCStats' HDD Installation Guide - With hard drives priced at an all time low, and programs gobbling up more and more disk space there has never been a better time to add in some extra storage. After all, growing a good MP3 collection often means that within a short while we find ourselves running out of HDD space! By the way, HDD is the short form we techies use to quickly write Hard Disk Drive.* 04/15/2004
Seagate - Service & Support - SeaTools Suite 2002 is Seagate's exclusive disc drive diagnostic software designed to troubleshoot most Seagate hard drive issues.* 05/14/2003 Seagate Jumper Settings.
Samsung - FAQs/Support, HDD Utilities, Data Advisor® is a diagnostic tool for assessing the condition of your computer system. Data Advisor quickly assesses the health of your harddisk drive, file structures, and computer memory by identifying problems that could cause data loss. Don't worry if you can't boot your system to Windows; DataAdvisor is self-booting, so it runs even when your system won't.*, Jumper Settings, HDD Installation, HDD Partition and Formatting, HDD Warranty. Updated: 11/08/2007
The smartmontools package contains two utility programs (smartctl and smartd) to control and monitor storage systems using the Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology System (SMART) built into most modern ATA and SCSI hard disks. In many cases, these utilities will provide advanced warning of disk degradation and failure.
Smartmontools is originally derived from the Linux smartsuite package, and includes support for ATA/ATAPI-3 to -7 disks and SCSI disk and tape devices. It should run on any modern Darwin (Mac OSX), Linux, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, Solaris, OS/2, eComStation or Windows system. Alternatively, it can also be run from one of the bootable CDs or floppies containing smartmontools.* 11/23/2004
StorageReview.com - A quick search of the popular hardware-enthusiast sites shows a trend: Video and 3D are the most popular topics, closely followed by CPU and motherboard evaluations. Sites featuring such topics run from giant, well-established ones all the way down to new pages still wet behind the ears. StorageReview.com, on the other hand, attempts to address a topic that seems sadly neglected in the online community: hard disk and storage-related performance. No, they're not glamorous. No, we can't come up with loads of interesting screen shots and pictures (hard drives tend to look very similar to one another after a while). Hard drive performance is, however,vital to the overall performance of your PC. Instead of competing for your attention with the "other guys", StorageReview.com attempts to supplement the excellent hardware coverage already out there with news and reviews of storage-related products. We have become the Internet's leading independent storage authority.* Their FAQ is worth checking out as well! They've now added a Notebook Hard Drive Review. Updated: 11/28/2005
The Tech Page - Specifications and Jumpers for hard drives. 11/23/2002
Western Digital - Service & Support - Western Digital understands the importance of the information you save to your hard drive and is committed to protecting it. Data Lifeguard Tools, WD's exclusive combination of hardware features software utilities and services, provide the highest level of data protection available on a hard drive today.* 05/14/2003 Western Digital Jumper Settings.
AIDA32 - Personal System Information - AIDA32 is a professional system information, diagnostics and benchmarking program running on Win32 platforms. It extracts details of all components of the PC. It can display information on the screen, print it, or save it to file in various formats like HTML, CSV or XML. For corporate users, AIDA32 offers command-line switches, network audit and audit statistics, remote system information and network management.
Starting with version 3.00, AIDA32 is released in 3 different variants, Enterprise, Personal and network.* 02/05/2007
Belarc Advisor builds a detailed profile of your installed software and hardware, including Microsoft Hotfixes, and displays the results in your Web browser. All of your PC profile information is kept private on your PC and is not sent to any web server. Operating Systems: Runs on Windows 95/98/Me, NT 4, Windows 2000, XP and Windows Server 2003. Browsers: Requires IE 3 or Netscape 3, and higher versions. Also runs on Opera.* 06/23/2003 If you ever need to know detailed information about your hardware or software, including the Product ID Key of your OS, then this is the program for you!
Craig's PCI & PnP ID's Pages - Hi! My name's Craig Hart, welcome to my Website. I am a PC technician, network administrator, network engineer and part-time programmer, with about 15 years experience in the PC industry. Follow the links on the left to get around the site.
This website is mostly about the PCI and other related system busses, which are found in most modern 'PC' or 'x86' architecture machines, as well as a lot of other types of equipment such as Macs, Sun Workstations, etc. Here you will find documentation, programmer's info, diagnostic programs, PnP device databases and lots of other juicy stuff.
I collect PnP ID's for modern systems - true PnP capable hardware carries a software signature which is readable to programs and uniquely identifies the both manufacturer and device. With the aid of a database of equipment and some clever software, much interesting information can be obtained about unknown devices. This may assist you with finding drivers and technical support contacts, or just exploring the device's capabilities at a more detailed level. Everything you need to get started is available here.* 04/21/2004
Computer Hardware Links - Has many links to various hardware manufacturers and more. 11/23/2002
DiamondCS OpenPorts is a CLI (command line interface/console) tool that allows you to see all open TCP and UDP ports on your system, including the owner process. Using advanced port-to-process mapping technology developed for Port Explorer, OpenPorts is powerful, accurate, and reliable, and results can be displayed in five different styles, allowing for easy interpretation by both scripts and human eyes.* 04/21/2004
EVEREST Home Edition is a freeware¹ system information, system diagnostics and benchmarking solution for home PC users, based on the award-winning EVEREST Technology. It offers the world's most accurate system information and diagnostics capabilities, including online features, memory benchmarks, hardware monitoring, and low-level hardware information.* 04/21/2004
FCC ID Search Page - In order to promote efficient use of the radio spectrum the FCC has developed technical standards for devices that are capable of emiting radiofrequency energy when in use. Many of those products receive FCC identification numbers in accordance with the Commission Equipment Authorization rules prior to marketing.* 03/13/2004
HWiNFO™ (DOS) and HWiNFO32™ (Windows) are professional hardware information and diagnostic tools supporting latest components, industry technologies and standards. Both tools are targeted to recognize and extract the most possible amount of information about computer's hardware which makes them suitable for users searching for driver updates, computer manufactures, system integrators and technical exteperts too. Retrieved informations are presented in a logical and easily understandable form and can be exported into various types of reports.* 03/09/2006
Internet UPC Database - Welcome to the Internet UPC Database! One reason this site exists is for me to practice my own web development & database skills, experiment with new things, and to get a good laugh. I made it public so that others could make use of the information I've collected (whatever that use may be), submit data to my collection, and provide me with feedback.* 04/21/2004
Open Computers and Softwares Inventory is an application designed to help a network administrator keep track of the computers configuration and the number of copies of software that are installed on the network.
For instance it can be used to find out how many PCs have Office Professional or Standard, this is an important difference as far as licensing is concerned.
At the begining, OCS Inventory was just a Visual C++ port of the Visual Basic Stealth Inventory (http://www.castleinfo.co.uk). But now, the product is so different and has so many more features that it cannot be seen as a simple port. Also, the database is not compatible with Stealth database.
The application is build [sic] on an Microsoft Access 97 database which stores the applications to search for and the results that the inventory agents return.
The inventory agent is a small (about 300 K) executable that can be run from the login script for each user. This agent scans the users hard drive for any recognised software, query the Operating System to determine computer configuration and stores the results in the central database.* 04/21/2004
Plasma Online - Great list of links to various manufacturers of hardware. Check out his Solutions & Almanach pages. (I think he means a Site Map (table).) 11/23/2002
PCI Database - PCI Vendor List By Name or by Vendor ID: from these lists, you can select a vendor, and get more information about either the vendor itself or the devices they manufacture.* 09/26/2006
Professional PCI Diagnosis PCISniffer 1.2 - If you want to have the full control of your computer, you ought to know which devices are installed in your machine. Independently of the installed operating system the PCISniffer displays the PCI header data of all PCI devices on the BUS unaltered.
PCISniffer scans all PCI busses in the PC and detects automatically which busses and devices are present. You can comfortably browse the detected devices and list all functions of these devices in a detailled display. Since the installed operating system will not be booted, it has no possibility to alter the configuration, thus allowing you the direct access to the data. This makes it possible to detect resource conflicts and solve them.
Even if your computer runs problem-free it is often interesting to know, which devices are exactly installed. Besides the not very useful PCI numbers the real name of the device and the vendor are shown; the complete list of installed PCI devices or parts of it can be sent over the serial interface to a connected computer, where the complete configuration can be saved.* 04/21/2004
System Information for Windows (SIW) - This program perform computer configuration analysis and diagnostics. It gives detailed information about your computer properties and settings, detailed specs for CPU, motherboard, chipset, BIOS, CPU, PCI/AGP, USB and ISA/PnP devices, memory, monitor, video card, disk drives, CD/DVD devices, SCSI devices, S.M.A.R.T., ports, network cards, printers, operating system, installed programs and hotfixes, processes, services, serial numbers (CD keys), users, open files, system uptime, network, network shares, as well as real-time monitors for CPU, memory, page file usage and network traffic. It displays currently active network connections, passwords hidden behind asterisks, installed codecs, and more.
This program also creates a report file, and is able to run in batch mode.
A standalone tool that does not require installation - one less installed program on your PC as well the fact that you can run the program directly from a USB flash drive.
Platform: Microsoft Windows 98/Me/NT4/2000/XP/Server 2003/MCE/Windows Server 2003 x64/Windows XP x64/Vista* 04/14/2006
WinAudit - WinAudit performs a rapid and exhaustive audit of installed software, license information, security configuration, hardware inventory, network settings and much more.
Ace's Hardware - Technical Information for the Masters and the Novices.* They also have a nice How-To Guides section. 07/12/2003
AnandTech.com - your source for hardware analysis and news.* 07/12/2003
Ars Technica serves up the best multi-OS, PC hardware, and tech coverage possible while remembering what we're all about: having fun, being productive, and being as informative and as accurate as possible. We're confident that we can provide you with the tools and info you need to have a truly kickin' PC experience without sending you off to spend 2 weeks to try and get your modem to work.* Please read their Who We Ars page and check out their Guides pages. 07/12/2003
c|net Reviews - CNET Networks, Inc. (www.cnetnetworks.com) is a premier global interactive content company that informs, entertains, and connects large, engaged audiences with content in the personal technology, games and entertainment, and business technology categories. By combining an in-depth knowledge of the technology industry with the power of technology itself, the company offers the most dynamic, relevant, and innovative media-based marketplace for technology around the world. With a strong presence in the US, Asia and Europe, CNET Networks has operations in 12 countries.* 05/27/2004
ExtremeTech - If you're like us then you're looking for information on technology in upwards of fifty different places. In a medium that's meant to be efficient, the Internet has yet to offer you a lot of efficiency. That's where ExtremeTech comes in.* 07/12/2003
[H]ard|OCP is an awesome site for Hardware Reviews and News! They have a great Hardware Site Links page as well. 07/12/2003
HotHardware - The Hottest PC Hardware Tested & Burned In.* 04/10/2006
PC Magazine Reviews - PC Magazine (www.pcmag.com), the most important technology publication in the world, delivers authoritative, labs-based comparative reviews of computing and Internet products to more than 6.6 million highly engaged technology buyers.* 05/27/2004
Silent PC Review is dedicated to reviews, news and information about quiet / silent computers and components. If this is your first visit, the articles Quiet and Fast , About Us and the FAQ in the Silent PC Briefing Room are good reads to find out what we're all about.* 07/12/2003
TechIMO User Reviews - I should start out by explaining the name, TechIMO :). It's "Tech", as in tech, and "IMO", as in "in my opinion". That's right, this is the site where your opinion, not just ours, is paramount. We aim to bring you tons of timely news, forums, a feature rich original photo gallery application that I developed personally, user contributed reviews, ratings and reviews of online retailers, and much more. Many of those features have been implemented now - look for others to follow within the coming days and weeks ahead.* 05/27/2004
AnandTech.com Buying Guides - your source for hardware analysis and news.* 07/12/2003
Ars Techinica's Guides - Ars Technica serves up the best multi-OS, PC hardware, and tech coverage possible while remembering what we're all about: having fun, being productive, and being as informative and as accurate as possible. We're confident that we can provide you with the tools and info you need to have a truly kickin' PC experience without sending you off to spend 2 weeks to try and get your modem to work.*
Building a Computer (Step-By-Step) by Ryan Wissman: May 5, 2000 at SharkyExtreme.com. It might be a bit dated, but it's still relevant today. Then check out their Monthly Value Gaming System Buyer's Guide and their Monthly High-end Gaming System Buyer's Guide. Updated: 12/08/2005
Backing up all your files and folders is a practice everyone should use. Cloning a HDD can save a LOT of headaches and hassles. 06/13/2003
Dr. Ashen present's, "How to build a computer for almost no money at all!" - More and more people these days are building their own computers. Not only does it cost less to put together a machine yourself, but you also get to avoid the ignorant, shifty-eyed salesmen in PC World who only exist to pressure you into buying a worthless extended warranty. So why doesn't everyone build their own computer?
Because, of course, most people don't know how. There is a mystique surrounding computers - we are led to believe that they are sophisticated and complicated pieces of equipment that need to be built by trained experts using special tools such as "screwdrivers". This is simply untrue.
Building a computer is a surprisingly easy process that requires no technical knowledge or expensive components. Just follow my easy tutorial and you will soon have a computer powerful enough to play the latest games like Half-Life 3 and Doom 7 - for almost no money at all!* Ummm...it's funny, not serious! Ya gotta see this!! 04/11/2004
FreePCTech - Bob Wright explains all the aspects of fixing your own PC and explains how it works along the way. Bob is the founder of The NOSPIN Group, Inc. As a seasoned PC tech, who operated a small PC repair shop for many years, Bob brings an insight to PC repair and diagnostics that is easy to follow and lacks all the jargon that is of little use to people new to PCs.* Check out his Guides & FAQS, Building a New PC, Pictorial Guide to Computer Components, Troubleshooting Basics, and The NOSPIN Group FAQ. Updated: 12/08/2005
Langa Letter: 10 Critical Factors When Buying A New PC - Fred Langa outlines and explains his top decision points when purchasing new desktop hardware.
It's a new year, and for many of us, that means new hardware budgets. But buying a PC today is complicated somewhat by two major factors -- hardware standards that are changing; and the scheduled release of Microsoft's Vista operating system. Make the wrong choice, and you may find your new PC dead-ended and obsolete much sooner than it should have been. But make the right hardware choices today, and your new PC will remain useful for years to come, letting you ride out the coming changes with aplomb.
In the next few pages, we'll look at 10 major factors to consider in making a PC purchase today. Yes, the number 10 is somewhat arbitrary, but you're free to add to or delete from this list as you see fit: It's a place to start, and to help ensure that your hardware purchase decisions include some of the most important influences.* 03/23/2006
MaximumPC Minimum BS* - This is one of my favorite magazines! Check out their How-To Guides and Recent Reviews. Updated 12/08/2005
Identify Unknown Devices in System Manager - Unknown Devices helps you find what those unknown devices in Device Manager really are. By checking Device Manager for unknown devices and extracting information from it, this program attempts to figure out what the device is. You might not have to open your case or look up random numbers off of PCI cards to figure out what they are. Program supports Win95, 98, 98se, Me, 2k, XP and 2003 but not NT. It also attempts to support future OSes. It runs fine from a CD or floppy. It's free for per personal and (especially) business use. If you want to add it to a cd collection or magazine that is fine, just drop me an email.* 03/08/2004
PC Mechanic - YOUR PC How-to Information Resource* They have a fairly extensive Build Your Own PC Guide. Updated: 12/08/2005
The PC Guide - Welcome to one of the Internet's premier sites for detailed PC reference information. My name is Charles, and my goal is to provide you with the answers to your computing questions. Please enjoy your stay, and come back again soon. If you need to contact me, see here.* The Topic Index has a detailed list of PC components and how things work and he has a great How to Build Your Own PC Guide and a Step-By-Step Summary Guide To Buying A PC. Updated: 03/23/2006
Refurbished Laptops 101 - Many people want to buy a refurbished laptop in order to save money. There are several companies that conveniently sell used laptops over the Internet. However, regardless of the company one gets his or her laptop from, one should so a bit of research before buying.* Read the Whole Article Here. 03/23/2006
Sci.Electronics.Repair Frequently Asked Questions - This site features Samuel M. Goldwasser's latest and greatest "Notes on the Troubleshooting and Repair of..." series of comprehensive repair guides for consumer electronics equipment and other household devices. There is also a great deal of other information of interest to the electronics hobbyist, experimenter, technician, engineer, and possibly even the dentist and poet. Included are the now quite comprehensive and massive "Sam's Laser FAQ", many new schematics, and links to over 1,000 technology related sites. In addition, there are a variety of documents from other sources on electronics troubleshooting, repair, and other related topics.* 12/05/2005
TechSpot Computer Buying Guides - TechSpot offers uninfluenced PC Hardware and Technology information: unmatched product reviews, tech-industry news, buying guides, drivers updates and hundreds of system optimization tips available in our 'guides & tweaks' section. TechSpot was launched in May 1998 and is published daily by hardcore tech enthusiasts and professionals.* 03/23/2006
Trish's Escape from Hardware Hell - She has a LOT of stuff here! This is a MUST SEE site!
Ziff Davis Web Buyer's Guide - The most comprehensive, searchable directory of technology solutions for enterprise buyers, organized by the award-winning technology editors at Ziff Davis Media. Use our powerful search tools and practical product categories to find the more than 40,000 technology products and services, 16,000 technology suppliers and 2,000 white papers available on the Web Buyer's Guide.* 03/23/2006
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