More PC annoyances

Dorsetmike

Member
As I mentioned last week I have 2 PCs now controlled by one KB, Monitor and mouse, I can switch between the two either from the keyboard or from the switch box. The PCs are almost identical, one has an extra gig of RAM, the other a bit more hard drive space.

Both have the display set at 1920x1080 yet one fills the 23" screen, the other has a 3cm gap on the left and 4cm on the right.

Luckily the one with the full screen width is the one I use for music apps, like having a PDF score and a Finalé page open side by side, or Grand Orgue with either Finalé or Midiocre

I also have two almost identical laptops same model, again the amount of RAM and Hard drive space being the main differences, one has a CD drive the other a DVD. My original one has a tendency to shut down as and when it thinks fit, anything from a few seconds o a couple of hours & mains or battery power: the other was bought from Ebay for "spares or repair" the reported fault was that it would not join a network nor access the web; sorted that, reinstalled the network drivers and set up the network afresh. Swapped the larger hard drive into it and found 2GB RAM doing a bird imitation (going cheap) so upgraded that, keep fingers crossed, also got a wireless USB dongle working, so now I'll be able to read in bed!?

Battery charge life on both seems to be about 1 hour (both new batteries), is that typical for 7 or 8 year old laptops? Any ideas on sudden shut down? If I can fix that then I'll have two good (ish) ones.
 

Dorsetmike

Member
Look forward to hearing that you have build a ROBOT Mike

teddy

Why's that, do you need replacing?
avatar.gif
 

teddy

Duckmeister
Mike, I am teddy, not robert, I mean robot. Rumour had it that you had invented an automatic thread starter............

teddy
 

Dorsetmike

Member
Sorted the screen width problem, one driver was 2 issues earlier than the other, updated - sorted! Also tried to install XP Service pack 3, downloaded OK but installation stalled "Internal error", should that maybe Infernal error?

Disconnected the touch pads on the laptops, useless things, much prefer a mouse, touch pads just waste space that could be used for something useful, like a numeric pad!
 
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teddy

Duckmeister
Go and give your bank accout an airing Mike. What you can buy in the way of laptops for £4/500 is quite amazing. I have asked Santa for a new laptopp. 5'4", blonde.........................

tedy
 

Dorsetmike

Member
Go and give your bank accout an airing Mike. What you can buy in the way of laptops for £4/500 is quite amazing. I have asked Santa for a new laptopp. 5'4", blonde.........................

tedy

Yeah like one would have £4/500 spare on a pension and with a mortgage over £800 a month. If I got the type of laptop you refer to, it wouldn't be much use to me without a bulk delivery of blue pills.

My screen problem is with a normal PC. I managed to sort the laptop problem with a £38 spares or repair from Ebay, now have one working fine and a second with only an occasional problem which could yet get sorted, I haven't forgotten much after nearly 50 years working in electronics!
 

Dorsetmike

Member
I finaly managed to get XP service pack 3 installed, I had been getting "Internal error" message; after much head scratching and googling finally found that the photo app I use Picture Publisher V10 was the cause, uninstall that, install SP3, reinstall Pic Pub sorted.

I'm still having screen problems though some days I get a narrow display others I get full screen, but now my other PC seems to be just as screwed up, some days that opens with screen set to 800x600, hence task bar etc are off screen, so I have to right click on the screen to get the display properties dialogue up.

Better news on the laptop scene, my cheap "spares or repair laptop £38 from Ebay, is now running very well, to get it running all I had to do was reinstall Windows XP then download and install network and sound drivers, I've now transferred the larger hard disc from my old faulty one and upgraded RAM to 2GB (from 256Mb). Getting very nice sound from it too, output from the speaker socket to the Audio in on a Sony mini Hifi works a treat.
 
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