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  1. Started by peterr,

    Hello I have a choice of a WD internal HDD, refurbished by manufacturer for $32 or a new Toshiba for $42 . How do you feel about factory refurbished vs. new here? A $5 warranty gives me two years and 30 day return. TY Petet

  2. When you learned about the Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 14328 being released today for PCs and Mobile devices you should have had a small bit of déjà vu as you read this list of updates that arrived today for PCs: Windows Ink Experience Updated Start menu Full-screen All Apps list in Start for Tablet Mode Auto-hide taskbar in Tablet Mode Cortana on your Lock screen More ways to create Cortana reminders Cortana Cross-Device features Cortana no longer requires any setup or Microsoft Account sign in Deeper file search which includes OneDrive results New entry point for Action Center on Taskbar Visual changes to Action Center including individual app notific…

  3. Hey guys, I I reloaded Vista and I am trying to find the touchscreen driver for this machine, the touchscreen is working but I cannot click on and open anything with it. PCI\VEN_1131&DEV_7160&SUBSYS_0F551461&REV_03 I am being led to an 'Asus' drive here, can anyone tell me if that is the correct driver please? http://www.driveridentifier.com/scan/pegatron-tv7160e-capture-device/driver-detail/4896818C36E445DAA43115B9EA49805A/771820/1c170fa5481519d6909e0ac3f8d34473/106162329/PCI%5CVEN_1131%26DEV_7160%26SUBSYS_48B51043

  4. Started by Tony D,

    Trying to get a solitaire program for a Windows 10 machine. Microsoft Solitaire Collection is installed. I have it pinned to the taksbar. I'd like to add a desktop shortcut. Haven't figured out how to do that. I can't even find the program on the hard drive. Where did MS hide it on W10? Anyone know how to create a desktop shortcut for Microsoft Solitaire Collection on Windows 10? How about any other free solitaire programs for Windows 10?

  5. Started by Mommalina,

    Smokey (Adam), the owner of the Kickenhardware forum is home, recuperating after complicated cervical-spine surgery. You may post best wishes for a full recovery here: http://www.kickenhardware.net/showthread.php?22979-Smokey-%28Adam%29-Recuperating&p=155055#post155055 Take it easy, and get well soon, Adam!♥

  6. Making users change their passwords frequently could actually make systems less secure, the UK's information security agency has warned. Most administrators force users to change their password at regular intervals -- every 30, 60, or 90 days, for example. But this carries no real benefits as stolen passwords are generally exploited immediately, said CESG, the IT security arm of surveillance agency GCHQ. In a post explaining the thinking behind its recommendation that organisations should stop forcing users to frequently change their passwords, CESG said that we are all suffering from password overload: most password policies force us to use passwords that we find…

  7. Started by bassfisher6522,

    Is there any chance of getting some new themes....these 4 are just so blah with no pazazz....they need to pop with some colors and the overwhelming white background is so in your face. Just a suggestion.

  8. A new ransomware was discovered that tries to impersonate the well known Locky ransomware. It calls itself Locky and even adds .Locky to encrypted files, but on closer examination there was definitely something off. First, the ransom note is completely different and it does not utilize Tor for its Command & Control servers. When I dug down farther I saw that it was also created in the AutoIt scripting language rather than Visual C++. Once Fabian Wosar of Emsisoft saw the decompiled AutoIt script, he quickly found a vulnerability that he could exploit to decrypt those who were affected. Unfortunately, it is unknown at this time how AutoLocky is distrib…

  9. Started by mikehende,

    Hey guys, not sure it's windows 8. At startup after the logo, it is showing the error "A disk read error occured. Press ctrl+alt+del to restart. Using Parted Magic I was able to copy the user's files, now to repair this problem. Searching the net I am seeing f9 key to enter recovery but that is not working. Since during or after the logo I am not seeing the spinning disk, anything I can do to get into system repair or recovery? If not, how would I best go about reloading the OS since I have no idea what OS in on this unit?

  10. Started by Tony D,

    Anyone tried downloading W10 lately? I'm trying to upgrade a W8.1 machine to W10. It's getting stuck at Starting download.... I've tried a couple of things, but every time it comes back to this.

  11. Started by peterr,

    Hell I have a ticking sound from within the desktop case. It sounds like HD failure I experienced years ago with another PC. Something like a sewing machine but only intermittently and not as hard or loud. I ran the Dell diagnostics(full for 2 hours) which said all was OK including the hard drive. After the test the ticking as gone away. Speccy reports all is good. I don't believe that things fix themselves. However, if it is not the hard drive, what else could I look at and how? I recently installed a PSU. My desktop is 4 1/2 years old and i could get a drive for $34 at a store near me but I have to all to see what the return policy is as soon as they open. I th…

  12. Started by peterr,

    Hello I you build your own PC, do you go to the manufacturer for defective parts? Also, if you buy from a store do you again go to the manufacturer or the store? TY Peter

  13. The upcoming Windows 10 Anniversary Update is going to bring some pretty big changes for desktop computers, including what seems to be a full dark theme that was previously available with a registry trick. Microsoft has improved the look of Windows 10’s desktop with visual effects and translucency in the Start menu and taskbar, but the company is willing to go for more with the upcoming Anniversary Update. A report coming from Thurrott reveals that Microsoft is working on bringing a full dark theme in Windows 10 that would use black as the main background color for everything, including the Settings screen. Most like, the Anniversary Update will come with a quick…

  14. Yet another program is joining Java 6 and Windows XP as big-name software you do not want running on your PC. Security firm Trend Micro and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security are advising all Windows users to uninstall Apple’s QuickTime as soon as possible. (The advisory does not affect Mac users.) The reason for getting rid of QuickTime for Windows is twofold. First, Apple told Trend Micro it is deprecating the software and will no longer deliver security updates for it. Second, there are two known critical vulnerabilities that could allow an attacker to take control of a system running QuickTime. That's a hellacious combo. Apple was unavailable …

  15. A few weeks ago I undertook a daring experiment: I went without my iPhone for seven whole days. It was a big deal for me. I'm 23, and I've been attached to a cellphone since shortly after I started walking. The first thing I noticed that phoneless week was just how many people stare at their phones all day. I never noticed that before because I was looking at my phone, too. The first morning I started my experiment was a Tuesday, so I joined the morning rush on the subway. I felt like an alien, staring straight ahead at a series of bent necks and earbuds. The sounds of "Candy Crush" — a popular phone game — filled the train car, and I couldn't even listen to m…

  16. Chrome is giving up on XP two years after Microsoft ended support for the aging operating system. Google said the end was nigh, and now the time has finally come to say goodbye to Chrome support for a number of legacy operating systems, including Windows XP. Version 50 of Google’s browser recently rolled out sans support for Windows XP, Vista, and all versions of Mac OS X under version 10.9, Mavericks. Google first announced that it would be dropping support for XP and Vista in November. If you’ve already got Chrome running on any of the legacy systems, you’ll still be able to use it. What you won’t get any longer are new feature or security updates. The …

  17. After being bombarded with new malware towards the end of last year, the Linux ecosystem is rocked again by the discovery of a new trojan family, identified by security researchers as Linux.BackDoor.Xudp. The only detail that matters is that this new threat does not leverage automated scripts, vulnerabilities, or brute-force attacks to infect users and still relies on good ol' user stupidity in order to survive. The infection scenario is simple, with users downloading malicious packages or applications from the Internet, and then giving them root privileges during the installation. Linux.BackDoor.Xudp is installed via Linux.Downloader Xudp is not distributed d…

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  18. The extended support time frame for Windows Vista will expire one year from this week on 11 April 2017. That will mark the end of 10 years of total support for the operating system. When Windows 7 was released in October 2009, Windows Vista was the second most adopted Windows OS (19%) behind the ever popular Windows XP (63%). Unfortunately, due to steep system requirements and controversial new technologies like User Account Control (UAC) and more restrictive Digital Rights Management (DRM) the OS did not get out of the gate very well. Today that story is very different because since 2009 it has steadily declined in usage as people opted to stay with Windows XP or …

  19. A security researcher has discovered malicious code embedded within cameras offered for sale on the e-commerce platform. Security researcher Mike Olsen has warned that some products sold through the Amazon marketplace are habouring a dark secret -- malware. Olsen said in a blog post that while scouring Amazon for a decent set of outdoor surveillance cameras for a friend, he came across a deal for 6 PoE cameras and recording equipment. The seller, Urban Security Group, had generally good reviews and was offering a particular Sony setup on sale. After purchasing the kit, Olsen started setting up the surveillance system, logging into the administrator panel to co…

  20. Started by DSTM,

    My cat "Lucie" does some unusual things for a cat. When having my bath my cat sits at the door and meows till I let her in the Bath room.Jumps straight in the water and wants to be washed. One of us washes her, rinses her off with the shower spray, then it's on her own towel on the floor and meows till we dry her with the hair dryer. No other cat I have ever had would go near water. Puddles of water in the garden after a storm will walk through the puddle instead of around it.Wants to be washed daily if we let it happen.:big_grin:

  21. Started by DSTM,

    If you own a Toshiba it would be advisable to check the Battery pack number. http://techtalk.pcpitstop.com/2016/04/01/toshiba-recalls-100k-batteries-for-melting-hazard/?toshibalithiumbatteryrecall=

  22. Good news: There's a trick to unlock the RAR file Thanks to the efforts of multiple security researchers, there's now a way to recover files locked by the CryptoHost ransomware, which is also detected by security products under the Manamecrypt name. This particular strand of ransomware does not use encryption to block you from accessing your files but uses a never-seen-before trick that takes various file types and moves them into a password-protected RAR archive. Over 34 file extensions are targeted and once the files are locked in your "C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming" folder, the ransomware will display up to three different messages on your desktop as…

  23. Good deal on a 480GB SSD. This drive is actually large enough to handle programs and the most frequently played games and music too. One would only need maybe a 1TB standard SATA for backups and images. here is a deal! http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820211985&cm_re=480gb_ssd-_-20-211-985-_-Product

  24. Started by Rich-M,

    Well Catch 22 has been asking people who build to share photos, so I decided to share my new build mentioned in the last thread and some general photos of my working area. Sorry the builds are so dark, they didn't look that way in the camera. In the first shot you will notice a design affect in this Apevia case where the hard drive rack is too far out so that the stat cable and molex cable protrude preventing one from closing the case. I had to break the sliders and use 2/3 of them to be able to slide the second drive in and hold the case closed.

  25. Do you guys have websites? If not, how you reach 'new' customers aside from word of mouth referrals please?