Random Question Thread: Tech

[Isiolia]

How many uses do I get off a non-OEM version of Windows 7?

It can only activate on one at a time, but far as I know there's no actual limit on machines you can move it between. May wind up needing to call for an activation code rather than just have it activate over the web.

[Yugl]

I thought the 1 limit was for the OEM? I've used the code for my own laptop and for my old man's laptop when he couldn't find his original disk. I'm not sure what the distinction is between activating at one time and moving between machines.

[hey]

It will let you install as much as you want. Microsoft makes almost no effort to enforce these things.

[Yugl]

Oh, well PM me if you want it Byrth. If I understand him correctly, he has the same issue I did. The school gives you an upgrade version, but you need a legit version to fully install. However, you can still download the upgrade > Temp install > Input legit activation code.

[Kerberoz]

Why even bother stressing yourself out just to have a legal installation?

[Kaisha]

Any reason to not just blast your PC with air to remove dust? My rig is in need of a cleaning, but I really cannot be arsed to deal with the mess that are my 50 billion PSU cables to get all my devices out.

Can't wait to build my new rig with a modular PSU sometime this year.....

[hey]

Nope, that's what most people do. It's not the best way, but it gets most of the dust, and is very quick and easy.

[Obiron]

Fairly lengthy post incoming, but I wasn't sure it deserves its own thread.

I'm having network issues on a Linux install., and I've been unable to determine the cause. A couple years ago, I set up a PC with Ubuntu to act as my file server at home. It worked without any issue for a while, but at some point (maybe after an update?) I started having a couple issues that both seem to be a little different.

The first is that if it loses network connection, for example if I restart my router, it doesn't just come back automatically. I have to get onto the PC and click the network connection icon, click on "Auto Eth0", and it reconnects just fine. Any idea why this wouldn't happen automatically?

The second issue only seems to crop up when I restart the PC without any peripherals attached. I use VNC to connect to it from my Windows machine, and after a reboot I can't VNC to it or even ping it. The odd thing is that I've then logged onto the PC locally and I can browse the web just fine, or start Transmission (torrents) just fine. So networking seems ok, but it's blocking connections from my Windows PC. If I reboot with keyboard, mouse, and monitor all connected I generally don't have these issues. It has still happened, but seems to be less frequent for some reason.

Relevant info:
-I'm using an Intel PCI card for LAN, with the onboard NIC disabled in BIOS. I have switched to the onboard Realtek NIC, but experienced additional issues, such as losing connection in the middle of using 7-zip on new torrents. The other two issues were still present. I have switched back the Intel NIC and am back to the original set of issues.

-Running a server install of Ubuntu 10.04, with desktop installed. It runs Transmission and IPBlock for torrenting, Samba for file sharing, and mdadm for RAID.

I've tried to fix these issues on and off for a while, but mostly I just live with it and connect all peripherals to reboot when necessary. I would really appreciate some help from someone with more Linux experience than myself. I like to play with Linux, but I wouldn't consider myself advanced at all.

[Byrthnoth]

So I've got this board and a Corsair power supply:
http://static.highspeedbackbone.net/...p%20Manual.pdf

Go to page 15, bottom of the page. It asks me to plug my four-pin CPU power supply into pins 1,2,5,6 on both sides, but my four-pin CPU power supply cables are a square and are not designed to stretch far enough apart to hit both connectors (I learned how to cut in preschool though).
* Do I plug them into 1,2,7,8 on each side?
* Do I plug them into 1~8 on one side?
* Am I just fucked?

I want to be like "Ground is Ground! 7 and 8 are as good as 5 and 6!" but then I realize how much the crap I'm potentially frying costs. Going to install my video card. I eagerly await your response! (unless your response is that I'm fucked.)

[hey]

I don't see why 1278 would be a problem. I'm not even sure how you would even do 1256, without cutting it..

[Byrthnoth]

I ended up just plugging both 4-pin connectors into one side of the CPU (guide hints that you don't need to use both plugs if you aren't OCing). It works and nothing is on fire. I was sweating bullets when I flipped the switch though.

[Niya]

By "both 4-pin" you probably mean a splitable 8-pin connector, right? If so, it's ok that way.
And this 1256 stuff should be a printing error... Would be nonsense to split the connector up by force <.<

[Khamsin]

How does FFXI work with new cards these days? Any issues with 7970m or GTX 660m/670m? I'm assuming it works fine with any new card, but there's always a chance it could be finicky since it's old software.

[Buffy]

How do I tell if a processor is 32 bit or 64 bit?

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...159&CatId=6991

[Kerberoz]

If it's for sale in 2012, it's not 32bit.

[Buffy]

If it's for sale in 2012, it's not 32bit.

Yah, I realized I linked to a current processor, one that I'm probably buying. But I'm thinking in general, how do I tell from the box/specs? I know if the computer will boot up, you can simply check what version of windows is currently on it, and it will tell you. I was asking in a more hypothetical way, not specific to that processor in particular.

[hey]

Anything you haven't thrown away by now is 64 bit. Anything 2003-2004 or later should be 64 bit.

Or you look it up.

[fantasticdan]

Is there any incentives to use windows 7 over xp (performance wise) on a system with 3gb of ram?

[hey]

If your only concern is performance, stay with xp. If you care about usability at all, win 7 is awesome.

[Kerberoz]

Can't use DX10/11 with XP, afaik.

Also no WinKey+tab awesomeness.