Herbie: Many drives (Maxtor for certain) come with software that will let you copy an existing drive over to the bigger one automatically.
Tom: Unless you're a real geek, I wouldn't fool with switching operating systems. If you're just dying to try Linux, buy a new box and install it on its own machine. It's quite nice nowadays, but it doesn't have a tenth of the programs that Windoze does. Best to keep two computers so you can run whichever program you have on the machine it needs.
Toooommmm....Tooooommmm....Come over to the geeeek siiiiide!
....You waaaannnt dual operating systems!
....You waaaannnt cold-cathode lights shining out of your case!
....You waaaannnt to laugh at all the people who don't get the kewl jokes in User Friendly, Red vs. Blue, and All Your Base Are Belong To Us!
(cough) Ahem. Geez, must be developing bronchitis. Anyway, just go on over to mwave.com or newegg.com and start grabbing parts. You need a mobo, a CPU, some memory, a case, a CD-ROM, and a harddrive. Doesn't have to be fancy to run a little Linux box! You can have the thing together in an hour if you know what you're doing, in three hours if you're a total idiot. Just get a mobo with integrated video, sound and Ethernet, and get a 2-computer KVM switch and you can share your keyboard, monitor, and mouse.
"When I got my first 100 meg drive, I said I'd never use that much space."
You youngster. I feel old now.
I have a receipt where I paid near $776. to have one of the hot new 20 MB hard drives installed in the early 80's. Most of us did not have hard drives, you see. I just had to get one.
I also remember paying over a grand for another of the latest and greatest that came out. A honest to goodness 15" COLOR CRT monitor made by NEC ($650) and a 1 GB enhanced graphics card ($447). After years of Green and Amber it was awesome.
But I had to draw the line somewhere. I mean you can't have it all. I just couldn't bring myself to pay $3000 for the new HP Laser printers that came out. It was so much better than dot matrix.... I was tempted.
I still have my first real PC in the attic, an IBM PC XT which after all the tweaks and hardware cost me over $5,00O. It had 384K of memory.
I paid $108 for a mouse but I never used it. I just wanted it for the coolness factor.
Windows came out shortly after by a relatively new company that had recently gone public called Microsoft.
Speakers were not dreamed of yet except for the little one inside. Who needed speakers?
Actually, though, what I'd do is build a hot new PC for Windows and use your current one for Linux. My Linux server is only running on a Pentium 1 at 133MHz with 80MB of RAM, but it does what I need it to do.
If money's no object, and you want to push the bleeding edge (hi, John! :D--> ) then you can build a Monster for about $3,000. (Pentium 4 Extreme Edition, Serial ATA drives, High-end graphics card, laser-cut case)
If you're looking for the best price/performance balance, you can build one that's equal to 90% of the Monster for 33% of its price. (Athlon 64, IDE drives, 2nd-tier GFX card)
If you're looking for a rock-bottom no-frills DIY project, you can still get out under $500, maybe even under $300, although that's a challenge. (Athlon XP, integrated sound/GFX on mobo)
The cool thing is that most of the work to build these computers is the same. It's VERY easy nowadays. The mobo attaches to the case with a half-dozen screws. (10 minutes) The power supply attaches to the mobo with one cable that can only go in one way. (5 minutes, 6 if you hook up the fan sensor and P4 12v cable) The CPU only fits in the socket one way, and the heatsink/thermal paste is usually already applied. (10 minutes, mostly to get the clamp on the heatsink to lock down to the CPU socket) The memory will only fit in its slots one way, too. (5 minutes, mostly looking at the manual to see which slot to fill first)
Hook up your CD-ROM and Hard drives to the power and IDE cable and put the cables into the mobo's IDE sockets (again, only one way) (10 minutes to fiddle with the little screws)
If you have add-on graphics or sound cards, install them now. (10 minutes)
If your mobo and case have front USB/FireWire connectors, hook them up now. (5 minutes)
Attach monitor, keyboard, and mouse. (5 minutes)
Your computer is built. Flick the switch and (hopefully) shout in your best maniacal voice, "IT'S ALIVE!!!!"
After it runs through the initial power-on test, shut it down and close the case. Turn it back on, pop the operating system CD in the drive and install whichever you've picked. Linux, XP, whatever.
Congratulations! NOW you're a true computer geek! :)-->
Well, thanks for the Youngster comment! But Alas, it doesn't apply. :(-->
My FIRST computer was a terminal with a 1200 baud modem to connect to the 3B20 Duplex where I worked, in case there were problems after hours.
That eventually got replaced with a brand new AT&T brand 8088 with a whopping 10 meg drive. That got replaced a year later with a 286 running at a blazing 10 mhz(or was it 12? Can't remember now).
Then I got into Oracle development, and had to have expanded memory. The company spent almost a grand for an Intel Above Board. Chips cost extra, and it took 72 chips to get a whole 2 meg of expanded memory!
Like yourself, I remember when version 1 of windows came out. But those of us working in the unix world kinda had an attitude about windows with all it's Windows, Icons, Mice, and Pointers. :)-->
Oh, and I was lucky, I always worked for companies that provided me with a computer. Never had to buy my own till my first Pentium. :)-->
Thanks Zixar... maybe I'll check on the Heathkit site as well... I built a radio from them once...
I don't even remember what my first computer was... we couldn't afford an expensive IBM... I do remember that I we loaded programs with cassette tapes... and then the first one I had at work had the two five and a quarter drives... had to keep on switching out disks... and everyone was always using it because it was the only one there...
OK as a standard presearch thing there are LOTS of files on my left, with lots of subkeys. After clicking on a particular files on the LEFT (or running say a btdownload search) a series of keys appears on my RIGHT which were they keys I deleted. Now I also went through and removed a few suspicious keys on the left (ones that were shaded blue when I ran the search thing and matched numerically wize with what my other programs were telling me were the key numbers I was looking for)
so far everything still works tho I've not tried everything
Well I cracked the case and installed the new drive, everything looked fine until I booted up (with the maxtor floppy and cd in drive) we formatted the drive (984000mb or sumthing) and then it told me to insert my boot disk which I did. It messed around a little and then told me because I am using a millenium program (I thought it was xp...) I could only use my drive for saving data and if I wanted to do otherwise to run a microsoft program which I unfortunately fergot to write down so I put the old drive back in and am writing this even as we speak. Umm whatferis this disk I am supposed to run? Can I get it from my computer? I have like 4 xp disks which I guess I'm supposed to run after I get this current problem solved. sigh...
Well my first computer that I actually purchased was a Radio Shack Color Computer, Bluzeman, for which I paid $750 used. THey were affectionately know as "CoCo's." No hard drive, of course but you could put stuff on cassettes. I believe it had 1MB memory (or was it less??). Those were awesome at the time for use home users. Played a lot of games like Pooyan and Pac Man and Frogger on it. I later sold it for $500. I shoulda kept it.
And Zixar, I do not have unlimited funds, really. Its just my hobby. Otherwise I would have something like This in front of me.
Herbie. I do not know much about booting from a Windows 98 ME CD but you do not want to install that anyway. Ditch it in favor of Windows XP. Windows 98 is ancient by now compared to XP.
With Windows XP you should be able to simply insert the CD. Then restart your computer with the XP CD in the tray. If all goes well it will do just about everything for you step by step. You can also go on the Internet and get ample info on how to do a fresh install of XP.
Well my first computer that I actually purchased was a Radio Shack Color Computer, Bluzeman, for which I paid $750 used. THey were affectionately know as "CoCo's." No hard drive, of course but you could put stuff on cassettes. I believe it had 1MB memory (or was it less??). Those were awesome at the time for use home users. Played a lot of games like Pooyan and Pac Man and Frogger on it. I later sold it for $500. I shoulda kept it.
And Zixar, I do not have unlimited funds, really. Its just my hobby. Otherwise I would have something like This in front of me, all 21 inchers. But I fear I would never move from my chair. (Over $10,000 just for the monitors).
Herbie. I do not know much about booting from a Windows 98 ME CD but you do not want to install that anyway. Ditch it in favor of Windows XP. Windows 98 is ancient by now compared to XP.
With Windows XP you should be able to simply insert the CD. Then restart your computer with the XP CD in the tray. If all goes well it will do just about everything for you step by step. You can also go on the Internet and get ample info on how to do a fresh install of XP.
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Tom Strange
yeah! what myseestorEx said!
You guys are extremely enlightening!
I used to only know enough to get into trouble... now I know enough to get into BIG trouble!
And I owe it all to you guys! Many thanks!
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Zixar
Herbie: Many drives (Maxtor for certain) come with software that will let you copy an existing drive over to the bigger one automatically.
Tom: Unless you're a real geek, I wouldn't fool with switching operating systems. If you're just dying to try Linux, buy a new box and install it on its own machine. It's quite nice nowadays, but it doesn't have a tenth of the programs that Windoze does. Best to keep two computers so you can run whichever program you have on the machine it needs.
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Tom Strange
Yeah... if I ever get around to building one like HegotHope did I might try that... Hmmmm, I wonder if Heathkit have a website?
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Zixar
Toooommmm....Tooooommmm....Come over to the geeeek siiiiide!
....You waaaannnt dual operating systems!
....You waaaannnt cold-cathode lights shining out of your case!
....You waaaannnt to laugh at all the people who don't get the kewl jokes in User Friendly, Red vs. Blue, and All Your Base Are Belong To Us!
(cough) Ahem. Geez, must be developing bronchitis. Anyway, just go on over to mwave.com or newegg.com and start grabbing parts. You need a mobo, a CPU, some memory, a case, a CD-ROM, and a harddrive. Doesn't have to be fancy to run a little Linux box! You can have the thing together in an hour if you know what you're doing, in three hours if you're a total idiot. Just get a mobo with integrated video, sound and Ethernet, and get a 2-computer KVM switch and you can share your keyboard, monitor, and mouse.
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igotout
Yeeeeessss
Come on over Tom....... you'll like this shiny new cult.......
Just click here to look at all the wonder and glory that you are missing out on.....
Samurai
and here
Shiny glittering lights
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igotout
Bluzeman:
"When I got my first 100 meg drive, I said I'd never use that much space."
You youngster. I feel old now.
I have a receipt where I paid near $776. to have one of the hot new 20 MB hard drives installed in the early 80's. Most of us did not have hard drives, you see. I just had to get one.
I also remember paying over a grand for another of the latest and greatest that came out. A honest to goodness 15" COLOR CRT monitor made by NEC ($650) and a 1 GB enhanced graphics card ($447). After years of Green and Amber it was awesome.
But I had to draw the line somewhere. I mean you can't have it all. I just couldn't bring myself to pay $3000 for the new HP Laser printers that came out. It was so much better than dot matrix.... I was tempted.
I still have my first real PC in the attic, an IBM PC XT which after all the tweaks and hardware cost me over $5,00O. It had 384K of memory.
I paid $108 for a mouse but I never used it. I just wanted it for the coolness factor.
Windows came out shortly after by a relatively new company that had recently gone public called Microsoft.
Speakers were not dreamed of yet except for the little one inside. Who needed speakers?
Now look: BEst computer speakers in the world
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Tom Strange
(Eyeing them both warily)
What's a mobo?
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Zixar
Tom: Geek-shorthand for "motherboard".
;)-->
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Zixar
Actually, though, what I'd do is build a hot new PC for Windows and use your current one for Linux. My Linux server is only running on a Pentium 1 at 133MHz with 80MB of RAM, but it does what I need it to do.
If money's no object, and you want to push the bleeding edge (hi, John!
:D--> ) then you can build a Monster for about $3,000. (Pentium 4 Extreme Edition, Serial ATA drives, High-end graphics card, laser-cut case)
If you're looking for the best price/performance balance, you can build one that's equal to 90% of the Monster for 33% of its price. (Athlon 64, IDE drives, 2nd-tier GFX card)
If you're looking for a rock-bottom no-frills DIY project, you can still get out under $500, maybe even under $300, although that's a challenge. (Athlon XP, integrated sound/GFX on mobo)
The cool thing is that most of the work to build these computers is the same. It's VERY easy nowadays. The mobo attaches to the case with a half-dozen screws. (10 minutes) The power supply attaches to the mobo with one cable that can only go in one way. (5 minutes, 6 if you hook up the fan sensor and P4 12v cable) The CPU only fits in the socket one way, and the heatsink/thermal paste is usually already applied. (10 minutes, mostly to get the clamp on the heatsink to lock down to the CPU socket) The memory will only fit in its slots one way, too. (5 minutes, mostly looking at the manual to see which slot to fill first)
Hook up your CD-ROM and Hard drives to the power and IDE cable and put the cables into the mobo's IDE sockets (again, only one way) (10 minutes to fiddle with the little screws)
If you have add-on graphics or sound cards, install them now. (10 minutes)
If your mobo and case have front USB/FireWire connectors, hook them up now. (5 minutes)
Attach monitor, keyboard, and mouse. (5 minutes)
Your computer is built. Flick the switch and (hopefully) shout in your best maniacal voice, "IT'S ALIVE!!!!"
After it runs through the initial power-on test, shut it down and close the case. Turn it back on, pop the operating system CD in the drive and install whichever you've picked. Linux, XP, whatever.
Congratulations! NOW you're a true computer geek!
:)-->
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Bluzeman
Well, thanks for the Youngster comment! But Alas, it doesn't apply.
:(-->
My FIRST computer was a terminal with a 1200 baud modem to connect to the 3B20 Duplex where I worked, in case there were problems after hours.
That eventually got replaced with a brand new AT&T brand 8088 with a whopping 10 meg drive. That got replaced a year later with a 286 running at a blazing 10 mhz(or was it 12? Can't remember now).
Then I got into Oracle development, and had to have expanded memory. The company spent almost a grand for an Intel Above Board. Chips cost extra, and it took 72 chips to get a whole 2 meg of expanded memory!
Like yourself, I remember when version 1 of windows came out. But those of us working in the unix world kinda had an attitude about windows with all it's Windows, Icons, Mice, and Pointers.
:)-->
Oh, and I was lucky, I always worked for companies that provided me with a computer. Never had to buy my own till my first Pentium.
:)-->
Rick
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Tom Strange
Thanks Zixar... maybe I'll check on the Heathkit site as well... I built a radio from them once...
I don't even remember what my first computer was... we couldn't afford an expensive IBM... I do remember that I we loaded programs with cassette tapes... and then the first one I had at work had the two five and a quarter drives... had to keep on switching out disks... and everyone was always using it because it was the only one there...
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Zixar
To get an idea of the prices, expect to spend:
$100 or so on an integrated mobo
$100 or so on 512MB of memory
$60 to $300 on a CPU, (although the P4EE is right at a thousand bucks!)
$50-$100 on a case with a minimum 400-watt power supply (more is better)
$20 for a DVD-ROM drive, a little more if you want a CD-writer
$80-$200 for a hard drive, depending on size.
For example, here's a good price/performance parts list:
CPU - Athlon 64 3000+ $223
MoBo - Chaintech VNF3-250 $80
RAM - 2x256MB DDR400 - $80
Graphics Card - ATI Radeon 9600XT 256MB - $159
Case - Mwave Z88 - $43
Hard Drive - Maxtor 160GB SerialATA - $140
DVD-Writer - NEC ND-2500A 8x DVD+/-RW - $78
That's about $800 and change for a good solid system.
For the bare minimum:
CPU/Mobo/RAM Bundle - Athlon XP 2000+ /Abit NF7 mobo/256MB $167
Case - Mwave CX-2358 $20
CDROM - Samsung 52x $18
Hard Drive - Western Digital 40GB $53
Total about $260.
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herbiejuan
Hey when I run regedit the results come up on the right and those are the troublesome files right? which then can be deleted right?
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Steve!
Yup.
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Zixar
Regedit? NO! The stuff on the right is EVERYTHING on your computer! You can't just delete everything on the right, you'll wipe out your whole PC.
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Bluzeman
oops, hope he caught that in time!
Rick
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herbiejuan
Where did eveyone go?
My whole world went blank~!
:eek
kidding...
OK as a standard presearch thing there are LOTS of files on my left, with lots of subkeys. After clicking on a particular files on the LEFT (or running say a btdownload search) a series of keys appears on my RIGHT which were they keys I deleted. Now I also went through and removed a few suspicious keys on the left (ones that were shaded blue when I ran the search thing and matched numerically wize with what my other programs were telling me were the key numbers I was looking for)
so far everything still works tho I've not tried everything
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Bluzeman
Well, glad your still with us!
Keep in mind what I said earlier, about exporting before deleteing!
Rick
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herbiejuan
Well I cracked the case and installed the new drive, everything looked fine until I booted up (with the maxtor floppy and cd in drive) we formatted the drive (984000mb or sumthing) and then it told me to insert my boot disk which I did. It messed around a little and then told me because I am using a millenium program (I thought it was xp...) I could only use my drive for saving data and if I wanted to do otherwise to run a microsoft program which I unfortunately fergot to write down so I put the old drive back in and am writing this even as we speak. Umm whatferis this disk I am supposed to run? Can I get it from my computer? I have like 4 xp disks which I guess I'm supposed to run after I get this current problem solved. sigh...
Did I already tell you many thanks?
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igotout
Well my first computer that I actually purchased was a Radio Shack Color Computer, Bluzeman, for which I paid $750 used. THey were affectionately know as "CoCo's." No hard drive, of course but you could put stuff on cassettes. I believe it had 1MB memory (or was it less??). Those were awesome at the time for use home users. Played a lot of games like Pooyan and Pac Man and Frogger on it. I later sold it for $500. I shoulda kept it.
And Zixar, I do not have unlimited funds, really. Its just my hobby. Otherwise I would have something like This in front of me.
Herbie. I do not know much about booting from a Windows 98 ME CD but you do not want to install that anyway. Ditch it in favor of Windows XP. Windows 98 is ancient by now compared to XP.
With Windows XP you should be able to simply insert the CD. Then restart your computer with the XP CD in the tray. If all goes well it will do just about everything for you step by step. You can also go on the Internet and get ample info on how to do a fresh install of XP.
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igotout
Well my first computer that I actually purchased was a Radio Shack Color Computer, Bluzeman, for which I paid $750 used. THey were affectionately know as "CoCo's." No hard drive, of course but you could put stuff on cassettes. I believe it had 1MB memory (or was it less??). Those were awesome at the time for use home users. Played a lot of games like Pooyan and Pac Man and Frogger on it. I later sold it for $500. I shoulda kept it.
And Zixar, I do not have unlimited funds, really. Its just my hobby. Otherwise I would have something like This in front of me, all 21 inchers. But I fear I would never move from my chair. (Over $10,000 just for the monitors).
6 monitors using two Matrox cards and custom stand
Herbie. I do not know much about booting from a Windows 98 ME CD but you do not want to install that anyway. Ditch it in favor of Windows XP. Windows 98 is ancient by now compared to XP.
With Windows XP you should be able to simply insert the CD. Then restart your computer with the XP CD in the tray. If all goes well it will do just about everything for you step by step. You can also go on the Internet and get ample info on how to do a fresh install of XP.
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Tom Strange
HegotHope... a little alzhiemer's kicking in there?
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WordWolf
Thought this thread might help Paw's little search....
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