I feel like I'm being a pest over here

[krys]

........But I've developed another problem.

I can only keep this computer up and running a short time since I blew a fan and this machine (Athlon) is known to run hot. So I power down after a few minutes to prevent damage.

Question 1: How likely is it that I can acquire and install a new fan (big one in the back of the chassie (sp?) without an expensive service call?

Question 2. I recently installed a cable telephone to save money. Everything worked great until this 'puter started acting up. Now I am getting messages that are strange and the phone does not work.

Here are the messages at startup....

-- New hardware found....it refers to my printer, which I have no problem with....when I can keep this thing up and running for longer, I can reinstall the printer. BTW - the printer works fine.

--New hardware found....Multimedia Audio Controler....What is this? Is there any way I can re-install or otherwise "fix" this without an expensive service call.

Ordinarily I'd go looking on the web for answers myself, but I can't stay up and running long enough for any meaningful research.

I'd appreciate any insight you may have. BOTH issues have recently surfaced since the overheating became obvious to me. I did go into CMOS and adjust a few things and I wonder if I screwed up in there. I disabled shaddowing, reset the temp to 50 degrees C and perhaps I did something else without realizing it?

Yeah - I have guts....going into CMOS...but I had to learn how to do it, to keep the animals from booting up machines in school and playing around with them....I password protected them so they wouldn't boot unless I did it!

[Steve!]

If you can switch a car battery, you can change a computer fan. It's no big shakes. You actually have to switch power supplies, or put in an auxiliary fan to take the place of the old one.

Yeah, you may have messed up the CMOS. But if it keeps "finding" new hardware, that's because the hardware's settings aren't being saved. And that might not be the CMOS.

[krys]

Well - I'm waiting for DH to get around to getting and installing the fan. It sucks to be disabled and have to depend on somebody else who is also busy and tries to fit you in when they can!

Meanwhile.....this puter is getting harder to "control" and if you don't hear from me, that means it went down.....and I don't know if it's the fan, if it will require a major house call [where do I find somebody I can trust in new jersey?] or a new puppy!

love you guys.

krys

[Steve!]

Weren't you just recently asking about switching computers? Now seems as good a time as any - that is to say, about 3 weeks from now. All of the post-Christmas sales will be going then, and you will be able to get an *incredible* deal somewhere, I am sure.