Category Archives: Hardware

Using A SATA/IDE To USB Adapter

Posted by on February 15, 2012 3 comments
Forum Discussion - Using A SATA/IDE To USB Adapter - 3 post(s)

There are many things an IT/computer repair person has in their tool bag: screwdrivers, an assortment of screws, RJ-45′s, compressed air, hard drive jumpers (for those still clinging to IDE drives), a shirt that reads “There’s no place like 127.0.0.1″, etc.  But, probably the most important tool one can have, is a SATA/IDE to USB adapter, such as this model from Vantec.  This thing has saved me countless times.

The purpose of this device is that it allows you to hook up any drive (both 3.5″ and 2.5″ HDD’s and optical drives), and use it just like an external device.  The nice part about this device is you don’t have to fiddle with an external enclosure – just hook up your drive, power it up, and stick in the USB, and you’re ready to go.  This makes it easy to retrieve data off an old HDD without having to open your computer, or find a spare enclosure.  If you have a lot of drives to test, this makes it easier then having to put it inside the computer, turn it on, check the drive, turn the computer off, and repeat the process.

In this article, I’m going to give an explanation on the many parts and pieces that are inside the box, how to put it all together, and connect it to a computer.  This might seem a little overwhelming at first (especially if you are not a fan of having to put together lots of pieces of technology), but once you get used to the procedure, you can get a drive hooked up in a matter of seconds.

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Xbox 360 controller on Windows ~ Alternate Configuration Solutions

Posted by on January 29, 2012 5 comments
Forum Discussion - Xbox 360 controller on Windows ~ Alternate Configuration Solutions - 5 post(s)

So I’ve had a wired Xbox 360 controller hooked up to my Windows 7 gaming rig for ages now. It works well in most games. I never take for granted how so many games come perfectly pre-configured for the controller, and even show the proper buttons on-screen during gameplay. Up until a few years ago, PC gaming offered little support for controllers, and if they did, you had to memorize which button translated to buttons 1 though 16 on-screen. It was a nightmare. I remember actually having to download an Xbox button graphics mod for Resident Evil 4 on PC just so it told me the proper buttons to press during the intense moments.

Unfortunately, Microsoft seems determined to never update the controller’s driver or even offer any software to speak of. They offer a calibration tool that’s been around since the Windows 2000 era, or earlier, which doesn’t actually have any effect in most games. Microsoft leaves the configuration options in the hands of each game developer, and frankly, most developers offer few options.

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My experience with HTC rooting and Android ROMs

Posted by on January 28, 2012 No comments
Forum Discussion - My experience with HTC rooting and Android ROMs - 1 post(s)

I got myself an HTC Incredible from Verizon last year. Roughly 30 days was about all I could tolerate of the stock software it came with. Verizon (and the other carriers from what I gather), love to plant their mostly worthless software onto your phone right from the get go, which proves to only slow your device down, which in my case was only further compounded by the slowdown that the Sense UI caused. Yeah it looks nice, and it does sort your contacts from multiple services in an idiot-proofed kind of way, but I found it to be more cumbersome than anything. Read more »

Tech Tip: Opening a CD/DVD Drive Manually

Posted by on January 26, 2012 No comments
Forum Discussion - Tech Tip: Opening a CD/DVD Drive Manually - 1 post(s)

Like any piece of machinery, at some point, your CD/DVD drive will probably get stuck for one reason or another.  Of course, when it sticks, you’ll have an important disk in there (like your OS restore disc) stuck in the drive.  Fortunately, there is a way for you to get the CD/DVD out of the drive.  All you need is a paperclip.

NOTE: Before trying the following steps, we recommend you reboot your computer first.  Often times, the drives will stick because either the PC or Windows thinks the drive is in use.  If a reboot has not fixed the issue, try the following:

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A Hardware Horror Story

Posted by on January 24, 2012 2 comments

This is not going to be a long post, but just something I thought I would point out from my own experience that could save someone else some major headaches.

It all began in 2003.  I had bought my new gaming computer (customized myself, but pre-built from Monarch Computers [who are no longer in business]), which was an AMD64 Athlon 2800+ and it ran great for several months.  Then, in early 2004, the computer just stopped powering on.  Thinking it was the power supply, I went forward and purchased an Ultra X-Connect modular PSU.  Well, after a lot of testing, I found out the board died (was later replaced).  Unfortunately, the real nightmare did not start until mid-2006, when I started having corrupt video issues (I had an ATI Radeon X850 in the computer that was only 6 months old).  Then it snow-balled into issues with Windows, and me thinking either the primary HDD or motherboard was failing.

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