Posted 07/02/09 at 07:00:03 PM by The Maximum PC Staff

I downloaded memtest86+ 1.65 (on the recommendation of your magazine) and tried it out on one of my systems. I cannot get past the “auto” running memtest86+ to finish booting to Windows XP Pro. My system is an AMD 2.2GB dual core with 2GB of RAM on a TForce 550 SE mobo. How can I stop memtest86+ from automatically starting every time I boot? I assume there is an autoexec.bat file that is running. Memtest86+ ran for nearly 48 hours non-stop without ever finishing the tests. Is this normal? Should I have let it run to completion?

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4

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ask the doctor, memtest, Memtest 86+

Posted 07/01/09 at 10:00:00 AM by The Maximum PC Staff

Doc, I need some help! Using what I learned from your mag, I built a small home theater PC. Everything is good, except when I want to watch a movie I have ripped (I use SlySoft AnyDVD). I don’t know how to get the movie to run in one piece. I have to play the movie in sections. I have Nero 7 and PowerDVD but it happens the same way with either.

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5

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ask the doctor, dvd ripping, Home theatre

Posted 06/29/09 at 08:28:22 PM by The Maximum PC Staff

On my old Windows XP PC, I used Audacity to record music, etc., from the Internet with great results.

Recently I bought a Dell XPS 420 with Windows Vista 64-bit and now Audacity (or even the PC’s Creative Sound recording software) can’t record any audio. I came across some related forums and tried a couple of suggestions (check disabled items on the Sound properties, etc.), which haven’t worked.

In XP I used the Stereo Mix setting in Audacity but in Vista I don’t have that option. And recording from the mic isn’t an option, either. Is this a Vista “feature”? If so, how can I record audio from the Internet? Vista has grown on me so I’d rather not downgrade to XP.

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5

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soundcard, ask the doctor, audacity, sound recording

Posted 06/29/09 at 12:37:56 AM by The Maximum PC Staff

I’m building a new system consisting of an Intel Q9650 processor, an EVGA 790i Ultra SLI mobo, an EVGA GTX 280 videocard, 2GB of Corsair Twin 3X2048-1600C7DHXG memory, a SoundBlaster X-Fi XtremeGamer PCI soundcard, three SATA 500GB 5000AAKS Western Digital hard drives, and a retail version of Windows XP Pro with SP2. My BIOS is Phoenix Award. I have all default settings for everything in the BIOS except I disabled HD Audio.

When I try to load Windows, I get a generic blue screen that tells me to run a system diagnostic, do a memory check, and remove any mismatched memory or newly installed hardware. I’m wondering if I might have a conflict with the Corsair memory. The motherboard’s spec sheet states that it supports dual-channel DDR3 800/1,066/1,333, and SLI-ready memory up to 2,000MHz.

In a recent review of the 790i Ultra, you used 2GB of Crucial 1,333MHz on the mobo. Was this memory EPP 2.0, or do you need EPP 2.0 at slower speeds? My RAM is rated at 1,600MHz, but the BIOS tells me that EPP 2.0 is not detected. I have the latest BIOS version, but there is no listing for enabling SLI memory under the Advanced Chipset section in the FSB & Memory Config subsection. Does this appear if EPP 2.0 memory is detected? Can I run higher-speed non-EPP 2.0 memory, or would this create a conflict with Windows?

I also read in the “BIOS Tweaks” article (November 2008) that not addressing the AHCI issue could cause Windows to not load. I would like to eventually set up a RAID, but can I disable AHCI to load Windows or do I need to load AHCI drivers at the
F6 point?

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3

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ram, RAID, ask the doctor

Posted 06/27/09 at 12:41:00 PM by The Maximum PC Staff

I recently upgraded my computer. When I shut down my PC, it makes a metallic grinding-type noise. It also happens when my computer is running at full load. Any advice?

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4

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ask the doctor, grinding noise

Posted 04/29/09 at 02:33:56 PM by The Maximum PC Staff

In Win XP, folders automatically display in Explorer in alphabetical order. I want to order folders chronologically by calendar month, i.e., January, February, March, etc., but Explorer displays them alphabetically. Is there a way to change the order that folders are displayed?
—Dave Schaffer

Read on for the answer to Dave's question!

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2

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windows xp, ask the doctor, explorer

Posted 04/28/09 at 12:45:00 PM by The Maximum PC Staff

With viruses spreading on USB drives like they used to with floppies, is there a way to prevent Windows from automatically running the executable when you plug in the USB drive? I would rather be safe than have Windows automatically launch programs on USB drives, DVDs, etc.

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8

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ask the doctor, no autoplay

Posted 04/23/09 at 08:24:02 PM by The Maximum PC Staff

How can I make a bootable copy of my XP Pro operating system on my 16GB USB 2.0 flash memory stick? Many of the OS files cannot be copied from my computer using Windows Explorer because they are in use. I have tried just about everything.

My computer has an option for USB booting and I would like to have the emergency boot stick as a backup.

Read on for the  answer to Phil's question!

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5

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ask the doctor, boot from usb