Solutions: Follow Compaq’s advice on hot keyboard
By JOHN TORRO
Published May 15, 2006
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I have a 3-year-old Compaq Presario 900 laptop. The keyboard became incredibly hot recently. I investigated what could be wrong on the Net, and it came up with a thermal pad/heat sink possible problem. On the bottom of my laptop, I have a cracked black sticky pad, which is the thermal pad. Not wanting to fool around with this, I called Compaq and was told to remove all my info on a disc and download a new BIOS system, which I did not do, as I could not understand how this related to overheating. I took the laptop to a tech, who could not duplicate the problem. It was okay for about a week, but again the keyboard got hot. Can you give me an idea of what I need to do?
I would follow the advice of Compaq support. Perhaps it knows about some problem with the BIOS that could be affecting how it controls the cooling system. I also recommend calling Compaq again and having it explain exactly what is dictating this strategy. It could be a faulty exhaust fan that is starting to fail intermittently. Try to observe if it is functioning it does not run all the time. It should be visible from the bottom of the laptop. In any event, it is a good idea to back up whatever files you cannot replace ASAP, as it sounds as if there is a problem with the laptop.
‘Bad sector’ report indicates defective disc
I ran a Scandisk on my C drive, and it reported a large number of bad sectors. What does this mean? It seems to run fine.
The bad sector reporting from Scandisk indicates a real problem with your hard drive. Sometimes this can be caused by configuration problems, firmware problems or even a bad power supply. But mostly it is a sign of a disc drive that is at least partly defective. If future runs of Scandisk report a growing number of bad sectors, it is a bad sign and your drive’s days are numbered. I’d recommend backing up your personal data (data that can not be reproduced from some other media) and plan on replacing the drive. On the other hand, if the number of bad sectors does not increase, you may have some life remaining on the drive. But back up your data either way and be prepared.
Cable connection will enable tape-to-PC transfer
You answered in your column (Dec. 19) how to do a vinyl-to-PC transfer. I need to transfer tape to PC. What do I need to do?
Very simply, you’ll need a cable to connect your cassette’s audio-out connector to your computer sound card’s line-in connector. This will most likely be an RCA to 1/8-inch patch cable (you can buy it at any electronics store such as Radio Shack).
You will need software on your PC that will record the input to disc. They are many such programs, and I recommend doing some online research first to help determine your specific needs. A good place to start is www.homerecording.com. There are some businesses that will do this for you, saving you the time and trouble, but probably at greater expense.
System restore is solution for Hacktool virus
I have a virus that defies extinction. The name is Hacktool, and Norton cannot defeat this virus. Neither can many other virus eliminators.
You must be speaking of Hacktool. rootkit. If you’re infected, the recommended recovery is a system restore. Symantec recovery information on this virus can be found at www.symantec.com/avcenter/venc /data/hacktool.rootkit.html. It is important to keep your system’s antivirus protection active and up to date.
Spam filter might be flagging new mail
At times when I check my mail, at the bottom right corner a message says “checking mail.” Then a message states that I have mail but it doesn’t get to my inbox (Outlook Express, Windows XP Home).
Check your Deleted or Junk Mail folder (if you have one). Perhaps you have spam detection enabled at some point, through built-in rules within Outlook Express…
