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How to fix audio issues and crashes on a Gigabyte motherboard

By on Aug 20, 2012 in Blog Posts, Hardware, Software | 3 comments

I’ve had problems with my Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD5 motherboard every since I built my custom system a year ago. It wasn’t to the point where I couldn’t use it – so I didn’t have to take drastic steps – it was just annoying and would crash once every few days.The blue screen errors were generic and generally pointed towards faulty memory. Since the memory was brand new, that seemed unlikely. I tested each stick thoroughly with Memtest86+ and found no issues. I tried different RAM slot combinations to no avail. I tested different combinations of RAM timings and clock speeds without any luck. Even Auto settings didn’t work.After weeks of useless back and forth with Gigabyte technical support, they mentioned that the memory controller is integrated into the CPU and perhaps that could be the cause of the issue. This didn’t feel right to me,...

Symantec’s Atrocious Support of a Terrible Product: Backup Exec 2012

By on Jul 13, 2012 in Blog Posts, Software | 19 comments

Update: For those looking for a replacement, I’ve reviewed two options here.   For years, the name Symantec has been synonymous with two areas; anti-virus software and enterprise backup systems. In 1990, Symantec purchased Norton and with it still holds the title as best-selling anti-virus software in the world, although it has long since lost its claim as the best product on the market. Though Symantec has lost its footing on the security side of its business, they have been able to cling on in the enterprise backup scene; at least for the time being. Their Backup Exec (BE) products (purchased from VERITAS in 2005) remain popular with small to medium sized businesses, but the recent decision by Symantec to require maintenance agreements and completely redesign the program have left many customers without a reason to remain loyal. Less than a year ago I could purchase a...

How to Resolve Error 1310

By on Jun 17, 2008 in Blog Posts, Software | 0 comments

After months of spending a half hour here and a half hour there, I’ve finally resolved a problem that’s really been bugging me. I recently installed the beta of OpenOffice.org 3.0 and when I tried to uninstall it I kept getting “Error 1310 Error Writing to file C:Config.msi*.rbf” There didn’t seem to be any further troubleshooting information available, and I was having the same issue trying to remove some other programs. I tried a number of different things before finally coming across the easy, simple fix: rename the C:Config.msi folder. After I renamed Config.msi to Config.msi.old and restarted the uninstallation, everything worked normally.The files in Config.msi are roll back files, used by the Windows Installer. More details on what they do can be found here.

Known Issues: 239 – Microsoft “PRS”: 0

By on Jun 15, 2008 in Blog Posts, Software | 0 comments

One tool Windows Vista offers to help troubleshoot issues is Microsoft’s Problem Reports and Solutions (PRS). This tool diagnoses the issues tracked by Windows Error Reporting and goes online to find solutions.Today my Vista Ultimate machine reported that I had 239 problems and asked if I wanted to see solutions. Sure, I clicked. A few minutes later Microsoft came back with its findings. Zero solutions. Zero out of 239. Not surprised? Me neither.What did surprise me was the numerous items listed under “Information about other problems”. I saw a listing telling me to download the latest service pack, which I already have installed. Another item told me to update to the the latest version of Firefox, which I am already running. Microsoft told me to update Quicktime, Acrobat Reader, Skype and a half dozen other programs that I already have the latest versions of as well....

How to add a shortcut on your Samsung Blackjack

By on Jun 14, 2008 in Blog Posts, Software | 0 comments

Interested in adding a shortcut to an application on your Samsung Blackjack, but hitting brick walls with Windows Vista? Here is a step-by-step:My phone: Samsung Blackjack (original)OS: Vista Ultimate SP1WM: Windows Mobile 61-First, create a connection between your phone and Windows Mobile Device Center (WMDC). Usually just a matter of making sure WMDC is running in Vista and connecting the USB cable to your phone.2-Next you’ll need to unlock your phone. This is a multi-step process: A-Download and install Device Security Manager PowerToy for Windows Mobile 5.0. Yes, it works with Windows Mobile 6. No, there isn’t a 6.0 version of the program – as of now. B-Download and copy secpolicies.cab to your phone. After downloading, browse to your My Documents folder on your phone and copy the cab file there. Then, on your Blackjack, open Start>Applications>File Explorer and...

Firefox Add-ons I Can’t Live Without

By on May 19, 2008 in Blog Posts, Software | 0 comments

With the upcoming release of Mozilla Firefox 3 everyone is abuzz about new features and enhanced performance – but I won’t be ditching Firefox 2 until my favorite Add-ons are upgraded as well. Here they are, in alphabetical order:ColorZillaGreat for web and graphic developers, this tool lets you find the alphanumeric code for any color on a website.Cooliris PreviewsMouse over an image and a small icon appears. When clicked, you see the full sized image in a pop-up window. It’s a handy little time saver.Copernic Desktop Search 2 ToolbarOne of only two toolbars I use – it serves as a quick and easy way to search my computer from my browser window.del.icio.us BookmarksThis allows me to easily create and tag bookmarks directly to my del.icio.us account, so I have them wherever I go. Using tags means I can find that one in six hundred link I’m looking for much...