My How to Tech

How to fix computer - can't access windows

2011-04-14T08:30:00.000-07:00

Kaboom !!!
I turn on my computer and I got this message on a black screen !!

Windows XP could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM

*PANIC PANIC PANIC*
So I searched how to fix that
went to microsoft website, tried their suggestion, DIDN'T WORK
"How to recover from a corrupted registry that prevents Windows XP from starting"
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545

So I went here and it worked !!
Wehooooo !!! So happy !!!
Thank you nice people on the internet !!
http://www.icompute.info/System_restore_from_xp_cd.htm

so, briefly, here's what i did
You'd need your copy of Windows XP CD, insert
restart, press F8
choose boot from CD
choose R for Recovery
once you're at the Recovery console,
at c:\windows>
type: chkdsk /r (and enter)
after u're done,
type: cd / (and enter)
type another chkdsk /r if you want to
then type: cd system~1\_resto~1
type: dir
there will be lists of restore points folders, rp1, rp2, rp3, rp4 and so on, with dates
choose which date you want to restore back to
type: cd rp"x"
"x" is the corresponding number you choose, don't use the " " sign
type: cd snapshot

since my "system" file is corrupted,
type: copy _registry_machine_system c:\windows\system32\config\system
type: exit
my computer restarts and windows is back on
hoooyeaaaa

Go to the link, it's explained more detailed there !!!
http://www.icompute.info/System_restore_from_xp_cd.htm

remember :
note the space when you type !!!
and click enter after typing each command
your problem might be different from mine, but this one works for me :)
good luck

PS. I'm a genius ;)

Which Anti Virus to get for your computer / Laptop ?

2009-10-05T07:43:00.001-07:00

and most importantly, Which Affordable (Cheap) but a good quality Anti Virus you should get ?
Actually you should get an Internet Security software instead of just Anti Virus.
So here's the Secret to getting a Cheap Anti Virus, read on to find out how :)

Yes there are Free Anti Virus, Free Firewalls, etc
Yes there are people who use no Anti Virus whatsoever and has never gotten a Virus.
But I just want to be on the safer side.

I used to use Norton, and in 2002 (I think) I got a Virus on my Laptop.
man, that was the worst feeling of not knowing what to do.
then I switched to Mcafee, problem solved

At 2008, I wanted to get Mcafee 2009, but it was out of stock
So I searched for alternative
I was intrigued by Eset Nod32 Antivirus and all the rave reviews.

but I find Eset to be a little too expensive

and I figured it's safer to get more than just an Anti Virus
So I tried Kaspersky Internet Security 2009 (3 User) , because I have 2 laptops.

and It's been fine ever since..... I didn't find any problems with it, installing is easy, and just insert the code that's printed on the CD cover.

However, I just don't know why purchasing it online from the official Kaspersky website is way more expensive.
I got mine for 18.99US$ from Amazon.com and it was a bargain !!
Come one.... 3 computers for less than 20$, okay....add the shipping cost, it's $23 for a whole year of Virus Free, for 3 computers.

So this is the beginning of my second year with Kaspersky Internet Security 2009(KIS 2009)
At first, approaching the "expiry date" of the Kaspersky License, I thought I had to purchase KIS 2010, which was more expensive and I read that it wasn't quite stable yet and I dreaded the fact that I might have to uninstall my existing KIS 2009 and installed a new one, and what if my system crashed bla bla bla.

Well, Good news !!!!!!!!
It turns out, I can still purchase KIS 2009 and use the code to renew my license and stay protected with KIS 2009.
And if I want to upgrade to KIS 2010, I can always download it.
Yes... my License allow me to upgrade to KIS 2010 if I want to.
I find that to be a super bargain.
You can just get Kaspersky Internet Security 2009 for such a low price and decide what you want with it.
As for me, I don't see the need to upgrade to KIS 2010 for now, so I'm good with KIS 2009 for now :)

Which Netbook should I get ?

2009-10-05T04:27:00.000-07:00

I want Asus....
Why ?
1. Asus was the first to come up with Netbook (EeePC)
and Why is it called that, instead of some other cooler name, I don't get.
2. My sis has had her Asus notebook for around 8 years now and it's still in a very good condition and battery can still last for around 1 hour.
Although I don't know the lifespan of the EeePC ;p

So.....
Asus it is then.... but which one ?
Okay...
> 10" is a good size
> Color is a matter of choice
> Matte screen / Glossy screen is also a matter of choice
But I definitely prefer Matte screen.
> They all have a battery power ranging from 9-11 hours
but anything over 5 hours is good for me.
> Features are more or less the same, 802.11n, USB ports, some with better Bluetooth, etc etc
> They cost ranging from US$369 - US$420 roughly... Prices may go down in time ;)

Asus EeePC 1000HE

ASUS Eee PC 1000HE 10.1-Inch Blue Netbook - 9.5 Hour Battery Life
This is an older model, but I totally prefer this one.
Pros :
Matte screen !!!
Removeable battery, and you can open the Netbook from underneath to upgrade RAM or replace HDD.
Cons :
Weight 1.45kg/3.2 pounds A little heavier, but what is a few pounds/grams
(Although my Fujitsu 14" notebook is approx 1.7 kg ;p)
Older design, a little bulkier than the new Seashell design

I personally think Asus EeePC 1000HE is one to get if you really need Matte screen !!! :)
It's going away soon though, because it's being replaced by the newer 1005HA model
make sure it's 1005HA-P (1.66Ghz N280) not the 1005HA-V (1.6Ghz N270)

Here's a link to a review of Asus EeePC 1000HE I found on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hciamhLW-SM

Asus 1000HE and WINDOWS XP
If I'm not mistaken, for the 1000HE, It takes 30 sec to boot up to Windows and around 40 sec for it to be fully functional.

WINDOWS 7
1 min more to get fully booted up to Win 7

Asus EeePC 1005HA

ASUS Eee PC 1005HA-PU1X-BU 10.1-Inch Blue Netbook - 10.5 Hour Battery Life
If you want a nicer model, and can tolerate glossy screen
then the Asus EeePC 1005HA is the right one for you
Pros :
Seashell design
Weight 1.27kg / 2.8 pounds . Lighter than 1000HE
Better Bluetooth
Removeable battery, and you can open the Netbook from underneath to upgrade RAM
Slightly longer Battery life
Cons :
Glossy screen
Can't open HDD hatch, well.... I can't ;p
1005HA doesn't have an on off for the wireless (I take this as a Con)

So If you don't care the glossy screen and not being able to replace HDD
Then Asus EeePC 1005HA is for you.

Here's a link to a review of Asus EeePC 1005HA I found on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2qL5AV3bHE

Asus EeePC 1008HA

ASUS Eee PC 1008HA Seashell 10.1-Inch Pearl White Netbook - 6 Hour Battery Life
hmmm....
This one is peculiar
Pros :
Nice design
Lighter, 2.4 pounds
Thinner
Cons :
Glossy screen
Non removable battery
and I suppose a clueless girl like me can't DIY to add RAM or replace HDD either
2 USB instead of 3
less battery life
But it's one nice looking netbook though.

Asus EeePC 1101HA

ASUS Eee PC 1101HA-MU1X-BK 11.6-Inch Black Netbook - 11 Hour Battery Life
This is the 11.6 inch model, weight 3.04 lbs
and I'd love to get this one instead of the 10"
It's not entirely bigger in size, it's actually about the same size if you don't really pay detailed attention ;p
But it's a slower machine than the other netbooks (1.3Ghz Z520)
(and some say the image/text on screen might be too small)
So I'll probably wait till a slightly faster one comes out.

Okay.... So....
How do you choose which one is right for you ?
Yes they all have similar features.
Yes they all have glossy surface, so it's going to be gleaming with oily fingerprints, but you can always get skins, yup, it's a sticker you stick on the whole surface of the netbook, and it also says that there won't be any residue when the sticker is removed, so problem solved on dat department.
Noise and Heat ? I've dealt with a noisy & hot (literary) Acer Ferrari notebook, so it's not a biggie.

So The Question is :
What do you need the netbook for ?
Do you need it to take notes in class ?
Do you need to bring it everywhere with you and then transfer data to a more powerful machine at home ?
Well, For me ......
I need a small, portable, cheap Netbook with long battery life that I can bring everywhere.
I need it to write (blog drafts, thoughts, etc)
(I don't like writing on a little book and then I have to retype everything to a computer.)
I need it to go online (blogging, emails, light websurfing)
I need it to temporary store photos, music
And that's about it.
I don't care about benchmark tests, other tests, etc etc, I don't even know what they are ;p
It's a small Netbook, so it's gotta be slower than a Notebook, that's a given.
I don't need a more advanced operating system (Vista, Win7) that may slow down the machine.
I'm not going to play games so I don't mind the lower graphic resolution.
I don't really care about the design, well I do actually, tremendously ;p but I want Matte screen.

So this is my personal choice :
First choice : I'll get the ASUS Eee PC 1000HE, yes for the Matte screen because I will also be using my Netbook outdoors.
If I can't get it....
Second choice : I'll wait for the successor of the ASUS Eee PC 1101HA
, which will hopefully be faster, but I dunno when it's going to come out or if it's coming out at all.
Otherwise
Third choice : I'll just get ASUS Eee PC 1005HA-P
(I find it weird that the newer Asus EeePC 1005HA is slightly cheaper than the older model 1000HE)

But the most important thing to do is have a look at the Netbook
Feel it in your hands,
Can you type with the smaller keyboard size
Can you use the trackpad well
(I got frustrated using my friend's Sony VAIO trackpad while on the otherhand she can use it easily)
If you know that they work well with you
Well... Now it's just a matter of getting them to your home :)

If I don't care about Matte/Glossy screen, then the ASUS Eee PC 1005HA-P would be my best choice. :)
Is there like a screen-size Matte sticker to stick on your screen to make it Matte ?
oooo Actually there is.... a lot of em....Go search "Matte / Anti-Glare Screen Protector"
Just realized if they sell those for cellphones, then they have em for notebook screens too ;p
But I want Matte screen without having to have air bubbles inside the sticker/protector... so...

Actually, If Chinese manufacturers start mass producing Small (10") & Cheap Toy Netbooks for kids and it has a feature that allow me to type stuff and save and transfer it to a Flashdisk/USB Key, then I'm more than happy to buy that one instead ;p
Let's say US$20 ? US$35 perhaps ? ;P

What to do before joining an Affiliate Program

2009-07-15T10:49:00.000-07:00

You want to join an affiliate program to earn some extra cash :)

So you've found something interesting that makes you wanna be their affiliate.
Things you should do !!!
Before you go into a deeper research of the quality of the program,
the percentage, the comments and reviews from other affiliates,
before reading the Terms / contract / Rules, etc

You should just check whether your country is eligible for joining that affiliate program.
some may require you to click on the "sign up" button and on the contact information form, check whether your country is listed there.
Sometimes, Not all countries are listed.
and if your country is not listed, you don't have to spend useless time researching about that affiliate program.

But if you've done your research prior to signing up, hey, at least you can blog about it and let other people know :)

Things I Hate on a Website

2009-07-15T10:38:00.000-07:00

So I'm on a website and I click on a link
and the browser opens that link on the same page
But when I hit the 'Back' button on the browser.
It wouldn't go back to the initial website !!!
It keeps going back to that link page

It's so bloody annoying !!!!!
then I have to retype the url to go back to the initial website.
uuggghhhh :(

Another thing is
I understand about disabling right click to protect copyright.
But when I try to right click to "open page in a new tab"
and it wouldn't let me and there's a pop up msg that says "copyright bla bla bla"
That is also extremely annoying........
Now I can only have 1 page open from that website.
ugghhh.....
I think you can actually enable the right click on those websites
I'll post here when I find it.

How to get a cheaper price when buying online ?

2009-07-15T10:34:00.000-07:00

So you wanna buy anything online.
domain names, webhostings, posters, etc etc.

Before you click "buy"
Go search for coupons on the internet
google it.....
It's everywhere.

You could get $1 discount up to 25% off the listed price, even more.
So.... remember to search for coupons :)

If you already knew it.... then good for you.
But I didn't at first !!
Had somebody told me about it, I would've saved ... err.... $2 ?
hahoahroiahreaur :D

So... even if you don't think that certain company won't have coupons.
Just go search for it first, who knows :)

Laptop Bags

2009-07-10T02:55:00.000-07:00

Here are a collection of my Laptop Bags.
Well, two of 'em are mine
The Acer Ferrari bag is the one with Red lining.
The Fujitsu bag is the simple humble thin one on the right.
The Asus bag is the one that looks like an office bag.

and My dog...
Why does she looks so sad there ?
Come here dog *hugz*

TIPS on Buying a NEW LAPTOP / NOTEBOOK COMPUTERS

2009-07-10T02:44:00.000-07:00

1. Choose your brand wisely...
Usually the business line are more durable, I think.
and the cheaper ones usually don't have a Windows operating system, so you'd have to buy it.
It's better to pay more and get a higher quality computer/laptop.
Make sure they have a good Tech support/Service center.

2. If you go to the shop, make sure you
Check all the hardware (no scratches, no dents, etc.)
Tests all the function (dvd writer, camera, wireless lan, etc etc)
Check all the spec, the free upgrade might not be there if they forgot !!!
and after that, Check all the warranty stickers , if they've upgraded your computer/laptop, they might forgot to re-stick the sticker, so your computer won't be under warranty 3 months from now when something's wrong.
Yes it may take a while, but I don't care, I'm not driving 1 hour of crazy traffic to go back to the store.

3. If you order your Laptop online, make sure they have a good exchange/refund policy.
and make sure the specs on the website are accurate.

4. If you also purchase an original genuine operating system (windows)
You may ask them to install it for you.
Let them know your file system preference. NTFS or FAT32
(I now use NTFS, they say it's better and can handle bigger files)
and Remember to also let them know how many partitions you want in your harddisk.
C: 50Gb, D: 100Gb, E: 100Gb, etc etc

5. Don't buy on a Friday, coz you can't call them the next day if there's any problems.
(unless it's a 24/7 forever open store, then it's fine)

6. What do you need it for ?
If you're gonna be on the road often.... choose a light one.
But if you're going to use it as a Desktop Replacement, weight is no problem and placements is important !!!
Placements of the USB slots, cable modem slot, headphone jack, etc etc
Just make sure they don't interfere with your mouse, and your hands.

7. What stuff do you need ?
- I think you need at minimum 3 USB slots.
- Bluetooth, Wireless Lan, DVD Writer, etc etc the basics....
- Big RAM,
- Big Harddisk
- Fast Core2Duo or Quadcore
- Good Graphics, especially if you need it for Designing / Gaming.
- Good Battery Life, I always use the power adaptor anyway, so it's not really that big a deal, most of the time.
- Glossy or matte screen ? it's up to you.
I prefer matte screen, but glossy seems to be on everything now.

hmmm what else ??
I think that's about it for now :)

Happy Hunting !!

Fujitsu S6510b Laptop Review

2009-07-10T02:14:00.000-07:00

This post is long overdue ;p hohohoho
But.....
After researching and researching all kinds of available brands,
(Acer, Compaq, HP, Asus, Mac, etc)
After reading all those comments in forums
After a lot of staying up late overthinking what laptop I should get
(I know.... everyone thinks I overthink things)
I've decided to go with Fujitsu.
Fujitsu has a reputation of making a good quality laptop
(so I read and heard)
Plus it's made in Japan, although the adaptor is made in Indonesia.
but it's all good.

So... I bought the laptop and will see whether or not the reputation is true.

Fujitsu S6510b
Specs :
Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor T8300 (2.40GHz, 3MB L2 cache, 800MHz)
1 Gb RAM + 1 Gb RAM free upgrade.
250 Gb
Graphics Media Accelerator X3100
14.1" WXGA , LED screen, glossy
all others are Bluetooth, Wireless LAN, 1.3 mp camera, DVD writer, etc etc.

Software : Windows XP
Service Pack 2
I'm so scared downloading SP3 will mess everything, so I haven't

Pros:
- It's a Fujitsu, made in Japan... yea I'm still mesmerized by "made in Japan"
although parts are not entirely made in Japan.
- It has Windows XP (downgrade option)
when other laptop manufacturers don't have the downgrade to XP option,
Fujitsu still offers downgrade to XP, though not perfect.
- Nice useable trackpad
- It's very light... only 1.7 kg ? I never weigh it, that's what it says on the website ;p

Cons :
- the Keyboard is kinda wobbly when you type.
But functions well.
- It'd be better if the adaptor has a light indicator.
- the (removeable and very light) DVD+RW looks very fragile and needs a base support (table) when in use.

- since it's not meant for a desktop replacement,
the placement of the USB slots, 56k modem slot, placed on the right hand side, is kinda in the way when using a mouse.

- I honestly prefer a matte screen.
glossy screens is not so comfortable because of the glare, though I've kinda gotten used to it by now.
I said kinda.

- LED screen
gives a slight whitish shine on top and the bottom of the screen,
but after a while, you don't really care about it anymore.

Cons caused by problems :
- Tech support/Service center people not very accurate/helpful, although very friendly.
they say the laptop gets Norman Security Suite (Anti Virus & Personal Firewall)
(they even fax me that info and I called them up and ask them in person about it and they still confirm it)
but I only got the Norman Virus control CD
and the sales guy later said he printed the spec out of the web and fax it to me, so the data is not really accurate.....huh what ? whatever....

- After the free 1Gb RAM update, they forgot to stick the warranty sticker, so I had to return there.

- they didn't find a solution to fix my Omnipass-slow XP problem,
the stoopid sales guy said it's normal to have a slow startup after downgrading and it's gonna be normal on the next start up, I believed him, but it gets worse !!!
It takes up to 1 min 57 seconds to turn on the Laptop, and I haven't installed any programs whatsoever.
so I got back to the service center and they fiddled with it for half a day, including downloading the newest Omnipass driver, but still couldn't fix the problem, they uninstalled the Omnipass which seems to "solve" the problem.
What Fujitsu ? you offer an XP downgrade but mess it up.
and you don't have the NEWEST drivers in your Service Center ?? Aren't you responsible for providing customers with the newest drivers ???
I now have a useless fingerprint sensor,
It's supposed to be able to be used as a scroll function, but mine can't ,so I d/l the correct driver from Fujitsu website and it now can be used to scroll up and down, but it's just annoyingly not precise. I'd prefer a scroll up and down button please.

- they use S6410 driver for my S6510 laptop, but hey it works for most of it.
I don't think they have an accurate up-to-date drivers in their Service Center/Tech support center.

- when I use IE and click on the menu, plus when I go to Fujitsu Lifebook application panel,
weird message display about Quicktouch.exe and CPLKicker.exe, but after clicking yes, there seems to be no problem, I don't use that menu anyway... so I just ignore it.
And No.... the Fujitsu Tech guy didn't resolve that problem either.

- When you downgrade to Windows XP, They don't give you the original XP CD.
that only applies in USA, apparently.
So if anything should happen, *knock on wood* I can bring it to the service center and let them re-install Windows XP.

To think about it, now after almost 6 months owning this Fujitsu S6510 laptop,
The Tech support people are really not helpful at all, though they are nice people and they did try to resolve the problem, just unsuccesfully.
but then again... it is one Service center, so it doesn't really reflect Fujitsu's quality.
and it's probably just my laptop, they told me there are no other similar problems with other people who's purchased the S6510, but they could just be LYING.
Ohh I'm being so nice, I should just refunded the laptop, but hey... I don't think they have a refund policy here, besides I need a laptop to work.

But... so far.... the Fujitsu S6510 has been useful and works well.
If you compare it to other people complaining on the web about their laptops, mine works really well up to now.
Will I buy another Fujitsu ?
I might, but I prefer not to downgrade or upgrade the software.
I'll just stick with whatever software's included so everything's not messed up.
But then again... I don't really want Vista.

So I might get a Macbook next....
But I don't wanna re-learn everything...
Oh...we'll see.
Hopefully my Fujitsu S6510 lasts a long time :)

How to partition your harddisk ?

2009-04-24T13:23:00.000-07:00

So, after finding out that I now have 1 single partition of 80GB.
I wanted to take the HDD out and bring it back to the distributor and ask them to partition it for me.

Or take it out, put it in an external HDD case and partition it using Computer/Disk Management in Windows (never done this before)

But hey... a lot of people are using Partition Magic, and I didn't have to take out my HDD, so I tried it.
There are infact other software, Acronis Disk Director, fdisk, Gparted, Ghost, etc etc.
I choose Partition Magic because it was the one that was available at that time.

So.... I installed Partition Magic 8
Reboot / Restart computer.

Then I go to Partition Magic.
Basically I just followed the instruction to partition my HDD.
Oh okay, I forgot what I did ;p
But since I didn't write down any note on it, it must've been pretty straight forward.

Here's a snap of the pic.
No need to read what's there, once it's running, you can't do anything anyway.

So.......... Partitioning done and one happy me :)

How to change the harddisk of your notebook ?

2009-04-24T13:10:00.001-07:00

A few months ago (Feb 2009), my Acer Ferrari's harddisk drive crashed,
well... it made a cluck cluck sound everytime I turn the laptop on.
I can't go to windows and it says :
file missing/corrupted : (windows root) \systems32\hal.dll
then I went to BIOS, and harddisk is not detected.

So after 4 years of No problems with Acer Ferrari 3000,
I now have a dead hard disk. huhuhu :(
So... I called Acer Tech support again,
they said the hdd is definitely dead, bring it in to replace it.
US$ 65 for 80GB (IDE, 2.5" HDD)
and US$115 for 120 GB (IDE, 2.5" HDD)
They'll give you only 3 months warranty for the new hdd.
So I asked acer what brand of hdd they use ?
They wouldn't say. They actually refuse to tell you what brand they use.
So retarded right ?

But someone in a forum said it was easy to replace your own hdd.
My notebook's not under warranty anymore anyway, so I tried unscrewing the hdd cover on my notebook.
Kinda scared I might wreck it even more , honestly, but hey....
So, I unscrewed it but I didn't know how to pull out the tiny Hard disk out of its place.
I tried pulling the metal thingy, Don't !!!!!
There's a tape/transparent plastic thingy tucked in there, use that tape to pull out the HDD.

This is my first time ever looking at such a tiny 2.5" HDD.
(front and back view)

So 4 years of me is in that little thing ?

So Acer uses Hitachi HDD, big deal !
I don't know why the Tech support was so secretive about that.
It's a Hitachi Travelstar, IDE, 4200 rpm, 2.5" HDD, 60 GB, and it's not working anymore.

So... I bought myself another Hitachi Travelstar, IDE, 5400 rpm, 2,5" HDD, 80GB
It cost around US$52 from a Hitachi Distributor, with 1 year warranty.
So, I didn't only get a cheaper price (US$13 less), I also get a much longer warranty.
Okay...plus a lot of time to learn how to replace a HDD and replace it myself. I was curious anyway, so if time is money to you, well.... you can bring it to Acer, or any computer shop can do it for you.

I wanted to get a bigger HDD capacity, but I read somewhere that the BIOS might not support it. So... 80GB is good enough for me.

So... I replaced the HDD.
turn the notebook on, went to BIOS, new HDD detected.
So I intalled the Operating system (Windows XP) using Acer's Recovery CD.
Done !!!!!!!
Computer running again :)

Only 1 problem though....
I didn't partition the new HDD, there was no option during instalation like you'd get using a Windows XP CD.
So... I now have 1 single partition on 80 GB
woohoooooooooo....................

How to partition a HDD next.

Acer Ferrari Notebook / Laptop

2009-04-24T11:42:00.000-07:00

So....
In 2004, yes dat was a long time ago :P
I bought a new laptop.
Acer Ferrari 3000Lmi
yeayy right....
It was one of the best buy ever, for 4 years at least.

I know people are saying that you should stay away from Acer.
I also heard people saying to get Acer's business line for better quality.
But I bought their top of the line laptop, at that time.
It had Ferrari's logo, so, a lot of responsibility there.

A pic of my Ferrari's notebook ?
ohh... it's sitting right next to me.
I can't be bothered to take a pic and upload it here :P
but it's the shiny red one.
Looks like brand new, coz I took such a good care of it ;p

I finally did take a pic of it :)

oh red color always looks blotchy on low resolution.

Anyhoo....
the laptop / notebook, worked fine for 4 years.
Yup, it ran a bit hot and was a bit loud.
But it never caused me any problems.
Everything is still working fine until now, except that it can't write to CD anymore, but it can still write to DVD.
It's gotten a bit slow over the years, due to a lot of programs there and of course, compared to the Core2Duo or the quad core, well.... it's quite slow. *wow I'm being so polite*

I got it with Norton antivirus preinstalled, and Windows XP.
I got a Virus once, yes Norton was running, I then installed Mcafee and problems solved.

I rarely use the battery, so I took it out on the second month and put it in my drawer.
then everytime I wanna use it, the battery seems to last less and less.
And it's totally dead now.
I don't even use the battery that much.
My sis got a 7 year old Asus notebook, battery always attached no matter what, and now the battery still gives for an hour or so.

Anyway, my Acer notebook was kinda slow about 2 years ago.
so I wanted to reformat it.
by reformat, I meant re-install XP using their Recovery Disc.
I don't know if it's the right terms, but you get the point.
So... I called Acer tech support, every guy that I asked on how to reformat my notebook myself was telling me to just bring the laptop in because it was too complicated to do it myself or saying how I might delete essential files, etc etc.
They refuse to advice me on how to reformat the laptop myself.
Anyhooooo..........
That's when I turn to the internet.
I emailed Acer's representative on like 5 different countries to get responses about how bad their tech support guy was.
and I went to forums to find out how to do it myself.

Finally I reformatted the laptop myself anyway.
It was so easy to do, it took I don't know 1 hour ? 2 hours ? I forgot.
But I reformatted it and re-installed all programs.

Anyway...
Acer responded via email and a supervisor of their tech support or whatever, emailed me back and apologized and offered to assist me in my problems.
D'oh... my problems solved anyway.... he should just tell the tech support people to actually "support" instead of advicing people to bring in their laptops to Acer service center.

There....

So... will I ever buy Acer notebook/laptop again ?
I dunno, I might , but only their top of the line products, though.

My Acer Ferrari 3000Lmi
Pros :
- No problems in 4 years.
It's still working now, my mum uses it to browse the internet, but mostly it's just sitting there.
- Pre-installed Antivirus wasn't really protecting me from viruses.
- Although a bit hot and loud, it's still tolerable.

Cons :
- Battery life is short.
- CD-DVD writer won't write to cd anymore.
- Tech support is so so.
- The letters on the keyboard are disappearing, they don't stick well.

My How to Tech 5

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other stuff

My How to Tech 4

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other stuff

My How to Tech 3

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other stuff

My How to Tech 2

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other stuff

My How to Tech 1

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other stuff

Terms and Conditions

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Yup... I'm just as clueless as you are, well, maybe a little bit smarter than .....
just a bit though.... anyhoo....

There are links to a third party websites on MyhowtoTech.com
I do not guarantee their site to be free of virus, bugs and errors.
Surf safely and it's good to always have a Anti Virus installed and running.

MyhowtoTech.com contains my opinions (suggestions, recommendations, ideas, reviews, etc)
Those are my personal opinions, and I'm not responsible for anything that might arise out of your actions based on my opinions and in connection with the use of or the reliance upon any information, content, goods or services available on or through any third party Web ites or linked resources.

Always double check, always becareful on the internet :P

Copyright
All Contents (photos / artworks / articles / other data or information) presented on the myhowtoTech.com site are copyrighted by myhowtoTech.com and their respective owner and may not be copied, published (or otherwise made public) or modified without written consent from myhowtoTech.com and their respective owner. You should assume that everything you see or read on this site is copyrighted unless otherwise noted.

Links

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forum.notebookreview.com
A lot of notebook reviews,
People in the forum helps you out in choosing which notebooks to buy.
A very useful informative site :)

FAQ

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Frequently Asked Questions

About MyHowtoTech

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About Me

Ok, this About me page is the same with MyHowtoLife Blog,
except it's for Tech stuff....
How to this n that when your harddisk crash
What to do when you get a virus
How to fix your super slow computers
It depends on what happens to me,
hopefully none of the above, ever again !!! arrgghh

and some product review, stuff that I have, stuff that are in my wish list.
stuff that I'll never buy again, stuff that I'll buy again.

Plus,
I really do take care of my stuff
I'm the person who is "watch it, dun scratch it, dun drop it, yada yada yada .... "
my sis is ready to kill me for dat ;p
so you know all my reviews are not about complaints
about products that has been abused/misused by users,
My reviews are all about the product's quality :)

and yup... I'm just as clueless as you are,
but I'm sharing it anyway ;D

so here's the-almost-same-with-MyHowtoLife-blog "About me" for My How to Tech Blog

You know how sometimes you wanna ask someone something
but you're embarassed that the questions is too dumb too ask
so you google it
and you're relieved when you finally find answers on the net
from someone who actually asks the same quesions.
or you feel even better when someone asks an even dumber question.
Hey, you're not dat dumb after all. :P

Well,
Since what I find to be useful for me might also be useful for others.
So, Instead of just saving stuff I find on the net to my computer.
I'm putting it here in My How to Tech Blog.
so everything's organized, labeled, etc etc. *yup still for my benefit*
But I'm learning to share, you see. ;p

So here's My How-tos in Tech life and stuff
It's here for my own purpose,
and If it helps you in anyway, then I'm happy for you.

myhowtotech [@] gmail [dot] com

My How to Tech

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