Chewbacca Defense posted:What wi/ll/ happen is /that /ever/y/ /now/ a/nd then the bac//k/slahs/ starts going crazy and/ ty//po////i//n/g /by// itself./ Th/is took/ //1/0 m/ins /t//o//// /////t//////y///////p///e//./ Can you rebind the forward slash key to a heart or something. Would be way less annoying than what you've got now.
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Jun 18, 2012 22:05
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To update my issue from earlier today, I have been able to fully load Windows twice now. The first time I was able to work for approximately 20 minutes before the screen blacked out. Subsequent reboots resulted in the same issue of random characters and blue lines all over my screen. I played around in Safe Mode for a while and after a good 15 attempts of rebooting and re-installing the drivers, I am now back in full Windows mode. I did notice that the latest version of my driver was released on 09/05/2007 and should be version 7.15.11.128-20070724. It may be found at: http://esupport.sony.com/US/p/swu-download.pl?mdl=VGNSZ691N&upd_id=2984&os_group_id=10 But my Device Manager shows this:  If I try to update the driver via the prompt above, I am told that I am already running the most recent version. If I download the driver from the Sony web-site and install, I still just end up with 7.5.11.128 released on 05/11/2007. I've tried downloading the driver from a few links on the Sony web-site but they install version 7.5.11.128. Any thoughts? My current version still isn't stable considering how many times I had to go through the install/reboot sequences.
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Jun 19, 2012 03:19
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That means that Sony took two months to rework the driver and two more months to certify it, and that you probably should never buy another Sony laptop because they're consistently bad at providing driver updates and making hardware increasingly proprietary for no good reason.
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Jun 19, 2012 03:27
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Factory Factory posted:That means that Sony took two months to rework the driver and two more months to certify it, and that you probably should never buy another Sony laptop because they're consistently bad at providing driver updates and making hardware increasingly proprietary for no good reason. Don't worry. My girlfriend's uncle gifted it to her. We've both moved onto OSX but I took this Sony out of storage so that I can play some Windows games. But back to the issue at hand, the original version of the driver is 7.15.11.128 which is what my Device Manager shows. It doesn't show the 7.15.11.128-20070724 version. Which makes me think that I don't have the latest driver installed. Am I correct in this? And if so, how I can I manually force the install? Or perhaps more basically, how I can I find the 20070724 version if the one Sony has on its website only installs the basic 7.15.11.128 version?
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Jun 19, 2012 03:57
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That's the same driver, 20070724 is the date they were released (which is different from the signing date Windows displays).
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Jun 19, 2012 04:11
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I'm pretty sure that is the latest driver. If it's just a patch to an Nvidia-provided driver, the Nvidia version number wouldn't change. If you want to be absolutely certain, uninstall the driver completely, reboot the computer, run Driver sweeper, reboot the computer again, and then install the drivers you want. As there will be literally no other video drivers, what you install will be what you get.
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Jun 19, 2012 04:13
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Thank you both. The Sony laptop hasn't gone into black screen mode since my post some two hours ago. Hopefully it stays strong.
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Jun 19, 2012 04:20
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Can anyone recommend a cheap, dependable soundcard. The only catch is that it must have Stereomix. I tried a Creative P.O.S. the other day, but I had to return it because Stereomix wasn't available.
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Jun 19, 2012 05:37
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Asus Xonar DG. Some people have issues with the stereo mix disappearing in Windows 7, and other minor driver issues are also common, but the hardware is solid, the sound quality is amazing for the price, and it is indeed cheap.
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Jun 19, 2012 05:53
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Factory Factory posted:Asus Xonar DG. Some people have issues with the stereo mix disappearing in Windows 7, and other minor driver issues are also common, but the hardware is solid, the sound quality is amazing for the price, and it is indeed cheap. The catch is it's PCI only. There's a newly-released PCIe version, however, called Xonar DGX which is only about $10 more and other than the bus, there's no difference as far as I'm aware. Either way, I'm echoing the recommendation; the value is excellent.
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Jun 19, 2012 05:57
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I'm looking for a program to verify hdd integrity before I transfer this disc to a new build.
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Jun 19, 2012 06:04
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Thanks for the recommendation, guys. As long as the bastard has Stereomix, I'm happy. I'll probably grab the PCIe version. Are there any solutions known for stereomix disappearing?
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Jun 19, 2012 06:05
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Narzack posted:Thanks for the recommendation, guys. As long as the bastard has Stereomix, I'm happy. I'll probably grab the PCIe version. Are there any solutions known for stereomix disappearing? I dunno. All I know is that problem came up when I was a-Googlin' to make sure it has stereo mix, because I'm far too lazy to move six feet off this couch to check on my desktop.
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Jun 19, 2012 06:08
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Narzack posted:Thanks for the recommendation, guys. As long as the bastard has Stereomix, I'm happy. I'll probably grab the PCIe version. Are there any solutions known for stereomix disappearing? I have never experienced anything like this. Stero mix has worked like a dream for the year or so I've had my DG. The drivers are a bit funky, whether you use the official ones or the unofficial, so-called Unified drivers, installation sometimes fails, the control panel sometimes crashes, but mostly it's hassle-free. Some rough edges can be expected from a card that cheap.
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Jun 19, 2012 06:27
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Pan Ache posted:I'm looking for a program to verify hdd integrity before I transfer this disc to a new build. If you want to check the filesystem, chkdsk. If you want to see whether the drive is showing signs of failure, CrystalDiskInfo. But, if you've got some other reason to suspect it, treat it as dying no matter what CDI says. Not all drive failures show up in SMART statistics.
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Jun 19, 2012 06:51
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I need some advice on a headphone and speaker amp for my computer setup. I am not very knowledgeable about audio, but I like decent sound. I use a Creative X-Fi XtremeMusic card, Altec Lansing MX 5021 speakers, and Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro headphones. My current setup is that the speakers are plugged directly into the 3.5mm stereo output of the XtremeMusic card, and when I use headphones, they are plugged into the audio controller that controls volume, treble, and bass (the standard type of controller that comes with most computer speakers). One issue is that the headphone audio degrades when run through this controller; when plugged directly into the 3.5mm output of the sound card, the audio is noticeably cleaner. I'd like to upgrade my speakers to the Corsair SP2500 (or another similar 2.1 speaker system) and add an amplifier. This amplifier must accept a 3.5mm input from the sound card and be able to provide 3.5mm output for both the speakers and the headphones at the same time. Basically, it must have at least one 3.5mm input for the sound card and at least two 3.5mm outputs for the speakers and headphones, as well as a volume control knob for each. I also want this amplifier to do more than provide audio to multiple sources -- I primarily want it to make my music and games sound better. My budget is up to $300, but I'd also like to be reasonable in what I buy; an amp that costs $100 more but sounds 10% better is not worth it to me, even if it's within my budget. I don't know what these types of amps are called, and which ones simply split signals and which ones actually improve audio quality. Also, I realize that some amps have 1/4" holes instead of 1/8" ones, so as long as I can use an adapter, the holes can be any size that can accommodate or be transformed to accommodate a standard (green-colored) analog 3.5mm plug. Specifically, I am looking for an amp like this, but one that will make the audio sound cleaner, crisper, and better. As you can see, it has an 1/4" input for the sound card four 1/4" outputs for the headphones and speakers (I would only need two, though). Would this more expensive one work for my purposes?
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Jun 20, 2012 01:13
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Space Gopher posted:If you want to check the filesystem, chkdsk. My 5 year old Radeon 4870 is crashing its drivers randomly and a few software fixes (driversweeper + newest drivers) have so far increased its stability. I'm still confident it is the weak link right now but between crashes I've reason to believe this old hdd could be contributing. So I'll try CDI and see if it gives me any ideas, thanks.
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Jun 20, 2012 02:45
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booseek posted:I need some advice on a headphone and speaker amp for my computer setup. I'm not the board's biggest audio geek, but I'm going to suggest a slightly different route: Your headphones are well more than fine, but they need a headphone amp to sound good due to their high resistance. The rest of your equipment... Computer audio sucks. As in, audio parts marketed to computer users suck. X-Fi audio is a step above integrated audio, but the claims made by Creative about the cards' quality are filled with audiophile bullshit. And the overwhelming majority of computer-marketed speakers blow goats: either they're boomy and bass-heavy with terrible detail in highs and mids, or they are tinny and screechy. As I am typing this, I am loving loathing the Logitech 2.1 set hooked up to my HTPC. There are very, very few exceptions to the "computer audio sucks" rule. I don't know all of them. There's a thread in A/V Arena where people discuss them. But here's the best bang for your buck in terms of faithful reproduction of sound and flat response:
Best of all, compared to computer speakers and X-Fi cards, this stuff isn't that expensive for the sound quality difference.
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Jun 20, 2012 03:39
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I have a question and it may prove to me that I'm dumb. Most motherboards I've used for the last 4 or so years have a total of four RAM slots in a pattern like BLUE BLACK BLUE BLACK. I've also been buying dual channel RAM to use in my computers for about as long. Now, I was just running MemTest86+ on the new RAM I got to replace what was some bad stuff. MemTest told me I was in single channel, but I thought I had dual channel? Then it dawned on me, to put both of my identical sticks of ram in the matching color slots. To get dual channel to work, do you put the sticks in the matching colors, like BLUE/BLUE or BLACK/BLACK? Also, is it possible that memTest gives false positives? It says I have one error/fault on this brand new ram I just put in.
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Jun 20, 2012 17:21
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The answer is to check your motherboard's manual, because it's not actually consistent from manufacturer to manufacturer. For example, on my Asus P8P67 Pro, you install DIMMs in the same-color slots, but they're arranged BLUE BLACK BLUE BLACK, so that's actually slots 1+3 and slots 2+4.
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Jun 20, 2012 17:56
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Anyone have any opinions on WHDI devices like these: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=whdi Seems like a pretty good way to play controller enabled PC games on the big screen, but I'm curios if anyone has any personal experience using something like this.
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Jun 20, 2012 18:09
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Factory Factory posted:The answer is to check your motherboard's manual, because it's not actually consistent from manufacturer to manufacturer. For example, on my Asus P8P67 Pro, you install DIMMs in the same-color slots, but they're arranged BLUE BLACK BLUE BLACK, so that's actually slots 1+3 and slots 2+4. Meanwhile in my motherboard you have to install them into two specific slots (A2 and B2). They are still color coded, but if you do A1 and B1 instead it gets angry at you. So yeah. Look at your motherboard manual.
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Jun 20, 2012 18:39
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Factory Factory posted:The answer is to check your motherboard's manual, because it's not actually consistent from manufacturer to manufacturer. For example, on my Asus P8P67 Pro, you install DIMMs in the same-color slots, but they're arranged BLUE BLACK BLUE BLACK, so that's actually slots 1+3 and slots 2+4. Fair enough. My motherboard is an Asus P8Z77-V, and it suggests putting the ram in the blue DIMM slots for overclocking. I don't plan on overclocking the ram, but the gist I got from the memory section is blue is better.
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Jun 20, 2012 18:39
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Page 2-5.
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Jun 20, 2012 18:46
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Is there any reason for Nvidia/ATI to continue building 32bit drivers in the next year? 2 Years? You can't even buy an OEM computer with 32bit windows these days and probably even less so when windows 8 comes out. I'm not saying they should stop but just curious how many people out there over the next year will be running 32bit Windows7/8 AND have the latest GPUs.
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Jun 20, 2012 19:23
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There are people in this world who will build an 8-core AMD system with 16 GB of RAM and stick a Radeon 7970 or two in it, and then install Windows XP. These people tend to yell loudly and sound persuasive to the uninformed. So there's your reason.
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Jun 20, 2012 19:26
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Factory Factory posted:There are people in this world who will build an 8-core AMD system with 16 GB of RAM and stick a Radeon 7970 or two in it, and then install Windows XP. These people tend to yell loudly and sound persuasive to the uninformed. So there's your reason. Why? What are they running in XP because aren't all the cool new games and apps dropping XP support?
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Jun 20, 2012 19:28
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Shaocaholica posted:Why? What are they running in XP because aren't all the cool new games and apps dropping XP support? Hey man. Call of Duty still works on XP. So does Counter Strike.
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Jun 20, 2012 19:34
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The whole system. As in, there's no dual-booting going on. The logic goes something like "Newer versions take too much resources, so gently caress you." Thankfully, Windows 7 has reduced this kinda crap, but according to the Steam Hardware Survey, almost 14% of May 2012 surveyed systems pair a DX10/DX11 GPU with Windows XP. Remember that Windows XP supports neither DX10 nor DX11.
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Jun 20, 2012 19:35
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Factory Factory posted:Page 2-5. You're agreeing with me, right? Or are you being cryptic about something I'm not seeing?
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Jun 20, 2012 19:54
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Wow, steam hardware survey reports a huge number of Win7-32, Vista and XP installs.
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Jun 20, 2012 19:56
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Aziraphale posted:You're agreeing with me, right? Or are you being cryptic about something I'm not seeing? Extended version: "Page 2-5 has the information you want. I didn't read it; I'm not even sure why I downloaded the manual to look it up. But do what page 2-5 says."
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Jun 20, 2012 20:02
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Shaocaholica posted:Is there any reason for Nvidia/ATI to continue building 32bit drivers in the next year? 2 Years? Some people still have older computers.
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Jun 20, 2012 20:09
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Install Gentoo posted:Some people still have older computers. Do any 32bit only machines out there need new GPUs? Thats what the old drivers are for. Chances are they aren't even fixing or optimizing stuff for older GPUs anyway so its not like you'll much of anything with newer drivers for older GPUs. Old enough to be in a 32bit restricted system.
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Jun 20, 2012 21:44
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Shaocaholica posted:Do any 32bit only machines out there need new GPUs? Yes, probably. quote:Thats what the old drivers are for. Chances are they aren't even fixing or optimizing stuff for older GPUs anyway so its not like you'll much of anything with newer drivers for older GPUs. Old enough to be in a 32bit restricted system. You realize that Windows 2000 was still supported by new nVidia drivers up til 2010, and new AMD drivers until 2007 right? It's more than a little early to drop support for 32 bit.
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Jun 20, 2012 22:43
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Would I have difficulty fitting a new motherboard and other components in an Antec Sonata case from 2004?
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Jun 20, 2012 22:45
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Install Gentoo posted:You realize that Windows 2000 was still supported by new nVidia drivers up til 2010, and new AMD drivers until 2007 right? It's more than a little early to drop support for 32 bit. Its a bit of a catch 22. Who's using WinXP, Vista32 and Win7-32 that really needs GPU driver 'support' beyond what's already out there? Coporations? Education? People running office apps won't. Digital content creation has mostly if not entirely switched to 64bit. Edu-Science/Engineering is a mixed bag but I would guess they need 64bit more than anyone else for the memory. Whats left? Home users?
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Jun 21, 2012 00:05
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Shaocaholica posted:Its a bit of a catch 22. Who's using WinXP, Vista32 and Win7-32 that really needs GPU driver 'support' beyond what's already out there? Coporations? Education? People running office apps won't. Digital content creation has mostly if not entirely switched to 64bit. Edu-Science/Engineering is a mixed bag but I would guess they need 64bit more than anyone else for the memory. Whats left? Home users? Games are still being released now that run on 32 bit XP, new cards are still being released that support 32 bit. If both of those end tomorrow it'd still be only fair to support those for another few years. Steam hardware survey, which is a pretty reliable source of info on the computers people who need video driver updates run, says that 34% of users are still on a 32 bit version of Windows!
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Jun 21, 2012 01:03
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Install Gentoo posted:Steam hardware survey, which is a pretty reliable source of info on the computers people who need video driver updates run, says that 34% of users are still on a 32 bit version of Windows! Thats what I meant by a catch 22. Besides, whats the worst that would happen if 32bit graphics driver support ended right now? Gamers would be stuck with whatever drivers as of mid 2012. Big whoop. People would whine for a bit, realize 32bit is dead and upgrade.
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Jun 21, 2012 01:52
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Shaocaholica posted:Thats what I meant by a catch 22. Besides, whats the worst that would happen if 32bit graphics driver support ended right now? Gamers would be stuck with whatever drivers as of mid 2012. Big whoop. People would whine for a bit, realize 32bit is dead and upgrade. That's not a catch 22 at all. What would happen is things would be broken for people buying stuff right now, which is not acceptable. 64 bit computers didn't become the majority until the beginning of last year. It is simply unacceptable to lock your customers out this early. It's a good thing people like you aren't in charge of driver releases at the gpu companies!
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Jun 21, 2012 02:07
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