Hardware

Infopackets Reader Josh T. writes: " I was wondering if your could help me. I just burned some MP3s using Windows Media Player [WMP] onto a CD-RW disc. The CD seems to play in my computer's CD drive using WMP, but when I try playing the CD in my ... stereo's CD player or on my portable CD: neither will detect the disc. Is there any advices or tips you can give me to solve this problem? " My response: The reason why your .MP3 CD won't play in your stereo or portable CD player is simply because neither of these devices can read your CD-RW [re-writable] disc. The disc you burned can only ... (view more)

Are DVD backups illega l? On February 20th, "a federal court has ruled that 321 Studios must stop making software that allows users to copy DVDs ... [The] St. Louis-based [company] said it would appeal the ruling by Judge Susan Illston of U.S. ... District Court in San Francisco ... [The court] has barred 321 from selling its DVD copying software within one week [ending February 27th, 2004]. " (Source: Reuters.com ). Despite the ruling, "321 stands firm ... to fight the Hollywood Studios in their effort to take away our customers' digital rights,' said Robert Moore, Founder and ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Ronald O. writes: " My computer has crashed a few times and I have lost everything from the hard drive. What can I do to retrieve all my files on the hard drive? Please help! " My response: If the drive still works and detects ... under Windows but your files are missing, you can attempt to repair your master boot record (if it's damaged) by booting into DOS (from a DOS disk) and use the command "FDISK.EXE /MBR". Side note: The Master Boot Record [MBR] is located at the beginning of the hard drive. This part of the hard drive is referred to as the boot ... (view more)

Last newsletter, Infopackets Reader Brad B. asked if there was a way to import and print a list of filenames contained in a folder using an MS DOS command. Since then, I have received a number of comments from Readers with alternative solutions. ... Infopackets Reader Sam T. writes: " In your newsletter dated Feb 4, 2004, a reader (Brad B.) was looking for a program that would print the contents of a directory. There is a fabulous freebie program that does the job and it runs in Windows instead of a command line interface. The program name is called LS - File List Generator and I have found ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Brad B. writes: " Dear Dennis, I would like to create a text document which contains a list of my files in a directory. I asked a techie friend of mine how to do it, and he told me to open up an MS DOS Window and use the command: ... 'dir *.* > list.txt' I did that but my file names aren't showing up in full. Can you help?" Side note: MS DOS is the predecessor to Windows. The MS DOS prompt provides an optional way to access or modify files through a command line interface. An MS DOS command prompt can be opened by clicking Start -> Programs -> MSDOS, or if ... (view more)

Have you ever wondered how to convert VHS or camcorder video to DVD using your home PC? Die Hard Infopackets Reader Ric J. writes: " I was wondering if you could tell me a good CD / DVD burner program to use? Right now I'm using Roxio Easy CD ... Creator 6 and am having a lot of problems with it ... The problem I'm having is that every time I try to burn a DVD from the Video Camcorder, [Roxio] keeps telling me that my project is too big and won't fit on the disc. I have contacted Roxio in the past and they have acknowledged that there is a bug in the software. That was 8 months ago and I'm ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader 'Pigginbabe' writes: " Hi, I really like your newsletter and it has really helped me a lot when I sometimes have problems. Question: A while ago, my hard drive went on me and I lost emails that I wanted to keep. Is there any way ... of getting these back? " My response: If the hard drive is completely toast (I.E.: if it won't power up / detect during boot up), then you won't be able to retrieve any data unless you mailed the drive away to a data-recovery company -- which is probably very expensive. However, if the drive still detects under BIOS and still appears under ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader LaVerne B. writes: " Approximately two months ago my computer suddenly stopped recognizing my D Drive. What should I do to correct this problem?? I have tried uninstalling and reinstalling the hardware; however, I still have the ... predicament! " My response: This sounds like it might be a hardware problem. What I am about to suggest may not be the most 'correct' answer, but will surely set you in the right direction. Having said that, here are some probable reasons as to why your drive is no longer working: The drive is not configured / plugged in properly. The BIOS ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader 'Ppeltscott' writes: " Hello! I have an HP pavillion model number 743g and it has 512mb of DDR memory [RAM]. I was just on Hewlett Packard's web site to see how much RAM I could put in my machine, and it said that my particular ... model uses 3 different RAM types: 200mts, 266mts, and 333mts. Does this mean that I can use the 333mts [PC2700 DDR] instead of the 266mts [PC2100 DDR]? Thanks for any input. " My response: The short answer is that you need to match the existing type of RAM inside your machine. A very simple way to find out the speed rating of your current ... (view more)

To me, Christmas time means reminiscing with great holiday songs from the past. Each year I visit my folks, it's customary to hear the sweet melodies of Bing Crosby played on the record player. For some, the static and the pops heard while a record ... plays are part of the nostalgia. However, the truth is that over time, records and cassette tapes deteriorate and the quality of sound diminishes. Dealing with Digital Media on a regular basis, quite often I'm asked how to convert records and cassettes to a more versatile format. Converting old records and cassettes to digital formats is a labor of ... (view more)