My laptop was purchased back in 2007 and upgraded to the 8400M graphics system instead of using the default Intel GMA because of light gaming requirements. A year into its use, it began to develop some quirks such as laptop restarting itself, corrupted display, etc. The charger/battery also died soon after.

A few weeks ago, the entire laptop died. Booting it gives a blank display although I could still hear the fans and hard disk functioning normally. Devastated, I contacted Dell and they told me since my laptop is out of warranty, I have no option but to either pay to have the motherboard replaced, or to get an extended warranty to the tune of RM1000 and then have the motherboard replaced for free under warranty.

I was not happy with the outcome because a laptop should definitely be expected to last more than just a mere 2 years so I did a Google search and stumbled upon the core of the problem: The NVIDIA Defect. This problem first surfaced in late 2008 and affected laptops that have the NVIDIA graphics chip. A total of 10 laptops from Dell are affected and they are:

Other laptop manufacturers such as HP and Gateway also have similar problems. The common problem is that all these laptops have an NVIDIA graphics chip inside.

The problem stemmed from NVIDIA’s engineering fault which caused the graphics chip to operate at abnormally high temperatures. Error in the substrate chemicals used also resulted in the thermal cycles that will lead to the chip detaching itself eventually from the motherboard, thus leading to the ‘blank’ display problem.

Dell have acknowledged the problem and have offered a 1 Year Limited Extended Warranty to cover this defect, and they have also issued a BIOS fix, which forces the fans of the laptop to run at maximum speed for longer periods of the time to cool the laptop down. This led to a very noisy fan with low battery life, certainly not what you expect from the laptop when you first purchased it.

When I found out about this issue, I was very upset and called Dell up and demanded that they do something about the problem. All they did was apologize for the problem and offered me the RM1000 warranty extension and that there is nothing else they could do to me. I threatened to escalate the problem to the Consumer Tribunal but their position did not change. The person on the support line even said, “So are we expected to replace the motherboards of everybody who complained?”. Damn right, if you sold them with a defect!

Regardless, I went to the Consumer Tribunal and got the forms. There are 4 copies that need to be filled. I called Dell again and asked for the name of the person that I should write on the form so that the summons can be served to them. A female came on the line and we danced through the whole issue again, with me complaining about the problem. After putting me on hold for three times, she told me there was nothing she could do to help me because my computer is out of warranty and the system would just reject any request she made to issue me a repair.

I told her fine, just give me the address and name of the person I should serve the summons to. She gave me the address of Dell in Penang but did not offer a name. After I insisted, she put me on hold once more. When she came back on, she told me there’s no need to put a name, but she has conferred with ‘upper management’ and they have decided to give me a free replacement of my motherboard for this issue, because apparently I have never claimed warranty so presumably the money I paid for the warranty will be used to cover this one time fix.

So the moral of the story is, if you have experienced a similar issue, please do not lose hope and try phoning to Dell and demand them to fix your FAULTY/DEFECTIVE laptop. If it doesn’t work, try using the Tribunal to pressure them, and if need be, take the case directly to the Tribunal because no company should be able to sell you a defective product and offer a 1 year extended warranty expecting that is sufficient to cover the problem, especially when the laptop WILL fail, just a matter of how long. I am now happily waiting for Monday for a Dell representative to come over and fix my computer.

If you want to confirm the problem, start the laptop while holding down the ‘D’ key and your laptop screen should flash different colours (confirming its not a LCD problem). Then restart the system holding down the ‘Fn’ and ‘Start’ button and after 5 minutes, the laptop should give a loud beep. That’s how the Dell personnel confirmed the defective chip.

….millions of people depend on Windows Vista software. While Windows dominate the market, feedback about Vista has been less than impressive. One of the key reasons is the fact that while you may have a PC with the minimum system requirements, excess codes from its graphics and utilities would reduce the performance of your pc. Another irritating fact about vista is the fact that many applications cannot work without a vendor update. Imagine the horror one goes through when basic applications like anti-virus, CD burning tools and even browser tools like Firefox require updates to be able to work. To add to one’s misery, Vista is also a favourite target for malware authors!

Nightmare of Windows user

Besides that, Vista’s 64-bit versions complicate matters further by prohibiting any drivers besides the signed ones for kernel mode installation. Even via system administrators to override this feature is an uphill task. Another reason why Vista users are frustrated is the fact that it has a flawed memory protection system that can be easily bypassed! With a weak file backup, problems arise when you attempt to backup files unless it is thought to be part of the operating system.

Premium Price, Hopeless Performance

For the price paid, many of the features Vista offers to its users are a nuisance that do nothing but slow down the computer. These include the rather redundant Super Fetch and even background services like Web Client and PnP-X IP Bus Enumerator Service to name a few. It is rather amusing to know that the software has many features that makes it not only annoying but unproductive!

Last but definitely not the least is the fact that Vista is guarded by a rather severe licensing system that allows allows the transfer of the license only once. This is a fact that many of us overlook when reading the terms and conditions. Value for money? Likely not!

So goobye Windows Vista, so long, farewell, adieu… . RIP

XP Mode is Windows 7’s new way of integrating a virtualization experience directly into the operating system. In the past, it was cumbersome to set up a virtual computer and required some special knowledge that most users are not bothered to learn. As a result, Vista which broke certain applications that only worked on XP earned the wrath of many a consumer. It might be a case of too little too late, but XP Mode for Win 7 attempts to make using virtual computers a seamless environment for legacy applications.

Virtualization Technology

One caveat to XP Mode is that your processor needs to support Virtualization Technology, and most AMD processors have this support enabled as a default so it will not be a problem for you. Unfortunately for Intel processors, only certain models have VT, and most of them are disabled by default in the computer BIOS. If you are running Intel, it is highly advised that you Google your processor’s compatibility with VT. Intel had a quirky way of working out which class of their processors support VT, and you may find it surprising that some of their high end quad core models DO NOT have VT.

Nevertheless, once you have enabled VT support from the BIOS, it is a simple matter of downloading and installing Virtual PC and XP Mode from this torrent.

The new XP mode supports the following features:

• USB device support
• Seamless application publishing and launching
• Support for multi-threads
• Clipboard sharing
• Printer redirection
• Smart card redirection
• Drive sharing
• Integration with Windows Explorer
• Known folder integration between host and guest
• Support for higher resolution
• Requires AMD-V or Intel-VT CPU features
• Integration with XP Mode

It’s definitely a virtual computer system done right, as the seamless integration means you won’t notice that the application is running within a virtual computer. It will just pop up and behave more or less exactly like it is running natively on your Windows 7.  However, note that XP Mode is only available for Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate.

Why XP Mode?

Why run XP Mode? Besides offering you a way to run applications that wouldn’t run using Windows 7 XP Compatibility Mode, you can also use this to run 32-bit versions of applications from a 64-bit computer. An example of this would be engineering software like CATIA, which refuses to run on a 64-bit system unless you purchase the proper version of it.

Happy downloading and good luck with Windows 7.

Ever since Windows 7 Beta leaked out, people have sung praises for the OS, citing its speedy interface and stability as a welcome change to Vista’s problems. This was then succeeded by a wildly successful Windows 7 RC1 release, which gave tech enthusiasts around the world a chance to download and try out a Release Candidate, which simply means giving us a peek into the world of Windows 7 without having to spend a single cent. The RC generated a lot of positive feedback and no doubt helped propel Windows 7 into the almost mythic status of being the panacea to absolve Microsoft of the messy negative vibe of Windows Vista.

Nonetheless, the RC had its own bugs here and there, one of which I encountered is very poor Java compatibility turning my system to a complete crawl if I leave it on for too long. However, since RC1, there have been many builds released by Microsoft as they try to catch a July deadline where they will release the code to manufacturing.

This is done because OEM computer builders like Dell and Acer will have time to install the operating system into their tens of thousands of computers they will inevitably sell. Releasing the OS to big companies like these allow them some breathing space to tweak their systems and make sure Windows 7 is running with the best experience possible for customers.

And so Microsoft has finally announced Windows 7’s RTM status today, with the code to be released in the next few days to manufacturers around the world. Expect pirates to leak a copy of the RTM code soon, although Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) people have said that build 16385 is the RTM version and you can already download it from torrent sites all over the web. However, there may be some slight changes here and there, so it’s probably wiser to just wait for the ‘officially leaked’ RTM version which will appear on file sharing sites anytime now.

However, there will probably be some problems with trying to activate these RTM versions of Windows illegally. First of all, it is quite obvious that if you were to get your hands on a leaked RTM copy and activate it, Microsoft would immediately know you are a pirate simply because Windows 7 is not supposed to be in the hands of the general public until October. Can you say ‘kill switch‘?. Secondly, there are no known ways of cracking the activation sequence currently, and pirates have so far only tried the ‘rearm’ trick to extend your grace activation period for 30 days when it expires.

Anyway, enjoy the news and expect to hear the OS hacked before long. After all, Windows 7 is based on Vista, and I think vistaloader can easily be adapted to activate Microsoft’s latest OS.

Integrates with Google Docs

That’s exactly what Offisync offers you, along with other Google-friendly integrations that strive to make your Office experience that much more productive. The first big feature of Offisync is integration with Google Docs.

This allows you to save your work directly into Google’s servers and opens up the ability to have collaborative editing performed at the same time on one document. It also means that you can have access to any of your Office documents anywhere you go as long as you have an Internet connection: very handy if you are prone to be forced to work from areas that does not have Office installed, or in printing rooms.

Integrated Search

The integration means that all your documents will be instantly search-able via Google’s powerful search algorithms, useful if you have many documents saved.  The best feature is that you can directly search Google Image repositories from within Office itself through the Clipart interface, saving you the need to switch between applications. With a click of a button, the image is immediately downloaded and pasted into your document. It is truly a very convenient method to encourage you to add more pictures to your document to make it more lively.

The program is available here and is currently in Beta, although it is already pretty stable to be used in production environments.

Check out the following Offisync video demo.

At first glance, FBackup looks like a rudimentary piece of backup software. You tell it what to backup, where and how often to do so and it will chug along merrily on its way. The settings are pretty short and simple to understand and it does the job nicely.

What sets FBackup apart from the rest of the pack is the powerful plugin manager it has, allowing you to expand the capabilities beyond performing simple backups of directories.

Plugins

Plugins allow you to extend FBackup to easily back up specific applications to capture all the settings and personalizations that you may have performed during the course of using an application. For example, if you use Windows Live Messenger a lot, chances are you already have a lot of emoticons saved up but when you reformat, all those settings are typically lost, unless you are computer savvy enough to know where Messenger stores all the settings and other information, usually scattered all over your hard disk in various folders.

With FBackup, you simply load the plugin for Messenger and it will instruct FBackup on exactly where and what customization files to backup in addition to the application files. You end up with an exact copy of the app complete with all the settings ready to be restored.

Mind that if you are restoring into a recently reformatted computer, you may need to reinstall the application from an installer first AND THEN restore the settings from FBackup, as FBackup only backs up the files but not the registry settings.

We are still far away from a point where you can backup all your apps and restore them back to a fresh computer complete with all your customized settings. Nevertheless, this method ensures that you have all the files and data safely backed up.

There are a host of plugins available (for free) from the creators of FBackup and they range from email clients, internet applications, audio and multimedia and others. It maybe a chore hunting down all the plugins you need, so perhaps in the future FBackup can detect installed applications and automatically downloads the required plugins.

Even without the automated procedure, FBackup is no doubt a powerful backup solution that is unique in its class. In the age where hard disk size are growing exponentially, it makes little sense to make a 1 to 1 copy of your entire hard disk and FBackup ensures you have all your important and necessary files with you at all times, with none of the bloat. This lean way of making backups makes perfect sense for those with limited hard drive space while those who don’t practice regular backups should be ready for the possibility that there may be a chance for a catastrophic data disaster event. Are you sure you are ready if that happens?

We often see in movies scenes, illogical sometimes, involving a person facing a problem of having to guess the password to the villian’s computer. Usually there are some creative ways employed that gives the hero inspiration for guessing the correct password, such as glimpses into the villian’s mind, piecing together clues and other literary licenses. However, in real life it’s not always the case.

Enter KON-BOOT.

For the first time, reality is better than fiction. By inserting this CD and booting the computer from it, the software dynamically patches the kernel of most major Windows and Linux operating systems allowing you to login as the administrator effortlessly. Once you are done, simply execute a command and KON-BOOT will wipe all traces of itself and your victim is none the wiser.

Head on over to the author’s website and snag a copy. It works for all versions of Windows up to 7. The author did not disclose much technical information on how KON-BOOT works, or whether it can be countered via a security fix by Microsoft. Whatever the case, feel proud knowing that you can PWN any password-ed computers you come across now.

Only 3GB of RAM can be used by 34bit Systems

The reason this is a problem is due to the way 32bit systems allocate addresses. Back in the days, 4GB of ANYTHING was considered huge and as a result, the assumption that we would never need so much of anything was made. Well, fast forward a few decades and the problem is coming back to haunt us.

You may also notice that the limitation is also apparent in hard disks still running FAT32 filesystems. On those filesystem, you cannot have a single file exceeding 4GB in size, otherwise the OS will complain about running ‘out of space’. Nowadays, people are running on NTFS which do not have such a limitation.

Regardless, if you do own more than 4GB of RAM, it is recommended to upgrade your OS to a 64bit version, like XP64 or Vista 64. But let’s assume that is not possible or desirable? What then?

Use RAMDISK

Enter the RAMDISK. A ramdisk is basically a disk partition created in your ram. By doing so, you can then put a page file or browser cache on it giving you the ability to do something useful with that wasted RAM.

If you are running 4GB, simply create a 1GB ramdisk and place your computer’s page file into it, maximizing the use of RAM on your 32bit system.

Word of advice: do not do this if you have less than 4GB of RAM, or are already running a 64bit OS. It provides no benefit at all under these circumstances.

Anyway, Gavotte Ramdisk (of course free) will allow you to set up your ramdisk easily. After that, simply go into your computer and change the page file size and location so that it resides in your ramdisk and you’re done! Give it a try!

What am I talking about? Why, Thetawall of course!

Powerful Wallpaper Management & Multi-Monitor Screen Saver

For those who don’t know what a collage is, it is simply a collection of many photos rendered together into one image. Picasa 3 made it simple to create collages, either rendered as if it’s a pile of photos thrown down onto the floor or as a mosaic of different sized images that form a perfect rectangle.

Upon launching, you feed Thetawall the directory containing all your photos and it will scan through all of them. Now, with a click of a button, you will be able to set it to automatically generate collages and put them as your background. You can also set it to rotate the collage with different ones every set amount of time, to keep things fresh. It even supports multiple monitors, for those who have the luxury of working with more than one screen.

The program is completely free and is portable, requiring no installation. However, it does need .NET Framework 2.0, although most users should already have this installed on their system if they keep their Windows up to date.

It is an amazing effect and definitely will wow your friends when they see your computer.

Windows users should consider checking out this very useful utility; Ultimate Windows Tweaker. With over 150 options to change, it is indeed ultimate when it comes to tweaking Windows.

The tool works well for Vista and the latest Windows 7 RC1 for both 32 and 64 bit versions. Prior versions of Windows are not supported. No doubt RC1 have introduced some new features such as dragging windows to the edge to make it fill up half the screen (useful for widescreen monitors) and shaking an open window to return to desktop.

For some people who are annoyed by this, Ultimate Windows Tweaker allows you to turn it off. Customization options are split into 7 distinct categories, which are Personalization, UAC, System & Performance, Security, Internet Explorer, Network Optimization and Additional Options.

The list of tweaks cover stuff like turning on check boxes to select files, restore folders at startup, show drive letters (or hide them), disable balloon tips, enable/disable UAC, force DLLs to unload from memory when not in use, turning off autoexec.bat file (viruses love this) and a host of other options too lengthy to list out here.

Most, if not all, of the changes can be achieved via editing keys in the registry, but Ultimate Windows Tweaker collects all these little tricks into a cohesive, easy to execute program which is also portable and can be carried around in a pendrive where-ever you go.

XdN Tweaker

If you are looking for alternatives, consider checking out XdN Tweaker, which is not as fully feature rich as UWT, but does the job pretty well too.

Happy tweaking Windows!