technology In desperate need of tech support...

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I don't even know if this is the correct place to ask for such things but... yeah. I am in serious need of some answers.

 

I am not a tech. savvy person, unfortunately. I was trained for using Microsoft programs and that's pretty much it... heh. I can't even tell you where or what a motherboard is! I'm a little pathetic Having been born and raised in such a technologically advanced time, you'd think I'd know something about how a stupid laptop works. XD

 

But I digress...

 

Basically, I am in need of assistance because of a simple device known as a Wacom art tablet. I have an old Bamboo model from about five years ago that worked just fine until recently. What started happening was whenever I used it, my art program would freeze up and I wouldn't even be able to make 3 lines and a circle let alone even draw anything.

 

Solution? I bought a new tablet. A Wacom Intuos. Purchased with the hopes that my Bamboo was just showing its age and thus not working anymore.

 

Oh, how wrong I was!

 

Even with the Intuos tablet, I am seeing the same problems. My program freezes, it refuses to let me draw and it forces me to close the program.

 

Second solution: I uninstalled and re-installed my art program.

 

ERROR! Did not work.

 

Third solution: I uninstalled the art program and received a brand new copy of it from a friend.

 

Also did not work. Bleh!

 

So here I am... begging for assistance because the people I know IRL who are computer buffs can't seem to help me in any way, shape, or form.

 

On top of all this, my laptop took 20min to even start up today. I turn it completely off (manually) every night and start it fresh in the morning. This morning? Start up crashed. It wouldn't even let me choose to repair it. To I ended up turning it on and off several times before it let me get to the log-in screen.

 

At the moment, even, it's making an annoyingly loud noise! It's not the fan, but the CD/DVD drive @___@

 

I just... I don't know. Should I even bother trying to fix this laptop? Or should I throw it out the window and get a new one? Hell, I can't afford a new laptop :S

 

Oh god, now it's making another weird sound D:!! It's like... a rhythmic beeping? But not beeping, loading sound. Scree scree? I dunno.

 

Oh goodness, please help me D: I  don't know what to do!

 

EDIT: I think the weird noises are because I'm currently attempting to import music from a CD and it's frozen.

Edited January 18, 2014 by Tinker Tunes

[MLPForums Phanact 1,374]

I'd suggest try running Ubuntu from a flash drive and seeing if your tablet performs well in that OS. If it does then you'll need to reinstall your OS.

 

I don't know why more people just don't try a reformat, reinstall when they meet a problem xD I do it on a monthly basis just for maintenance.

Edited January 18, 2014 by Essy*

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I'd suggest try running Ubuntu from a flash drive and seeing if your tablet performs well in that OS. If it does then you'll need to reinstall your OS.

 

I don't know why more people just don't try a reformat, reinstall when they meet a problem xD I do it on a monthly basis just for maintenance.

 

Ubuntu, huh? I'll give it a shot! Thank you

 

I guess I should probably shed more light on this, but a simple reformat of my computer cannot work in terms of fixing my problems. I had an incident about a year ago with an HDMI cable that really jacked up my laptop :/ It took my friend and I over an hour just to get the screen back because it was nothing but black. And once I had it back, we couldn't get it out of being the "wrong screen" because it believed it was still on the TV or some crap D: I dunno what happened exactly, but I lost a lot of use from my laptop, such as the luxury of reformatting.

[MLPForums Phanact 1,374]

Ubuntu, huh? I'll give it a shot! Thank you

 

I guess I should probably shed more light on this, but a simple reformat of my computer cannot work in terms of fixing my problems. I had an incident about a year ago with an HDMI cable that really jacked up my laptop :/ It took my friend and I over an hour just to get the screen back because it was nothing but black. And once I had it back, we couldn't get it out of being the "wrong screen" because it believed it was still on the TV or some crap D: I dunno what happened exactly, but I lost a lot of use from my laptop, such as the luxury of reformatting.

 

o_o Damn D: Well still try the ubuntu thing, that way you'll find out whether or not it's the OS or a hardware problem.

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o_o Damn D: Well still try the ubuntu thing, that way you'll find out whether or not it's the OS or a hardware problem.

 

I will do my best! And if I can't solve this problem? Well, what would you recommend as a good laptop? XD

[Guest]

Reformatting the computer to simply fix a problem like that O_O? Whoa there Essy, calm your horses dont you think thats a tad harsh.

I would suggest doing a driver reinstall for both tablets, aswell as checking for reg Errors. Try running defrag to do so, sometimes it works ( for me it did somehow... )

Running ubuntu on a stick to check wether its a hardware problem might actually be a good idea, i can agree with Essy on that part.

[MLPForums Phanact 1,374]

Reformatting the computer to simply fix a problem like that O_O? Whoa there Essy, calm your horses dont you think thats a tad harsh.

I would suggest doing a driver reinstall for both tablets, aswell as checking for reg Errors. Try running defrag to do so, sometimes it works ( for me it did somehow... )

Running ubuntu on a stick to check wether its a hardware problem might actually be a good idea, i can agree with Essy on that part.

 

He's already tried doing driver reinstalls... hence my suggestion to reinstall the OS. I don't get why people think reinstalling an OS is such a big deal, it takes 40 minutes at the absolute maximum.

 

I will do my best! And if I can't solve this problem? Well, what would you recommend as a good laptop? XD

 

I'd need a budget. Always buy something like MSI, Clevo or Sager as most custom built laptops are based on these chassis'.

 

Just noticed you said a beeping sound can be heard... Can you hear any clicking noises going along with this as that is an indicator of a failed HDD.

Edited January 18, 2014 by Essy*

[Guest]

What is the model of your computer? That might help in assistance.

[Guest]

 

 

I don't get why people think reinstalling an OS is such a big deal

You have rather obviously never had a large amount of programs and overall data on your computer. If i were to reinstall my OS it would take me a VERY VERY long time to get back to the standarts it is running at atm.

[MLPForums Phanact 1,374]

You have rather obviously never had a large amount of programs and overall data on your computer. If i were to reinstall my OS it would take me a VERY VERY long time to get back to the standarts it is running at at

 

I keep my data on my external hard drive, my drivers on my USB flash drive (which are checked for updates weekly) and I do have lots of programs but I do this thing called bookmarking download links. It takes me about 10 minutes to get my computer back into the exact same state after reformatting and reinstalling.

 

Your HDD/SSD should be for your OS and programs only. Store your shit on a separate hard drive so you can wipe the OS drive if ever needed. <- A general lesson for all.

Edited January 18, 2014 by Essy*

[Guest]

I keep my data on my external hard drive, my drivers on my USB flash drive (which are checked for updates weekly) and I do have lots of programs but I do this thing called bookmarking download links. It takes me about 10 minutes to get my computer back into the exact same state after reformatting and reinstalling.

 

Your HDD/SSD should be for your OS and programs only. Store your shit on a separate hard drive so you can wipe the OS drive if ever needed. <- A general lesson for all.

Hi, I've worked with computers for a long time. I've worked with consumers to help them as well.

 

Your advice is great and I wish more people did this, but you have to factor in one thing: consumers are not tech savvy 90% of the time. Most of them do not invest in all this stuff, and it's a lot of money that low end users simply are not going to spend. It's not helpful to propose such things if very few will follow them. It's what we call a "non-solution". It in theory would solve the problem, but it's not going to be done, so there's little point in suggesting it. In my experience with working with consumers to fix computer issues, it's better to work with the equipment they have than tell them what they should have. You and I definitely back everything up, invest in data storage, etc, but the average consumer does not.

 

That being said it'd be more helpful to see what equipment they are working with before suggesting to perform actions that would be detrimental to them if they do not have other equipment. I recommend against OS reinstalls to most consumers because although it will fix a lot of problems, most consumers have not backed up their data, and have very little means to do so.

 

It's great advice for people who want to be more tech savvy, but not for people who are just going to remain basic users. I have sat down with clients telling them the importance of data back up again and again and it eludes them. Instead, I offer it as a suggestion if they want it, but I stress using what they have available without buying more equipment to protect their data. Such as investing in virus software that is usually free, helping them avoid actions which would harm their computer, etc.

 

Let's be honest: a basic user is not going to learn how to back up their hard drive, install their OS on a solid state, put all their drivers on a back up flash drive, and back up their files every week. It's just not going to happen.

[MLPForums Phanact 1,374]

Hi, I've worked with computers for a long time. I've worked with consumers to help them as well.

 

Your advice is great and I wish more people did this, but you have to factor in one thing: consumers are not tech savvy 90% of the time. Most of them do not invest in all this stuff, and it's a lot of money that low end users simply are not going to spend. It's not helpful to propose such things if very few will follow them. It's what we call a "non-solution". It in theory would solve the problem, but it's not going to be done, so there's little point in suggesting it. In my experience with working with consumers to fix computer issues, it's better to work with the equipment they have than tell them what they should have. You and I definitely back everything up, invest in data storage, etc, but the average consumer does not.

 

That being said it'd be more helpful to see what equipment they are working with before suggesting to perform actions that would be detrimental to them if they do not have other equipment. I recommend against OS reinstalls to most consumers because although it will fix a lot of problems, most consumers have not backed up their data, and have very little means to do so.

 

It's great advice for people who want to be more tech savvy, but not for people who are just going to remain basic users. I have sat down with clients telling them the importance of data back up again and again and it eludes them. Instead, I offer it as a suggestion if they want it, but I stress using what they have available without buying more equipment to protect their data. Such as investing in virus software that is usually free, helping them avoid actions which would harm their computer, etc.

 

Let's be honest: a basic user is not going to learn how to back up their hard drive, install their OS on a solid state, put all their drivers on a back up flash drive, and back up their files every week. It's just not going to happen.

 

It won't happen if we allow it to continue. People need to be taught and most of the time they need to learn the hard way. My usual response to "my computers broke and I lost all my files cause I didn't back them up" is to firstly laugh in their face and then suggest they buy a 2TB external drive. xD

 

If my grandmother can learn to backup a hard drive then so can anyone.

Edited January 18, 2014 by Essy*

[Guest]

It won't happen if we allow it to continue. People need to be taught and most of the time they need to learn the hard way. My usual response to "my computers broke and I lost all my files cause I didn't back them up" is to firstly laugh in their face and then suggest they buy a 2TB external drive. xD

 

If my grandmother can learn to backup a hard drive then so can anyone.

Slowly, but surely.

 

However you need to teach them slowly. When someone comes to me and says "I need a computer", and tells me they only plan on using Facebook, there is no sense in telling them to invest in external hard drives, etc. Not to mention sometimes people need a computer but can not afford this extra equipment. You have to cut certain parts of the plan to make the rest of the plan work sometimes. You can tell them to invest, but sometimes it's just not plausible.

 

Sometimes it's not even worth saving a computer. I've been doing IT for years, and that always seems to come back. Sometimes investing in such things is a waste of money. I know I won't be investing in anything to back up my Netbook, mostly because I only use it for when I need to go downstairs away from my desktop and I have 3 other computers to use in the event that I lose that.

[MLPForums Phanact 1,374]

Slowly, but surely.

 

However you need to teach them slowly. When someone comes to me and says "I need a computer", and tells me they only plan on using Facebook, there is no sense in telling them to invest in external hard drives, etc. Not to mention sometimes people need a computer but can not afford this extra equipment. You have to cut certain parts of the plan to make the rest of the plan work sometimes. You can tell them to invest, but sometimes it's just not plausible.

 

Sometimes it's not even worth saving a computer. I've been doing IT for years, and that always seems to come back. Sometimes investing in such things is a waste of money. I know I won't be investing in anything to back up my Netbook, mostly because I only use it for when I need to go downstairs away from my desktop and I have 3 other computers to use in the event that I lose that.

 

People need to start just buying Chromebooks. Made for the internet, everything is stored in the cloud. They're cheap, portable etc.

 

When someone buys a desktop PC to browse Facebook, they should be stood up against a wall and shot. Especially in this day and age where tablets exist.

[Guest]

People need to start just buying Chromebooks. Made for the internet, everything is stored in the cloud. They're cheap, portable etc.

 

When someone buys a desktop PC to browse Facebook, they should be stood up against a wall and shot. Especially in this day and age where tablets exist.

Now don't you think that analogy is a bit extreme? It's talk like that which persuades people away from wanting to get more involved in the tech world because it comes off as an elitist environment. I welcome all who want to be more educated on technology and want to join the IT community, regardless of knowledge. I do not make such statements because people make novice mistakes.

 

Approach the issue with less venom, my friend. We want to encourage people to do this stuff, not insult them if they do not.

[MLPForums Phanact 1,374]

Now don't you think that analogy is a bit extreme? It's talk like that which persuades people away from wanting to get more involved in the tech world because it comes off as an elitist environment. I welcome all who want to be more educated on technology and want to join the IT community, regardless of knowledge. I do not make such statements because people make novice mistakes.

 

Approach the issue with less venom, my friend. We want to encourage people to do this stuff, not insult them if they do not.

 

If you're buying a PC to learn about technology and you're a novice then that's fine. If you're buying a PC to browse the internet, my analogy stands. I don't mind novices at all as long as they're willing to learn.

 

People buying a full built desktop are clearly not willing to learn and are just too stubborn to look into new alternatives and operating systems, once again I apply my analogy to these people.

[Guest]

If you're buying a PC to learn about technology and you're a novice then that's fine. If you're buying a PC to browse the internet, my analogy stands. I don't mind novices at all as long as they're willing to learn.

 

People buying a full built desktop are clearly not willing to learn and are just too stubborn to look into new alternatives and operating systems, once again I apply my analogy to these people.

But such a statement only discourages them from wanting to learn.

[MLPForums Phanact 1,374]

But such a statement only discourages them from wanting to learn.

 

O_O How... If you want to learn, I want to help. I love novices who want to learn and who'll let me help them.

 

My analogy was towards people who don't want to learn, who're stubborn and don't like anything other than a standard black Windows desktop and who do nothing but browse the internet (this is in conjunction with the previous points). They're the people I dislike and I don't even want to waste my time with. Help those who want it, fuck those who don't.

Edited January 18, 2014 by Essy*

[Guest]

 

 

When someone buys a desktop PC to browse Facebook, they should be stood up against a wall and shot. Especially in this day and age where tablets exist.

 

 

This more or less is kind of preaching your superiority over them. No one wants to listen to someone who acts like they are better or superior to them. It gives them the impression that seeking help from you would only be you sitting there preaching how much better you are than them before actually helping. No one wants to subject themselves to that.

 

I know it's not your intent, but think of it from their standpoint: when you say stuff like that, it only pushes them further away from being helped and makes the problem worse.

[MLPForums Phanact 1,374]

This more or less is kind of preaching your superiority over them. No one wants to listen to someone who acts like they are better or superior to them. It gives them the impression that seeking help from you would only be you sitting there preaching how much better you are than them before actually helping. No one wants to subject themselves to that.

 

I know it's not your intent, but think of it from their standpoint: when you say stuff like that, it only pushes them further away from being helped and makes the problem worse.

 

 

O_O I don't really see it as superiority... just me, along with many other people with the same interests as me, having more knowledge than them. If you're seeking help from someone then you should ASSUME that they are better than you in that specific area. I don't go to College to learn from someone at the same level as me, I want someone who is much more qualified and educated than me in that subject area to teach me.

[Guest]

O_O I don't really see it as superiority... just me, along with many other people with the same interests as me, having more knowledge than them. If you're seeking help from someone then you should ASSUME that they are better than you in that specific area. I don't go to College to learn from someone at the same level as me, I want someone who is much more qualified and educated than me in that subject area to teach me.

There is a difference between being better and rubbing someone's face in it. Your statement comes off more as being smug than being a mentor. No offense, obviously, I am simply stating it from a standpoint of someone who would be looking in. I understand your frustration, it frustrates me too, but we have to approach the problem the right way or it won't be solved.

[MLPForums Phanact 1,374]

There is a difference between being better and rubbing someone's face in it. Your statement comes off more as being smug than being a mentor. No offense, obviously, I am simply stating it from a standpoint of someone who would be looking in. I understand your frustration, it frustrates me too, but we have to approach the problem the right way or it won't be solved.

 

I don't mean to sound smug but the technologically ignorant, not the technologically impaired, really just fuck me off to no end. I didn't mean to come across as smug, more just rattled and annoyed.

[Guest]

I don't mean to sound smug but the technologically ignorant, not the technologically impaired, really just fuck me off to no end. I didn't mean to come across as smug, more just rattled and annoyed.

And that's understandable, but approach is everything. See if I came to you right now just instantly going "stop being an elitist prick" would you have taken me seriously or just laughed and wrote me off as someone trying to piss you off?

[MLPForums Phanact 1,374]

And that's understandable, but approach is everything. See if I came to you right now just instantly going "stop being an elitist prick" would you have taken me seriously or just laughed and wrote me off as someone trying to piss you off?

 

Taken you seriously after asking you which part came across as elitist so that I could rectify it so I don't make the same mistake in the future... I don't really see PC's as elitism though. I actually prefer consoles to PC but I've spent so much money on hardware and software that it would be idiotic of me to switch back to consoles.

[Guest]

Taken you seriously after asking you which part came across as elitist so that I could rectify it so I don't make the same mistake in the future... I don't really see PC's as elitism though. I actually prefer consoles to PC but I've spent so much money on hardware and software that it would be idiotic of me to switch back to consoles.

Do you see my point though? In convincing people, you must use some tact.