Q: I need a graphics card replaced in the laptop. Everything else works but the card causes the machine to work only in safe-mode (aka without the drivers).

A: Note that few laptops have a separate video card; usually the graphics controller is surface mounted on the mainboard. However, there are several alternatives for you.

First, we can see about installing the correct drivers needed for your video, which is usually all that is required to make your video work as it should. This is a software fix that shouldn’t require more than an hour.

Secondly, if this laptop isn’t fairly new, it may require fresh heatsink compound for the graphics chip to perform up to it’s potential. For most laptops, this would require disassembly, then re-assembly of the laptop. Each step (disassembly, then re-assembly) takes an hour and would include cleaning the dustbunnies out of the cooling fans and fresh heatsink compound for the processor as well.

Finally, as a last resort, I can have the graphics controller re-flowed so that the contacts of the surface mounted part make better contact with the mainboard. This process includes the two hour effort of step 2 and another hour to re-flow the graphics controller; 3 hours total.

When you wish an appointment to resolve you video problem, please call 321-720-7705 (9am – 9pm, daily).

Laptops are each a different Chinese puzzle. A price list is therefore difficult. The rate on laptops brought in for repair is $30/hr. It usually takes around an hour to an hour and a half to change out a screen (2 for a Mac), 2 for a mainboard or processor, and 3 for a dc power jack. A dc jack is usually inexpensive (under $25 on ebay). To get a more specific estimate, call (321-720-7705) to describe your problem.
For virus removal of either desktop or laptop the rate is the same; $30/hr if you bring it in. As for how long it will take depends on how intractable the virus/spyware happens to be and how fast your system can run the necessary scans. Sometimes simply rolling the system back before the threat took hold can fix something in under a half hour. Other times even completely scanning your hard drive with another computer (after all other measures failed) won’t fix the system and it becomes necessary to reload Windows to a separate folder (eg; WINDOWZ) so your files aren’t lost by wiping out the drive. Most systems can be purged of threats in an average of 2 hours.
If your system comes here, more can be done for less since other projects can also be worked on while yours is being scanned. You are welcome to attend the process as it unfolds if we can schedule a mutually convenient time.

The following was a response to an email asking about lines in the display.

To be straight with you, you may be eventually facing replacement of the screen. However, it may be possible to patch up your laptop to give many more hours of service before you have to do that.

What happens is that when the lid is repeatedly flexed (for instance by tilting it from a corner instead of the middle at the top or both sides at once) some of the extremely fine individual connections for the display can become intermittent or even fail. Failed connections like this will result in a stripe 1 pixel wide or more with no display at all.

I have a commercial client in Merritt Island who has a Dell Inspiron 6000 with a similar problem. In his case the hinges and other hardware in the lid had loosened up a bit and he was losing about the bottom 20% of his display. In his case, it took about an hour to tighten up the display hardware and cable connections. When he boots up that 20% still blanks out, but when he pinches the frame of the display it fills in. I check ebay occaisionally and let him know if I spot a deal on a replacement for his screen. As bad as this laptop was he has continued using it for around 4 months now waiting for a deal on a replacement screen.

In your case, I don’t know the model number of your HP laptop to tell you the cost of a replacement screen, but installation takes around an hour to an hour and a half…same as the time it would take to bolster what you have to get you by for now. My rate is $30/hr which you won’t find at computer or office supply stores that mostly won’t attempt physical repairs on laptops anyway.

When you’re ready to get a new screen, we’ll need to find a replacement and get it ordered. There are far too many to stock except for screen specialists. However prices are reasonable for new screens with prompt delivery from reputable sources. It seldom takes more than 1.5 hours to install.
Please call 321-720-7705 (9am – 9pm) to arrange a time.

When I found that Microsoft Office 2000 would take 430mb of disk space (on a 15 gig drive) I began using Star Office 5.2. I went to Open Office (the open source version of Star Office) when there was no longer a Star Office freebie.
The EU by now has embraced Open Office as a practical free alternative to MS Office. Newer versions of Open Office now make it possible to password a Word document. And now the shoe is on the other foot with MS Office able to handle documents saved in Open Office’s native file format, .odt (open document text).
The point here is that Sun’s contribution to the world at large of the ongoing development of Open Office has had an impact on Microsoft. Oracle would do well to continue this tradition with Open Office.

As for how long it will take depends on how intractable the virus/spyware happens to be and how fast your system can run the necessary scans.  Sometimes simply rolling the system back before the threat took hold can fix something in under a half hour.  Other times even completely scanning your hard drive with another computer (after all other measures failed) won’t fix the system and it becomes necessary to reload Windows to a separate folder (eg; WINDOWZ) so your files aren’t lost by wiping out the drive.  Most systems can be purged of threats in an average of 2 hours.
For virus removal of either desktop or laptop the rate is the same; $30/hr if you bring in.
If your system comes here, more can be done for less since work on other projects can also proceed while yours is being scanned. You are welcome to attend the process as it unfolds if we can schedule a mutually convenient time.
The following update is from Janes (23 April 2010):
“Sometimes referred to rogueware, scareware is malicious software (malware)that signifies an important trend in the evolution of cybercrime. Unlike many types of crime perpetrated using the internet, which are usually simply frauds using a new medium, scareware is entirely reliant on the internet. Moreover, scareware crime is committed entirely by malware in large numbers. Software not only infects the victim’s computer and conducts the scam, but it also takes the victim’s money and deposits it into the offender’s bank account.
“Scareware is an increasingly common type of cybercrime, with the advantage for the perpetrator that many victims may not realise that a crime has been committed, as they believe that they have bought genuine software. As a result, it is difficult to track and prosecute offenders, especially given the global nature of the crime. “

An optical drive can be connected by usb to install, but the installation may be a little more complex than just that.  When installing Xp on newer laptops, it is frequently necessary to feed in SATA drivers early in the process using a floppy drive, which netbooks don’t have.  Many netbooks with the Atom processor will accept SATA drivers (available from Dell) for their intel chipsets.
What can make the process difficult or counterproductive is the drive itself.  If this netbook had a true harddrive, there is a way of making installation possible from the drive itself, however some netbooks have solid state drives (similar to thumb drives) which can have as little as 4 gig of space (minimal for Xp) and leaves no room for the installation files.

Bing is shooting itself in the foot.  Their webmaster section cuts them off from the vast majority of the visitors who could contribute the most to the site.
How so?  Webmasters seeking to sign up for a Bing account are assumed to be using Microsoft web tools such as IIS.  Since IIS is only used on Windows web servers, all others are excluded.  Most websites are on Linux servers.
Bing could expand their market share by being inclusive, yet offer still more to those who use IIS for their sites.
Microsoft will remain an also-ran in email for the same reason as bing will remain an aslo-ran as a search engine.  Their staff can’t see out their own Windows.  This isn’t to take anything from the operating system, but to point out that not all Windows users wish to use ONLY Microsoft software.
Why should that matter?  Microsoft makes the assumption that anyone wanting Hotmail  will already have a Microsoft Passport, MSN account, Windows Live whatever, etc. or quickly sign up for one.  The same is true at bing.  Anyone can submit a website sitemap, but the webmaster tools are reserved for the privileged few and with the expectation that your website is on a Windows server utilizing IIS.  While Microsoft could certainly endear bing to webmasters using IIS with a special suite of tools, the fact on the net is that far more sites are on Linux servers.
In short, Hotmail and bing could garner more market share by being inclusive than insisting on Microsoft loyalty.

When RHN came out with version 8, I saw the writing on the wall which was confirmed with version 9 and the announcement that RedHat would no longer be available as a freebie. RedHat was trying to become the Microsoft of Linux as far as I was concerned. My take was that they cut themselves off from the rising generation which would have embraced and supported it.

At it’s best, Fedora wouldn’t both let you choose which packages to load and be portable from one system to another on a removable hard drive like RedHat. The latest version of Fedora makes Ubuntu look smart, but not as smart as Mandriva. (I’ve always preferred KDE to the Gnome environment.)

I’ve heard of (but not searched out) mirrors where it may be possible to download RedHat 10 (or later) images as freebies.

Password encryption is determined by your router, but many have another security feature. It is also possible to restrict connections to specific devices, so that even without encryption, an unspecified network card coudn’t connect. As for speed, your 11mbps transfer rate is the max of 802.11b wireless. Routers working at 802.11g run at 54mbps. So called super g is double that (108mbps).

I’m not sure about the rates for 802.11n and MIMO, but how fast can you type? This sounds like a silly question, but your current 11mbps rate will take the fastest internet currently available (10mbps). The only difference the faster connections would make is in transferring files between systems on a network. Note, however, that the fastest router can only move data as fast as your computer can handle it, which is to say that if the wireless card in your computer is 802.11b (11mbps) that will also limit your speed. However, the newer technologies supposedly are backwards compatible, so you could get a faster router and add a card later, but in some cases, you can get a wireless card with a router.

The proposed “European browser elections” recalls the legal battle with Netscape.  The point missed at that time is still the case today.  When Windows 98 came out it had incorporated Internet Explorer 4 into the operating system making it possible to move toolbars.  Internet Explorer 4 could also be loaded on Windows 95 to allow the same function.  Internet Explorer has been a part of Windows ever since making it vulnerable to attacks on that browser. 

Microsoft should take a lesson from their battle with Netscape.  They could have diffused the issue then by offering to include Netscape on the Windows CD. 

The offer of an election is self-serving compared to making all major contenders available as a choice of browsers right from the desktop.  Recall that when most of the public was still on dialup, there was a selection of Internet Service Providers available at startup.  The same type of option could be made with the browsers.