and very, very fragile.
Games, console or a big ass PC.

Big ass PC ftw.

mouse > any other "controller"

Thumbs up.

False.

The mouse doesn't do it all by itself unless you keybind everything to one of those gaming mouses

mouse + keyboard < one single controller

Ok so Dad reckons I should just get a desktop hard drive and use my laptop as the monitor. Eventually I'll get a big ass flat screen TV to use as a monitor. That's suits me. Gaming ahoy!

You mean the entire desktop computer (sans monitor), right?

The fact that a controller has all the functions on one object doesn't even begin to make up for the fact that you have far more control, accuracy, and customization options with a mouse + keyboard.

Most mice have plenty of buttons too. I have a standard Microsoft wireless mouse and it has seven, and they can all be mapped to any key or command. Coupled with the WASD keys, the only other button on the keyboard I use is the space bar. Having all that on one physical object is irrelevant.

I see your concerns are about FPS games which I don't care about but yes mouse would be better for FPS games.

I still prefer a controller though. My accuracy sucks when I use mouse + keyboard compared to when I use a controller but that's just my personal experience. I'm more used to a controller so I know how to get the best out of it.

I am desperately in need of help. My favorite laptop has bit the dust, and I no longer want to share a computer.

What I'm working with:
Dell inspiron 1420
Windows Vista

I have lost my installation disk. And here is my problem:

The thing won't start up! (Windows won't open).

I turn it on - Dell start screen with option for F2 or F12

Then Windows error recovery. My options are:

Launch start-up repair (recommended)
Start Windows normally

When I launch startIup repair, it shows the loading bar for a bit, then goes to a black screen (although still backlit). It stays this way infinitely, as far as I can tell. I've given it an hour before.

The latter option: loading bar, then - brief flash of BSoD, then cpu restarts itself.

Really - is there anything I can do? :/

It could be a software problem, you may need to get ahold of a new instalation disc (such as a copy of WIN7. Let's wait for the technical gurus to answer on here first though. That's what happened to my last lap top, I got the windows reinstalled and sold it for $300. :D

Thanks - that's what I was afraid I'd have to do, although I really wanted to save some of the files on the computer. Fortunately, the really important ones are backed up and safely available elsewhere for me. Just a lot of music I don't want to have to download again.

I'm probably going to go for Windows 7 as the OS. I hate Vista.

Keyboard + Trackball > Any other controller

tab tab space

If Dell made a recovery partition on your PC, you might be able to run startup repair from that. Have you tried using that option?

Also, you can try using the advanced boot options. Usually this key is F8 (although it could be different on your machine) and you repeatedly hit it after you turn on the computer, until you get to a boot screen that displays Safe mode, etc.. On that list there's an option to use "last known good configuration". Choose that and see if there's any difference.

If all fails, you may still be able to get in and retrieve your files. There's a program called ERD Commander (you'll have to find the one for Vista) that should come as a .iso file, and you burn it onto a CD/DVD as a bootable disk (nero can do this) then simply boot up to the disk and select your OS, and it will give you access to your file system, among other things, where you can then do any backups necessary.

I've been getting flickering green lights sometimes on my laptop screen. They'll go away if i bend the screen a little bit, but eventually come back, sometimes ****ing my whole screen up.

It's a compaq presario amd anthlon with ubuntu/vista split partition. Please no, go bring it to a computer shop type answers please :)

Well you can take it to your nearest computer shop and have them look at it.

lol I couldn't help myself

It seems like your screen might be going. How old is it?

Either your screen is going or their might be a problem with the connection to your motherboard.

have you tried testing just the screen?

Idk if you have an old monitor for a PC laying around or if you have the cables to connect it to your tv but you could try that and see if those same green lights show up and if they do then it's more of a motherboard problem and if they don't then it's the screen itself.

Good idea bro:beer:

Yeah,it's like the connection to the motherboard is lose or something. It's like ****ing around with a tv antenna kinnda to get the picture back.

it ****ing sucks to repair that and expensive to get that fixed. I'm not sure how to go about doing it on your own though

Maybe someone else like Freebase or s_k could help you with that.

I'm not sure if you're saying you verified that it was the screen.

I didn't, that was me describing the problem, in a more evocative way, a 2nd time.

Ah ok. Just thought I'd ask before I typed a huge and irrelevant fix. Let us know what you come up with.

Is it possible to clean a laptop cooling fan (even just a little bit) without having to take the computer apart?

Whatever you do: DO NOT PUT A VACUUM ON IT AND MAKE THE FAN TURN REALLY FAST!
It's a lot of fun, but it kills the bearings. Apart from that: The fan may be clean, but there's an entire carpet of dust on your air vents, believe me. You do want to take it apart.
I'd love to help you, but that wouldn't be cheap :D

@ Matious: Suspect the flatcable that connects screen and motherboard.
This can be an expensive one if it's soldered...

Yeah, there's a bit of dust on the fan itself but it's mostly the vents. I wipe it away every once in a while so the computer can be properly ventilated, but it's the fan that I'd like to clean. I may just take it in, even though I hate doing that.

I have been guilty of doing that in the past.

So have I andrei, so have I ;).
And now you're wondering why your fans are noisy, aren't you? :D

@ BD: The problem is that the fan blows air and dust through the vents.
The result is this:
http://www.musicbanter.com/attachmen...1&d=1303671249
Maybe this isn't the case in your case, but if you have the idea that there's not much air coming out of your laptop and it's blowing all the time, you probably have a carpet of dust in your laptop.
Eitherway, the dust on the fan itself, if it isn't a massive amount, won't do it much harm :)

What's a good way to clean it without taking it apart?

Does can of air actually work? those computer dust things.

Haha, that'll just blow the dust into your fan. You don't want that.
Take it apart or let someone take it apart.
I know it's a ****ed up job...

That look like a little dust person.

Jup, feeding it as we speak.
It's growing very fast!

I was wondering if anyone could help me out with a Skype problem, it's not working for me - I can't send or receive IMs and haven't attempted calls but I'm guessing they won't work either :( When I send an IM to somebody the little circle thing just spins around and it says "not sent yet" or whatever and it NEVER sends! I've fixed up Windows 7 firewall settings and everything but it's still not working. Does anyone know why? What connection settings in Skype can I fiddle with to fix this?

Hmmm, have you got another PC to try it on?

Nah, I don't, but from roaming the official forums it sounds like it's some bug that heaps of people have been experiencing for months but they haven't really addressed yet... there's a lot of people from Australia who are experiencing the problem so I'm thinking it must be something to do with my region. Oh well! Looks like I'll have to go back to MSN...

Question is in this case if it is a problem on your computer or a problem with your internet connection (modem, router...).

Neither, my brother who is an IT tech had a look at everything I own and there is no problem on my end, it's Skype :( Like I said, I browsed their forums and it seems like there are a handful of other people experiencing the same problem but it just hasn't been addressed by Skype yet. Poo!

There may be nothing wrong, but there is something in your setup that triggers the problem. I had the same problem with a certain website (my own ****ing forum). It just wouldn't work with my internet provider and my router. Only in that combination. A friend of mine had the same (expensive) router and internet provider and the same problem.
So there may not be a defect, but it could be very well that another router or another OS could solve the problem.
But you have to want that... That's why I asked if you had another PC, for expermenting :D

Okay, I have a media player issue. I run VLC Media Player on my laptop and a couple days ago, it just stopped working. I defaulted it, too and when I click on a media file, nothing happens. I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling. The files play on WMP, but I really can't stand it. I can't imagine there be something wrong with my laptop because it's only about a month old. I run Windows 7 on an Acer Apsire 5552-5898. Please help! Don't let me suffer with WMP! I know I can download something else, but I am a creature of habit, damnit!

Well, I don't like acers. But apart from that, laptops usually come with a crapload of software that you don't need but does slow them down. When I buy a new laptop, I always reinstall it rightaway. Eitherway, long story short; There's nothing wrong with your laptop, but there probably is something wrong with your windows installation. It might be a good idea to (let someone) reinstall it for you.
In the meantime, there's winamp.

Did you recently install some software that coincides with VLC's issue?
What type of media files are in question?

I haven't really installed any new software recently. I can't play any of my music files on there. Most of my files are .mp3s so I don't know what's going on! I figured the reinstallation would fix it, but when it didn't ... Well I came here.