I want to learn about computers

I've been a home user of coumputers for a few years, but would like to learn about the technical side and be able to repair or build them.

I've never been on any type of forum and was hoping to contact somebody who could offer the occasional word of advice.

Right now i want to increase the hard drive memory on my laptop (toshiba L450D-13x). I have an external hard drive (Is that sometimes called a Flash Drive?). I also have a broken desk top I would like to repair for my kids.

I really would appreciate any advice to get me started.

Many thanks

 

read and experiment.. start with the desktop .. it's easier.

whats that doing (or not as the case may be)?

I recycle dumpster wrecks .. in fact this machine in front of me was scrap 3 years ago

 

Thanks for the reply...I do read and experiment, but often get stuck because i lack comprehensive knowledge of the subject or someone who I can ask questions of/get clarification from. I thought maybe I should do an online (free?) course.

The desk top seems to be stuck in recovery mode. I did recovery with it dozens of times (because of all the experimenting)over the 3 years I've had it. I bought the laptop to help me fix the desktop...I think the desktop has a hardware problem... I hesitate to say it might be the motherboard, as i'm not sure of the difference between motherboard, hard drive & CPU...

What's a dumpster?...sounds American

 

Desktop is a Compaq Presario SR1000. System Number EK335AA-ABU. I never had trouble putting it into Recovery before, either with the recovery disc or through the d drive. The computer says it doesn't reconize the disc now and when i do recovery through an 'F' key (can't remember off hand which one)it gets stuck during the setup phase after it has apparently done the recovery.

I got a 500g & a tetrabyte external hard drive and a couple of flash drives.

Thanks again...

 

This is a classic example of how I hit dead ends trying to do this stuff on my own as my Desktop has SR1000 printed very clearly on the label located on it's underside.

The link you sent hasn't got that model & when i enter Presario Sr1000 into it's search box, it just sends me back to the same page.

Your link seems to be for Canada so I also tried HPs UK site as I'm located & bought my desktop here. I get to this page:

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...cc=uk&lang=en&product=89327&dest_page=product

but when i click on Sr1000 it gives me this list to choose from

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=uk&lang=en&dest_page=product

bottom line is I can't find a SR1000 option.

Hope you can get my links to work as they are appearing as normal text to me.

 

just look for a number on the motherboard.. Sr1000 could be one of many over the last 4 or 5 years.. all using different hardware.. these OEM builders throw them together out of whatever they have to hand.. whats stuck on the case bears little or no relation to whats inside it.

Confucious say.. man who read sticky label as gospel very quickly get stuck

Anyway.. back to my Cyrix MII-300 I found under a pile of junk under the stairs

 

Look thru the subscription emails from the following websites most are free as are some white papers,the tech article links are usually included in some emails

The How to Geek
CNet
ZDNet
PCMechanic
Infopackets
Downloads Digest
PCWorld
HP Learning Centre = has lessons you can download

Sites i haven't used
http://www.freetechbooks.com/

http://www.lausd.k12.ca.us/Jefferson_HS/lscomp.htm

http://parenting.kaboose.com/education-and-learning/learning-resources/brain-computer-lesson.html

 

I really appreciate your help and will work my way through this list over the next few days/weeks

 

On the backside of the motherboard? That would mean unscrewing and taking it out, which is cool. Just making sure I'm doing the right thing. The only number I can see on the front of the motherboard is MS-7184 Ver: 1.0 which doesn't seem to relate to anything much. Anyway I'll take the board out. Be good for me to have a proper look at the hardware.

Here in Blighty we call dumpsters 'skips' and I've never been able to walk by one without a good rummage...

Edit 1. Took the motherboard out. No label.

 

Found a really worn label on the back of the case. Think it says SR1619

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/product?product=1147955&lc=en&cc=uk&dlc=en&lang=en&cc=uk

Gonna read as much as I can about this model (solve a problem etc) and watch the 'How to' vids

 

OK...put motherboard back...model almost certainly is SR1619UK. Read thru Solve a problem/System Recovery and tried all the relevant advice. I got 2 identical recovery discs and desktop says it has a problem reading the disc or the hard drive is physically damaged. I'm sure the discs are ok.

When I allow the computer to boot up normally it goes into the setup process it would normally end up in after recovery, but will not move to the next stage. I've left the comp on for 24hrs, but it stays in set up

Apart from this problem I want to upgrade or rebuild this computer as the RAM was too limited and I need a lot more than the original 200g hard drive.

 

Didn't get a reply to this post. Can anybody give me some tips?

OK...put motherboard back...model almost certainly is SR1619UK. Read thru Solve a problem/System Recovery and tried all the relevant advice. I got 2 identical recovery discs and desktop says it has a problem reading the disc or the hard drive is physically damaged. I'm sure the discs are ok.

When I allow the computer to boot up normally it goes into the setup process it would normally end up in after recovery, but will not move to the next stage. I've left the comp on for 24hrs, but it stays in set up

Apart from this problem I want to upgrade or rebuild this computer as the RAM was too limited and I need a lot more than the original 200g hard drive

 

stop wasting time.. don't demand anything from it right now.. it's probably uneconomic so buy nothing.

first find out if the cd drive works.. put it in a computer you know is good.

if it checks out ok in another box you need to check the hdd in a similar way (forget those rubbish recovery cd's.. if the hdd is corrupt or damaged you will be wasting your time.. and they WILL NOT install an operating system on a new drive)

I would say find, download and burn a disk called techies toolkit v2 .. superb collection of tools for just about everything.. i can't tell you where to get it.. because i don't know.. mine is a few years old.

play with that a bit.. check out hdd and ram .. bet both are up the spout but hdd may be salvageable.

OR .. check the damn thing works at all.. http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/puppylinux/puppy-5.1.1/lupu-511.iso

that will allow you to check the hardware and whats left of the files on the hdd.. and also a damn heavy duty ram rest... from there you are on your own.. I don't support microsoft unless I'm being paid.

 

Just wanted to say thanks for all the info & support. All this is new to me and you've got me off to a good start.

I ran Memtest86+ via a cd a few times and it showed 'No Errors'

I also ran HUTIL 210.iso thru all the stated tests....again without any errors shown.

I've just loaded the LUPU-511.iso and connected to the web...

gonna see what i can see...

Seriously....thanks

 

awful reply ......... supposed to help .... remember when you knew nothing??

you can get older pc's from an amenity tip in uk
sign on as unemployed (just need the paperwork no need to go back again)
go to your local college and they will let you do an itessentials course for free (as you have the unemployed paperwork (used to be ub40 ))
there are also other courses you can do for free to learn about computers mostly at sixth form colleges
and reading here you can learn about issues you'll never come across any other way
Good luck