Quick tip: saving a chkdsk log
Posted by: David
Why save a chkdsk log
Sometimes you can't find your chkdsk log in the event viewer. It happens. Instead of freaking out and wondering what happened and if your drive is actually good or not you should go ahead and prevent such worries.
How to save the chkdsk log
Open up the run command. Type in cmd and hit enter or click OK.
If you don't know what I'm talking about, in Vista or Windows 7 you can go to start, then click on All Programs, then click Accessories, and then click on Command prompt.
When the command prompt is up, type in "chkdsk c: > c:\logfile.txt" and hit enter. What this command does is chk the c: drive and creates a .txt file that will display the results of the scan. The log file will be located at c:\logfile.txt.
Here is an example.
If you want to do something else with the chkdsk command such as run repairs on the drive, type in chkdsk /? to find out what options you can give the command. The most common command to try and fix your hard drive is to type in "chkdsk c: > c:\logfile.txt /f /r"
Installing a low profile kit for video cards
Posted by: David
What is a low profile kit?
A low profile kit is a set of brackets that are designed to let technicians install video cards that originally come with large brackets into slimline computer cases. For example, the computer that I installed this kit in for today was a Dell Optiplex 760. It was the thin desktop model which doesn't allow for normal size card brackets.
If you are confused on what I mean by brackets, that is the long metal piece that you can see from the outside part of the computer.
How do I install it?
First you have to make sure your card can fit in the computer case without the bracket. If your card is as big as the original (large) bracket then it wont fit in the box no matter how hard you try, and you shouldn't try, you will break your card.
Once you make sure your card can fit you need to take off the old bracket. For some of you first timers when you look at the bracket you think to yourself, how does this come off? Well that is very simple. The screw holes where the monitor cables plug into can unscrew from the bracket and come out. Once you take the screws out from the DVI or VGA (or other) ports on your video card you can remove the old VGA cable attached to the card if necessary and use the replacement one in the low profile kit if you got one in your kit. Align the pins properly on the video card.
Once you have the new cable attached you are ready to attach the new brackets to the card. Align the video ports on card up with the slots in the new brackets and secure them with the screws you removed from the old bracket. Once you have them secured again you are good to insert the card back into the machine.
Big time tip for success
Make sure you have space above or below your PCI (or other) slot to make sure that the second teir to the profile kit will still be in the bracket slots on the case. For example, if the PCI slot is in the top slot, you can't have a profile kit with the PCI card attached to the bottom bracket because the top bracket would not be able to attach to the case anywhere.