Problem

The power supply for my laptop computer has died. Its manufacturer wants to charge me nearly £100 for a replacement. I’ve searched the web for a cheaper alternative replacement without success. Is is possible to buy a cheaper replacement?

Answer

Universal notebook power supplies

All of the notebook computer manufacturers charge a small fortune for replacement power supplies. However, you don’t have to buy a replacement made by a particular notebook manufacturer, because you can buy a universal power supply.

Here is an example - Notebook 70w AC/DC Power Adapter from www.portableuinverse.co.uk . It was priced at only £56 in May 2006, and can be obtained from www.portableuniverse.co.uk who have thousands of battery and power supplys. You could use the Google search box, with its Web radio button enabled, to search for alternative suppliers.

That particular power supply comes with all of the adapters required to connect it to many different types of notebook/laptop computers.

As well as being cheaper than power supplies supplied by the notebook manufacturers, you could use such a universal power supply with other notebooks.

If you use a notebook computer at home and at work, using a universal power supply is a good way of providing mains power in both locations without having to carry an adapter with you.

http://www.portableuniverse.co.uk

Question

I want to buy a laptop computer that allows me to be able to connect to the web wirelessly or to which a wireless connection can be added. But I am confused by what I have read on the subject. What I’ve ‘understood’ so far is that some laptops come with a specification called HSDPA, a faster version of 3G that 3G mobile phones use to access the web. I take it that I don’t have to add anything to a laptop with HSDPA. I know that you can insert a data card into a laptop that has the correct slot that provides wireless web access. Is that an HSDPA data card?

I have also noticed from reading the specifications of different laptops that some of them have a PCMCIA adapter card slot, others have an ExpressCard adapter slot, and some laptops have both types of slot. Apparently, the ExpressCard cards are smaller than the PCMCIA cards, so can an ExpressCard adapter fit into the slot for a PCMCIA card, or must you only buy specific cards for specific slots?

Answer

HSDPA stands for High-Speed Downlink Packet Access. It is one of several technologies that are collectively referred to as 3G. Another is called Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS).

3G - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3G

High-Speed Downlink Packet Access -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HSDPA

Universal Mobile Telecommunications System -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Mobile_Telecommunications_System

If a particular area is covered by a 3G network, with a 3G mobile phone or a suitably equipped computer, you can access the Internet at broadband speeds. However, you must check the 3G reception in your area, because within a relatively small area, at different points, or at different times of the day, you can have no reception to excellent reception. If the reception is weak, the equipment will probably fall back to using a relatively slow GPRS (General Packet Radio Service)connection, which is about as fast as a dial-up connection.

General Packet Radio Service [GPRS] -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Packet_Radio_Service

The mobile phone service provider you intend to use should provide a service on its website that provides reception strengths for 2G and 3G reception on a post/zip-code basis. You enter your post/zip code and a map is delivered showing the reception in that area. In my experience, some areas have a constantly strong 3G reception, while other areas nearby can have variable reception that wavers from strong to weak. There are also areas that don’t have any reception, which is why you must check the reception at your post/zip code. T-Mobile’s site in the UK provides you with the reception at home and at work.

A 3G data adapter card can be added to almost any notebook that doesn’t come with built-in 3G support, but it will make use of an adapter card slot or a USB port.

Most of the HSDPA data cards have an aerial that protrudes from the computer, but some data cards use UMTS, which doesn’t use an aerial. An example in the UK is the data card that T-Mobile provides for its Web ‘n’ Walk service. The data card requires a PCMCIA CardBus card slot in a laptop. Use in a desktop PC using a PCMCIA adapter is not supported because of the variation in reception from even different areas in the same house or building. Another service is provided via a Vodaphone3G Datacard, which also uses a PCMCIA CardBus slot.

Most computers purchased within the last five years have a 32-bit PCMCIA CardBus slot, but new computers often only come with an ExpressCard slot, which is not compatible with the PCMCIA standard. As you said, some laptops have both types of slot. You wouldn’t be able to use T-Mobile’s or Vodaphone’s 3G data cards in a ExpressCard slot.

Laptops that have built-in HSDPA, will just have a slot for a SIM card. You will have to subscribe to a mobile phone provider that will provide you with a SIM card that you could also use in a mobile phone. In fact, you might find that you have to install the SIM card in a mobile phone to get it registered with the network the first time that you use it.

www.portableuinverse.co.uk

I would like to connect my laptop computer through my mobile phone. Can you advise me on the best way to do that?

Answer

The Vodaphone 3G Data Card allows you to connect to the Internet without a mobile phone.

The Vodafone Mobile Connect 3G/GPRS data card can be used with almost any laptop to provide high-speed Internet services and e-mail access, allowing you to work wherever you are.

Enter vodaphone + 3g + data + card (as is) in the Google search box at the top of this page (with its Web radio button enabled) to located vendors.

No need to use a separate mobile phone and no complicated setup process. Simply install the Vodafone Mobile Connect dashboard software and then insert the data card into your laptop.

Mobile Connect takes advantage of Vodafone’s 3G network, offering connection speeds that are up to seven times faster than a 56k PSTN dial-up modem connection. If you find yourself in an area without 3G coverage, it will keep you connected by switching automatically to the well-established GPRS data service. You can also use a wireless LAN enabled laptop to access the Vodafone WLAN service through the dashboard software in any of Vodaphone’s partners’ hotspot locations. The on-screen Dashboard for Mac (v1.0 or later) or Windows (v3.0 or later) allows you to access internet-based e-mail accounts, browse any webpage, send and receive text messages, chat using instant messages, monitor your usage (for 3G and GRPS), and connect to your company network using a Virtual Private Network (VPN).

There are two options - 250MB of data per month for £30 per month (in May 2006), or unlimited data for £52.88 a month.

If you want to connect via a mobile phone, choose a phone contract that provides GPRS or 3G data access. GPRS is the slower of the two, but offers more coverage.

You should look for a phone that supports Bluetooth, because it is the easiest way of connecting a notebook to a phone. You may have to purchase a Bluetooth adapter for the notebook, such as the USB Bluetooth Adaptor made by My Memory and priced at £9. Making a connection can be tricky, but there is plenty of advice that you could locate by using a suitable search term in the Google search box at the top of this page (with its Web radio button enabled). Try using a term such as: connect + “mobile phone” + bluetooth + adapter (as is).

You can keep any existing phone number if you have to change your service provider. When you disconnect your current phone, ask your provider for your Porting Authorisation Code (PAC). There may be a small charge for the code. Telephone to provide the new service provider with the PAC. It takes between five and seven days to complete the transfer.

Question

My daughter is living in France with her husband. She doesn’t speak much French, but her French husband speaks English fluently. They want to buy a notebook computer, but don’t know if a French notebook running the French version of Windows will work with English software. Can a Windows computer be set up so that it works in English for my daughter and in French for her husband?

Answer

French keyboards use the same standard QWERTY layout as UK keyboards. You can change a UK keyboard’s layout so that it uses the French layout and regional settings, and vice versa, under Regional and Language Options in the Control Panel in Windows XP, but you have to find out which keys are changed. For example, changing a UK keyboard to a French keyboard will make the colon and @ keys into accent keys, etc. Some notebooks provide replacement keys for different languages. If so, you would change the keyboard in Windows and then change the keys to reflect the change. If you don’t have replacement keys, you’ll just have to remember where the changes are or put stickers on the keys.

However, you can’t change the language that Windows uses for its menus and help files, etc., unless you are using the corporate version of Windows for business use.

Since your daughter and her husband can both speak English, buying a notebook in the UK is probably the best option. You should make sure that it has a European warranty to cover them if it develops a fault that requires repairing.

If the English version of MS Office is being used, you can set its dictionary to the language of the person who is using the notebook. Moreover, Windows XP provides multi-user support. It would allow your daughter to set up a user account (under User Accounts in the Control Panel) that makes use of the British English dictionaries and regional settings, and her husband can set up a user account with the French options.

Alternatively, you can install an English version of Windows XP on a French computer, or run a dual-boot system with both the English and the French versions installed. In a dual-boot system, a boot menu would present itself at startup and allow the user to choose which version to boot.

www.portableuniverse.co.uk

The backlight failed on my notebook PC’s screen when it was just out of the warranty period and the manufacturer wants to charge me £300 to replace it

Problem

Unfortunately, when the backlight failed on my notebook PC, it was just after the warranty period had expired. I contacted the manufacturer and was quoted £300 to replace it. That is nearly half of what the machine cost me, so I’d like to know if there is a cheaper alternative.

Answer

The problem is caused by a failed component called an inverter board - the electronics that power the screen’s backlight. Many dead LCD monitors and laptop screens are brought about by the failure of this component. It looks as if the manufacturer will only provide a screen and an inverted board as a single replacement unit, hence the high cost, because the inverter board itself is a cheap component. They can be purchased relatively easily. There is certainly no need to replace the screen itself, because there is nothing wrong with it. A search of eBay found several inverter boards for sale at around £15. However, you have to buy the correct one for your particular notebook PC.

Buying a new board, or one that has been salvaged, won’t be too difficult, but replacing it is the kind of involved job that should only be performed by a professional technician. Luckily, there are many notebook PC repair companies to be found online. I’m sure that you could find one that would be willing to fit a board you’ve bought instead of forcing you to pay for one that it provides.

www.portableuinverse.co.uk

SYMPTOMS

The shutdown procedure on certain hardware configurations can take up to 15 minutes to complete.

For example, the Toshiba Satellite 5200 laptop computer that is equipped with a universal serial bus (USB) 1.1 mouse can demonstrate this problem

CAUSE

This problem occurs because of an issue with the Microsoft Windows XP audio service.

RESOLUTION

Service pack information

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows XP. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base

Hotfix information

The audio service has been updated to correct this problem.

A supported hotfix is now available from Microsoft, but it is only intended to correct the problem that is described in this article. Only apply it to systems that are experiencing this specific problem. This hotfix may receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, we recommend that you wait for the next Windows XP service pack that contains this hotfix.

To resolve this problem immediately, contact Microsoft Product Support Services to obtain the hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services telephone numbers and information about support costs, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/?ws=support (http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/?ws=support)

Note In special cases, charges that are ordinarily incurred for support calls may be canceled if a Microsoft Support Professional determines that a specific update will resolve your problem. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for the specific update in question. The English version of this hotfix has the file attributes (or later file attributes) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time tool in Control Panel.

Some of the newer PC games run very slowly at their lowest settings on my ageing laptop, but its manufacturer doesn’t have updated drivers for the video/graphics card

Problem

I have an elderly Intel Pentium 4 business laptop PC that has a 2GHz processor and an ATI Mobility M6 graphics chip. I use it for office work and to play PC games

 . Some of the newer games run very slowly, even with the lowest screen resolution. The ATI Catalyst drivers won’t install. A message comes up telling me to obtain the drivers from the laptop’s manufacturer. But the manufacturer’s site only has the version of the drivers that are already installed.

Answer

The ATI Mobility M6 graphics chip is elderly by current standards, but it should still be able to play many 3D Games at reasonable speeds.

 To go directly to information about laptop graphics drivers on this forum type driver into search. 

The simplest solution is to install the ATI Omega drivers. They can be obtained from: http://www.omegadrivers.net/.

www.portableuniverse.co.uk

SYMPTOMS

If you have a laptop computer and you are using a PS/2 wheel mouse, you may encounter erratic behavior with the mouse, such as the cursor jumping all over the screen; however, the built-in touchpad may work fine.

CAUSE

This problem occurs because wheel mouse devices may be incompatible with some laptops, unless the laptop has special hardware to handle them. The wheel mouse transmits in 4-byte packets, while the internal touch pad transmits in 3-byte sequences. PS/2 devices are designed in such a way that the operating system may not be aware of an additional pointing device, nor of what the packet boundaries are between the different devices.

If the operating system interprets the packet alignment incorrectly, it may misinterpret data, thus causing erratic movements and clicks.

RESOLUTION

To work around this problem, create a hardware profile in which the mouse is enabled and the touchpad is disabled.

How to Create a Hardware Profile

NOTE: The modem should be active in each hardware profile for dial-in or dial-out connectivity.

How to Start a Computer with Multiple Hardware Profiles

www.portableuniverse.co.uk

 have a three-year-old Dell 250N notebook PC. It was working perfectly well until all of a sudden it started to freeze for no reason. Then, after about two weeks of doing that, it started to shut down randomly, often after only a few minutes of having been switch on. The actions I’ve taken so far without success are: scanned for spyware and viruses with updated scanners, and used the restore disc to restore the system. I noticed that the bottom of the PC becomes very hot, so I bought a set of feet thinking that it would help the airflow, but the problem remains.

Answer

The laptop’s circuitry appears to be shutting it down in order to prevent damage to the processor. It is doing that because the laptop is overheating, no doubt because of an accumulation of dust inside the case that reduces the effectiveness of the cooling fans and the heatsinks that depend on them to expel hot air. The solution is relatively simple. Go directly to information on overheating laptops and how to clean them on  This forum search for “cleaning”

I have a new laptop/notebook computer with 1GB of DDR2 RAM memory that uses 128MB of it to power its built-in graphics. In other words, 128MB of system memory is used for the graphics instead of the graphics chip having its own dedicated memory. The laptop runs Windows XP Pro very well. It came with a free upgrade to Windows Vista Business edition, which I have applied for. I am worried now about installing Vista, because I have read the following article, and my laptop only has one free memory slot for a 1GB memory module.

In other words, the machine’s maximum supported memory is 2GB and it has a Windows Vista Capable sticker on it. I have discovered that a computer has to be called Windows Vista Ready if it supports all of the requirements of the highest versions of Windows Vista. In other words, my new laptop will be able to run Windows Vista, but not unreservedly. If it needs 4GB of memory to run optimally, as that article says, then it never will be able to do so, because the maximum supported amount of memory is 2GB, and that cannot be changed.

Answer

As usual, Microsoft’s recommended minimum amount of RAM memory for the different versions of Windows Vista has caused quite a bit of controversy. Ever since Windows 95, Microsoft’s “minimum” hardware requirements mean the least amount of hardware that is required to get a particular version of Windows functioning.

To run any version of Windows Vista, Microsoft says that those minimum hardware requirements are an 800MHz processor, 512MB of RAM, and a graphics card that is at least compatible with DirectX 9.

Windows Vista would run on a desktop or laptop computer with that hardware, but it won’t be an enjoyable experience - especially if it is one of the higher versions of Windows Vista. In fact, if you have a PC with that sort of hardware, you should only use the Windows Vista Home Basic version.

Most of the versions of Windows Vista require more RAM memory to run optimally on a computer that doesn’t use memory-hungry applications than Windows XP. A video-editing application is an example of memory-intensive software. Only Windows Vista Home Basic has a recommended amount of memory of 512MB, which is the same amount recommended for Windows XP. Windows Vista Home Premium, the most popular version and Windows Vista Ultimate require 1GB (1024MB) of memory, which is twice the amount of memory recommended to run Windows XP. Read the information on the RAM pages of this site to find out if you should buy memory for use in single-channel or dual-channel modes.

The new key features of Vista, such as the new AeroGlass/Flip 3D interface won’t run of the minimum hardware requirements. Read the information provided on the Using Windows Vista section of this site for more information on Vista’s new features and the hardware that is required to run them.

Microsoft’s “recommended” hardware, which includes a 1GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, a video/graphics card with at least 128MB of video RAM, a Windows Vista Display Driver Model (WDDM) device driver, and 32 bits/pixel output, is a more realistic practical recommended minimum for a Windows Vista Capable computer.

Graphics Hardware and Drivers for Windows Vista -

http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/device/display/graphics-reqs.mspx

Microsoft recommends that a Windows Vista Ready computer should have a graphics card with 128MB of dedicated video memory (not an integrated graphics chip on the PC’s motherboard that uses 128MB of system memory) that supports DirectX 9.0 and Pixel Shader 2. A system like this should allow all of the key components of Windows Vista to run. Nevertheless, the “recommended” hardware requirements are still not equivalent to an “optimal” system setup.

Many experts recommend that Vista should run on at least 2GB of RAM, which is widely considered as being the optimal amount of memory to run Windows XP on. However, Windows Vista (from the Vista Home Premium version up) is a bigger and more complex operating system than even Windows XP Professional Edition, so it will not run as well on 2GB of memory as Windows XP does. However, most users will probably find that the performance of any version of Vista will be perfectly acceptable with that amount of memory.

All of the 32-bit versions of Vista support up to 4GB of RAM. For your information, the 64-bit versions support more than that. But does Vista really need 4GB of memory? - No. Vista runs in a limited way on as little as 512MB of memory, passingly well on 1GB, and acceptably well on 2GB. However, to run the higher versions of Vista optimally, 4GB of RAM are required, which is double the amount required to run Windows XP optimally.

Just bear in mind that you say that your laptop computer runs Windows XP Professional well on 896MB (1024MB minus the 128MB used by the graphics chip), so it will probaby run Windows Vista Business edition just acceptably well on 2GB less 128MB (2048 - 128 = 1920M

www.portableuniverse.co.uk