Random Hardware topics

[Colif]

Are Word docs no longer able to carry malware? There was a time when asking for Word doc was asking for trouble.

i believe they are docx now

DOCX is a file format used for storing documents created in Microsoft Word. It is part of the office open extensible markup language (XML) office open XML (OOXML) format and is an evolution of the older .doc format. DOCX files support advanced features like formatting, images, tables, and more. They are widely used for various purposes, including writing reports, articles, resumes, and other documents.

DOCX: What is DOCX? A Guide to the Latest File Format

Learn what a DOCX file format is, why you should use it, and how to get started working with the latest Microsoft Office document files.

www.lenovo.com

so can be opened by multiple different programs but the formatting changes. Its the same as copying a google docs file into word, they both show text but don't have same features. Only file format that looks the same everywhere should be PDF

not sure about malware.

Yes, if I recall correctly the dearest I've bought are the Mad Catz R.A.T. 7 and this MMO one. Otherwise around $60 is most I've spent on Logi's MX Masters. Apart from those couple of forays, I usually buy office mice rather than gaming—don't feel like paying for the bigger marketing budget

I pay more to get one that lasts longer. You can do it that way but over time we may end paying same amount, I just pay more upfront for one that may last 5 or more years. I am like that with a lot of things, why buy cheap if more expensive ones last longer. Same can be said for Power Supplies.

Only one that didn't last at least 4 years out of the Gaming mice I have bought since 2008 was the Razer mouse. I just didn't like it. I used a Steelseries Sensei for about 8 years and i replaced it with a Steelseries Rival 600 that still works now, I just wanted something new. The Rival was about 5 years old when I swapped to the G502 X plus. So in the last 15 years or so I have only had 3 mice.

Sorry, 4 mice but the Microsoft one was so long ago, I had forgotten. Somewhere in 2011 maybe I swapped to the Razer mouse from it. Only used the razer mouse for a few months.

The Sensei was starting to wear out in more than just usefulness, the area where my palm sat on mouse was starting to be see through. I wonder where that is now. I should find it and throw it away. Its rare old hardware gets thrown away around here....

 

[Brian Boru]

i believe they are docx now

Right, been DOCX for over a decade.

formatting changes

Yep, that's where incompatibility and artifacts creep in.

copying a google docs file into word

Don't do that. Save the G doc in Word-compatible format, and then open that file in Word.

Only file format that looks the same everywhere should be PDF

Or image files—which is what you find in many PDFs!

not sure about malware

Quick look suggests it's still going strong—even in Word-PDF mashup!

I pay more to get one that lasts longer.

Sound policy, I do that with shoes. Unsound for you tho, who knows when you'll get a whim to change it?

the area where my palm sat on mouse was starting to be see through

You should wear a glove in public—veins and bones can freak people out

 

[Why_Me]

Thermalright Intros Royal Knight 120SE CPU Cooler with Design Focus on Memory Clearance

Thermalright introduced the Royal Knight 120SE, a dual fin-stack CPU cooler with a design focus on clearance with the memory area of your motherboard. It does this by offsetting its two fin-stacks away from the memory area, with one of them being almost directly above the CPU base, and by using...

www.techpowerup.com

 

[Colif]

Since when didn't motherboards have 7.1 audio on them?

I was looking at new motherboards coming out in September and every one on here only has stereo sound.

I mentioned it and was told no one uses surround from motherboard anymore?? since when?
What do people use these days? Why am I always behind curve... got a Blue ray drive in last PC and didn't realize no one uses them anymore... I only used it 4 times myself.

I do know some boards do have it still, its one more thing I have to look at.

By then I will have my new DAC/Amp and could attach speakers direct to it... but not my current ones. I would have to buy them. The Dac/Amp will be attached to PC so might replace speakers before then anyway. Depends if I get used to only using headphones. I do now for music but watching videos I often swap to speakers.

 

[Colif]

It seems its a trend to not have 7.1 anymore. Only have stereo sound is the trend now, many people use USB headphones/speakers or soundbars.

I don't take notice of hardware unless I am buying something, so I missed this trend coming.

There aren't many USB speakers that can do 5.1 over USB. These can

https://steelseries.com/gaming-speakers/arena-9

but they aren't cheap or easy to find here. And I can't find any reviews for them from sites I listen to for music advice.

Can undoubtedly get better speakers than that, ones with tweeters... and no rgb. run them off my Dac/Amp and attach it to one of the 20 USB slots.

Won't be 5.1 but really I haven't had surround on my speakers for ages now, i really only have 2 stereo channels. Surround hasn't really worked on realtek since 2020 or longer. I just like being surrounded by speakers.

Its been 20 years since I was forced to change hardware because of a change in PC. Last time I needed a completely new PC... this just means retiring speakers or looking into what signal the digital out is sending from the new PC. Speakers do accept digital inputs... lets see, might have stopped using them by then anyway.

It was just an unexpected surprise. Good thing I found out one year before buying anything. Same as learning its best to only have 2 sticks of DDR5 if you actually want to run ram at speed it says on box.

 

[Brian Boru]

Influencers are everywhere these days…

Source

 

[Colif]

This isn't a bug. Its a feature.

Windows runs games faster if you run the built in admin

Using the built in admin as main user is the stupidest idea around. It basically removes protections and lets anything install without question. It turns the clock back to XP before UAC ever existed.

AMD should test their CPU using settings sane people should use. This is just an excuse.

 

[Brian Boru]

runs games faster if you run the built in admin

I don't want that, the bad guys get to me more than fast enough already.

Wonders…

If i set up a user with very limited control—parental controls locked down, etc—would that slow down the bad guys?

 

[Colif]

 

[Brian Boru]

Microsoft seals a TPM 2.0 loophole, once again preventing users from installing Windows 11 on unsupported devices.

Microsoft seals a TPM 2.0 loophole, once again preventing users from installing Windows 11 on unsupported devices

Microsoft doesn't want users to run Windows 11 on unsupported devices for "security reasons."

www.windowscentral.com

 

[Colif]

I wonder if they keep on fighting it IF/When Win 12 is released.

 

[Brian Boru]

Messing with an old laptop—but applies to any computer—boot up and reach password screen. Um…

Password hint is on screen tho, it's 'Brian'.

So I try a few obvious ones—eg handsome athletic charming RPGlover—but no go, so I text her. The password is… drumroll:

Brian

Yeah… some people need to be smacked 🤦‍♀️

 

[Colif]

Yeah… some people need to be smacked 🤦‍♀️

You were just trying to help yourself next time you picked PC up, as you always forget password

That reminds me, I need to change mine. Although I use a PIN, it has been years since i used my actual password on this PC.

 

[Brian Boru]

trying to help yourself

Nah, family member—diff PW, but same thing ie PW was the hint

I need to change mine

Don't as a general rule, unless you have a specific need to. Changing 'just cos' is bad practice.

 

[Frindis]

I store my passwords in a couple of different ways, but the most secure of them is in a fireproof case. Even if the home burns down to the ground, my passwords would be safe.

 

[Brian Boru]

Even if the home burns down to the ground, my passwords would be safe

We do an infrequent backup swap with family ~15 KM away. Hmm, I guess a nuke cold get us both—oh wait, PWs won't matter then anyway, ghosts can get into anything…

 

[Colif]

Don't as a general rule, unless you have a specific need to. Changing 'just cos' is bad practice.

especially a windows password. Seen that mess up too many times. On other people.

some of my accounts share passwords, just trying to separate them more.

Just noticed new HWINFO shows Thermal zones temps... I had to go see what they were, since all 3 values are always the same temp. And nothing in my PC is that temp. I suspect it doesn't work right as 16.9c is too low for this PC.

Platform thermal zone definitions described to Windows via the firmware. A thermal zone is an abstract entity that has an associated temperature value. The operating system monitors this temperature so that it can apply thermal mitigation to devices within the zone. The zone contains a set of functional devices that generate heat, and a subset of devices whose heat generation can be controlled by adjusting performance.

Design Guide

This PC thermal management design guide provides information about how to determine the PC temperature values that are \ 0034;too hot \ 0034; and \ 0034;too cold. \ 0034;.

learn.microsoft.com

So I wonder what value my BIOS is giving windows. Nothing else in HWINFO shows 16.9c

Good thing I don't let windows run my fan speeds. or Pump for that matter. Or GPU, and PSU probably looks after itself.

 

[Frindis]

We do an infrequent backup swap with family ~15 KM away.

That is a good strategy.

 

[Frindis]

Speaking of BIOS, I need to update mine. Been too lazy and @Lutfij probably be mad hearing I have still not done it, since he gave me a good BIOS guide a couple of years ago. Now I need to do it if I am ever to install Win11.

 

[Colif]

Speaking of BIOS, I need to update mine. Been too lazy and @Lutfij probably be mad hearing I have still not done it, since he gave me a good BIOS guide a couple of years ago. Now I need to do it if I am ever to install Win11.

Just like rushing into changing windows passwords, don't update BIOS just because a new one exists. Only update if:

1. You have a problem it might fix
2. You just got a new CPU
3. you need to to add tpm support/Secure Boot*

Updating a bios that works can give you problems you didn't have before.
There are 3 for mine but I am not in a rush. Even if it might help me. I don't have any problems now worth updating to fix.

* Win 11 only needs PC to be able to run secure boot, it doesn't care if its on. Mine never has been.

 

[Frindis]

@Colif I can understand that, but I should do it, otherwise I have to pay for security updates for Win10. I guess I could go without, but being online that seems like not such a good idea. This was never a problem before though, I could use whatever operating system I wanted.

 

[Colif]

Could use a 3rd party AV instead, since only updates Win 10 will give will be defender. If anything major happens, they likely patch that for free, like they did Win 7 after it stopped being supported.

I used Vista for years after support ended. But that was before they added defender I guess. I never lived in the alternate universe where it was in vista so I can't say what I would have done). I used some other AV back then... never really liked the MS one (nothing changes)
What motherboard have you got and what bios? Curious what it adds you are missing.

 

[Frindis]

What motherboard have you got and what bios? Curious what it adds you are missing.

• Motherboard: Micro-Star International, MSI MPG B550 GAMING PLUS [MS-7C56] 1.0
• BIOS - 1.K8 - AMD AGESA ComboAM4v 2PI 1.2.0.1

I only need the update that gives me access to Win11 since I can't do that on the BIOS version I am on as stated in the Windows update:

 

[Colif]

i hate MSI motherboards, the BIOS number you have is not what they show on the page. What date is it?

BIOS - 1.K8 - AMD AGESA ComboAM4v 2PI 1.2.0.1

looks like you have a beta... I am guessing as 1.2.0.0 was 7C56v15 dated 26 Jan 2021 and 1.2.0.2 was 7C56v16 dated 14th May 2021. Nothing inbetween.

Yes, well, you... far enough behind it might feel like a new PC after.

https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/MPG-B550-GAMING-PLUS/support#bios

MSI show you how to do it:

reminds me why I should update mine, its a beta too and doesn't show on my motherboard website now. Not today, storms around. Been awake too long as well.

 

[Frindis]

Not sure about date, but I got my USB 2.0 16BG stick ready, I just hope my system isn't going to crash and burn 😅