Random Hardware topics

[Colif]

if you have a 5800x3d then your CPU might like it more, since one between where you are and latest you be on adds support.

I downloaded my bios last weekend but I haven't copied it onto a USB yet. I am only 3 behind current one. So not overly fussed. ANd current one is a beta so only 2 really... or just wait for it to leave beta. Stalling again.

 

[Brian Boru]

hope my system isn't going to crash and burn

Do a system Disk Image, then you're only 30-50 minutes from recovery.

some other AV back then... never really liked the MS one

Rightly so, it wasn't meant to be the mainstay. Defender is a diff animal tho, fine on its own unless you visit risky places or need really tight protection.

 

[Frindis]

Do a system Disk Image, then you're only 30-50 minutes from recovery.

Good idea, thanks for the tip!

 

[Frindis]

So I tried updating BIOS, using everything said in the video, and then trying out different methods. It just does not recognize the file, which makes me think that my BIOS is not the same as the one from the download page even if it says it is. I'll have to call where I bought the PC from to see if they can find the correct model for me. But, I did manage to install Windows 11, so I might not even care about updating the BIOS at all since stuff works.

The funny thing with the Windows 11 installation is that in Windows Update it said that I didn't have TPM 2.0, which is also why a newer BIOS update could have fixed this problem. I then went into BIOS and enabled security, which surprise, surprise, turned on the TPM. Now, I still didn't have the correct TMP version according to Windows Update (TPM 1.3 or something like that) but when I used the Microsoft Health Check app it told me that everything was in order and that I HAD TPM 2.0.

So, either Windows Update or Microsoft Health Check is saying the wrong thing. So, since I could not install Windows 11 from Windows Update because it didn't recognize the newly enabled BIOS setting, I had to turn to Windows 11 Assistant for help, which updated my Win 10 to Win 11 without any problems.

Voilà, Windows 11!

 

[Colif]

Download this. only need free and don't need ccleaner

Speccy - Free Download

Download Speccy - the System Information tool

www.ccleaner.com

it will show you what motherboard you have now.

the system info app in windows can also tell you.

TPM is built into the CPU. Did you swap the CPU in that PC? I bet you didn't clear CMOS. Could be parts of bios think you have old CPU and others know you don't.

Normally when updating win 11 I always download new ISO and use an USB to update, never use windows update. Only time I used it to update win 11 was the first time... long story, but it did work. Upgrade assistant is my 1st step.
Not in a rush to get 24H2

 

[Frindis]

Download this. only need free and don't need ccleaner

Speccy - Free Download

Download Speccy - the System Information tool

www.ccleaner.com

it will show you what motherboard you have now.

Says the same thing as CPU-Z: Micro-Star International Co., Ltd. MPG B550 GAMING PLUS (MS-7C56) (AM4) except the (AM4) and the end. If I type that in Google, I get to the same page as you linked to and that also Lutfji linked to a couple of years back.

Also tried updating BIOS with different USB, both 3.1/2.0 with or without FAT32. Also tried ejecting the USB and not ejecting the USB before restarting. Tried different USB slots in case that could have anything to do with the problem and I have tried to copy the same BIOS files several times to see if there could have been something wrong with the extraction (like a corrupted file, etc). Still, nothing shows in BIOS, but it reads my USB perfectly fine, just not the file.

TPM is built into the CPU. Did you swap the CPU in that PC? I bet you didn't clear CMOS. Could be parts of bios think you have old CPU and others know you don't.

Have not swapped CPU.

Normally when updating win 11 I always download new ISO and use an USB to update, never use windows update. Only time I used it to update win 11 was the first time... long story, but it did work. Upgrade assistant is my 1st step.
Not in a rush to get 24H2

I'm just happy it worked. Will be interesting to see if I notice any performance bump with the update.

 

[Colif]

Says the same thing as CPU-Z: Micro-Star International Co., Ltd. MPG B550 GAMING PLUS (MS-7C56) (AM4) except the (AM4) and the end. If I type that in Google, I get to the same page as you linked to and that also Lutfji linked to a couple of years back.

The only thought I can offer is its an OEM version of the motherboard. Some companies like Cyberpower are big enough to get custom versions of the boards made. Then you do have to go to them for the updates.

TPM is part of CPU as I said, if you didn't change that then the version of TPM shouldn't change. I can't explain why it did. You just lucky?

Main differences I find between win 10 & 11 are UI related. Where things are.Start menu look at location on taskbar (was fixed real quick)
Windows terminal is new but you rarely use it for anything.
Probably others but I need to load win 10 sometimes just to notice what has changed.

 

[Frindis]

The only thought I can offer is its an OEM version of the motherboard. Some companies like Cyberpower are big enough to get custom versions of the boards made. Then you do have to go to them for the updates.

Yeah, I think this might be the issue also, and an issue that I have seen a few people having on Reddit.

TPM is part of CPU as I said, if you didn't change that then the version of TPM shouldn't change. I can't explain why it did. You just lucky?

Whatever happened, I'm not going back to Windows 10😅

Main differences I find between win 10 & 11 are UI related. Where things are.Start menu look at location on taskbar (was fixed real quick)

Ugh, Yeah, I'm going to change that real quick. No clue why they would think that would be a nice place to put the start menu. It has always been on the left side, you don't need to change what works perfectly. Ok, it took me 10 seconds to change, so I guess I can live with that.

 

[Colif]

Start menu on left was first thing I did... before looking for what else was new.
biggest thing that changed for me was where the shutdown menu is on start.

Everything else was minor.
Not being able to add addition taskbars just means I never see my icons on desktop.
File explorer is different, can make tabs and things
Store is different.
can install linux into terminal but thats hardly something you need/use every day

I had to look on here to find half of them - https://helpdesk.tcsedsystem.edu/hc...differences-between-Windows-11-and-Windows-10

 

[Frindis]

Took me about 20 minutes to change some of the bloatware and notification settings that Microsoft tried to sneak in. Removed some of the fancy animations so the desktop feels a bit more snappy when moving or opening folders. The Windows lighting control for different devices is a nice touch, especially since I can adjust the brightness more accurately. I removed the annoying snap layout on the top of the screen. It is supposedly a popular tool for a lot of users, but I find it being in the way. I rather drag the windows manually.

 

[Colif]

i forgot about the rgb. Its too basic for my needs and doesn't do all my hardware. Last I checked it could only see my mouse.

I had been meaning to turn snap off. I hate it. nice to be able to use top of screen without it trying to help.

 

[Colif]

Finally got around to creating a win 11 ISO. I want one of 23H2 so if I ever have to reinstall windows 11, I can avoid making a Bitlocker partition as I don't want it. 24H2 introduces them to Home, but it won't install until you clean install.

Had to use a 32gb USB drive as it seems all my other ones are 8gb. I was sure I had something between 8 & 32, I have a 256gb USB but its overkill for a 10gb install file.

Only doubt I had is 3 of my drives showed as removable but only one was USB. Lucky I did pick right one, I don't need a hdd as my installer. I Have made that mistake before when creating a VM, it doesn't help when ISO is on a hdd and you installing onto an ssd.

 

[Frindis]

After the W11 update, I had some problems with no sound from my Soundblaster Katana. The volume icons were going haywire and no connection to my Sound Blaster Connect software, only sound from my Sound Blaster G3 (Software) for my Beyerdynamic MMX 300 V2. It seems like I found the problem, as the firmware is old (nothing new on their site) and somehow there is a conflict where these two audio sources compete on being the default audio device. How nice, right? So, I have to manually switch one device off in the device manager and then everything works.

W11 also has this weird bug where if my Logitech Lightspeed keyboard goes into sleep mode (for saving power since it is wireless) and then I press a key to start it again, I will occasionally experience that the Windows screen borders open and close and It's like the Win11 snap function activates by itself. I seem to have fixed this problem by just stopping the keyboard from going into sleep mode. This never happened in Win 10, so either this is a fault of W11 or there is an issue with the keyboard functionality in W11. It is just another weird and slightly funny problem that I thankfully can avoid.

 

[Brian Boru]

Identifying USB Drives

I was sure I had something between 8 & 32

How do you guys identify your USB drives? It's a pain not knowing what's on each one after a while—only one of ours is a unique color and in frequent use, the rest are the super-cool but ultra-opaque black.

Stick-on labels only work for a while, until content changes. I was thinking of drives with 'keyholes' plus key tags, like this:

Any other ideas?

 

[Frindis]

I have only two USB sticks, so it's not an issue for me.

 

[Colif]

That tag idea is pretty good. I haven't used it myself. even my smallest drive has the lanyard hole, they designed to go on key rings.

Two of my Samsung drives show their size on case - 32gb - wish I was half my age so I could read it easily
As does my 3rd Samsung USB drive but it lives in an envelope marked "Music USB stick" in a drawer, and I only have one its size

I got those 3 as every other USB drive I had up until that point was only USB 2 and I was sick of it. Too slow.
USB 3.1 drives can transfer data up to 400mb/s. Approach SATA drive speeds.
Bigger the drive, the faster it got. The 32gb drives could only get up to 300mb/s, only the 256 got 400.

Rest of my drives are all mysteries until I put them into PC. And I don't really need to use them anymore.
I do have one other big USB which is 128gb but its a USB 2 Drive. It was my Music USB stick until I upgraded.

 

[Brian Boru]

I have only two USB sticks

Aw man, sorry to hear that
But hey, ask Santa—see, I knew we'd find a perk for being beside the North Pole!

Ours are more like physical media—books, CDs etc—in that they circulate among friends and family. One of our conditions for bringing us software to fix is 'Stick it on an USB'—apart from accumulating drives, another benefit is it's easy to check for malware before importing to our own PCs.

ETA

lanyard hole

Ah, that's what it's called! Thanks Sailor

tag idea

Yeah, should be simple to just swap out the paper insert whenever sth changes.

 

[Brian Boru]

Fake CPUs Are on the Rise, and This Is How You Spot One

Don't get caught out by one of the millions of fake CPUs in circulation.

www.makeuseof.com

Mentions G Nexus. Seems trusting seller is vital—those fakes look good to blind ol' me—and a solid return / refund policy.

 

[Colif]

I buy from stores that have been in business long enough to be trusted, and are local, not from Amazon or Ali Express. That way I know who to report to police if they sell me a fake CPU.

That and I don't buy second hand.

 

[Brian Boru]

I buy from stores that … are local

Sucks main sellers won't deliver DU. Can't blame 'em tho, with all the refunds due to shipments falling off planet

I usually use Newegg, with Amazon as 2nd choice—or I did, decade since I built last time

 

[Colif]

There are enough trustworthy shops here that I can normally get any PC hardware I might want... just have to order online as there isn't much choice locally (I know of a few stores in my city, but I don't know what they would have. I normally just order from one of the stores in another city)

Headphones/IEM - so far haven't tried ordering any of them from Overseas, but it might happen next year.

The thing I don't get about this upside down thing is how does North & South America connect with one side of it being upside down as well. Since they in southern Hemisphere too.

 

[Brian Boru]

how does North & South America connect with one side of it being upside down as well.

Well you see those are 2 sides of the same coin, with Central America being the intervening connection.

Oz sadly got lopped off when Gondwana got sick of lugging you lot around, and of course Zealandia wasn't going to be stuck and quickly said 'See ya' soon after. So there y'are, all alone just hangin' off the planet's ass—might say ye got the bum's rush.

 

[Colif]

We got rear ended by Tasmania, its even older than most of Australia. It used to be attached to the same area as the Grand Canyon... its been all over the place.

It is probably why we never fell off. Its pushing us into Asia... we slowly going that way anyway.

 

[Brian Boru]

So you're saying Van Diemen's Land isn't actually like it looks on maps, ie Oz droppings… from, you know, your Grand Canyon?

Yeah, spamming Indonesia for a relationship, that's pretty sad.

 

[Colif]

Most maps don't show the continents as they really are, as most of the boundaries are underwater or underland. Continental collisions aren't part of normal maps.

New Zealand doesn't look like it does on maps either - Its 90% underwater. Shame rest isn't.

Zealandia - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org