Chris Pirillo » Hardware

Mac USB Problems

Chris Pirillo — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 05:42:27 +0000

I’ve been having USB issues with my MacPro3,1. I’ve had the Mac Pro for about four years, but it’s otherwise been running like a champ.

A while back, I started having issues with a USB hub that was plugged into the back of the Mac. I replaced the cable, and things seemed to be fine. Until a while later, when the cable seemed to fail – then I replaced the hub, and all seemed fine.

Then the new hub was starting to have issues. So, I replaced that hub with another hub and new cable and things have been working swimmingly for a few months.

Then, this morning, all the USB ports on the back of the Mac seemed to go wonky – including one port which can recognize a device but always not power it properly. The front ports on the Mac, however, seem fine – sometimes.

I’ve zapped PRAM, I’ve booted into Safe Mode, and I’ve run USB Prober (from the Developer’s Tools) but… the prober tool doesn’t always recognize the device, either – but leads me to believe that every port is running as it should be running.

How could I, without introducing any new USB devices to the chain, be over-runing the system – especially when I’ve removed all USB devices and am still having issues with individual ones (like the wired Mac keyboard, but only sometimes in some ports but not at all in others)?

I can plug something like a USB flash drive into a port on the back and it might seem fine – it illuminates, but doesn’t always show a mounted drive (but always does on reboot, irrespective of port).
I can also plug Apple’s wired keyboard into a front port and it sometimes works, and sometimes doesn’t. It doesn’t seem to work at all in any of the rear USB ports.
I can see a Logitech webcam via USB Prober in one port, and its face illuminates when I open Photo Booth – then its face goes dark and Photo Booth doesn’t show an image.
If I plug that same Logitech USB webcam into just about any other USB port, the system doesn’t recognize it at all.
I tried reinstalling KEXT files, and that just forced me to reinstall Snow Leopard (which was painless, for whatever it’s worth). No go.
Someone in the comments suggested plugging my iPhone into ports to see if power was passing through them – and it was for all but the inner most rear USB port. Ouch.

I can’t imagine that it’s a failing power supply, but can’t help but wonder if I’m missing a software step after going through all of that. I’d hesitate to reinstall the OS only to find out the hardware was still the root cause. Who knows? Maybe Lion will fix the problem (and, at this point, I’m willing to wait a few more weeks for that install before either taking ‘er in or finding a Seattle-area Mac professional to help troubleshoot this on-site).

I believe it’s a hardware issue, but short of replacing the motherboard… ouch. “Repairs and Service Coverage: Expired.” Worse yet? Blake (from our community) sent me this link suggesting that this problem is known throughout my Mac Pro revision / line.

Mac USB Problems

What Do You Hate About Computers?

Chris Pirillo — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 14:54:55 +0000

What Do You Hate About Computers?

Over on Lockergnome, there’s an interesting discussion going on where we’re discussing things we hate about our computers. We spend a lot of time talking about the things we love: our processors, RAM and video cards. What about those things your machine does which make you want to smash it to bits? What’s the last “thing” your computer did to drive you crazy?

Many of the answers given by the community were ones you might expect. However, some of them touched on things I hadn’t thought of yet.

What i don’t like about computers is when the hard drive randomly starts reading constantly for no apparent reason.
What I hate about computers?… Well Computers are like Drivers Licenes… Some people are just meant not to have one, the world is just safer that way.
Trends in computer related technology seem to take the technology to new heights of obscurity. For example, the pentium 4 architecture (where speed was focused on ahead of multitasking), solid state drives (where speed is being focused on ahead of the ability to defragment and progress in RAM which is even faster), USB (a restrictive form of the old serial interface) and the new C standard.
I hate when the computer slows down due to something running in the background you didn’t know was there.
Hardware at the mercy of poorly written software.
There are to many acronyms to learn!

What about you? What do you hate about computers?

What Do You Hate About Computers?

Store-Built PC vs Home-Built PC

Chris Pirillo — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 23:21:21 +0000

Store-Built PC vs Home-Built PC

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When I opened up the virtual floor for your questions, one of you asked this question. What’s the value in building your own computer versus getting one off-the-shelf, pre-built?

My PCs seem to be happier if I let someone else assemble and mitigate issues before I have to face them. Sometimes, I just need to save time in life – not waste it.

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Store-Built PC vs Home-Built PC

Where Do You Buy Computer Hardware?

Chris Pirillo — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 20:42:44 +0000

Where Do You Buy Computer Hardware?

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Adam asked over on Lockergnome which sites I would recommend he order computer parts from. With so many online retailers out there in cyberspace, he’s not sure where to turn for reputable parts. The problem though, is that there is no right answer. Some places will have better prices than others. Some will have better parts at higher cost. It all boils down to choosing what’s best for YOU – and doing some research.

There are “big names” out there, of course. Most people will tell you to run to either TigerDirect or Newegg. There’s also a small site a friend of the community helps run, called Shark Systems. From what I’ve seen, their prices are pretty competitive. They also have excellent customer service. Sometimes, it’s the smaller companies that will have the best relationships with their customers, ya know?

In any case, buying computer parts and pieces online is no different from any other type of Geek purchase. You have to know what you’re looking for, and do your research. Ask around – get opinions. Find out who you feel will serve your needs the best.

If you have suggestions as to which place online you feel is the best to buy from – backed up with reasons WHY you feel they’re the best – please leave us a follow-up comment!

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Where Do You Buy Computer Hardware?

This is Better Than That

Chris Pirillo — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 13:40:56 +0000

This is Better Than That

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One live caller last night asked me which (in my opinion) is better – NVIDIA or ATI. I can’t possibly answer that question. That’s like asking me if Windows or Mac is better. It’s akin to wanting to know whether apples or oranges are better. You have to be much more specific if you want to know whether one of these is better than the other. All kinds of things come into play here.

Some people may argue that a specific ATI graphics card is better to use for certain games. Others will fight you, and tell you adamantly that a certain NVIDIA graphics card is better for different games. Had the question been more specific, it might have been easier to answer. If you compare a specific graphics card from ATI against a specific graphics card from NVIDIA, you might – perhaps – get an answer.

The problem, though, is that it is a completely relative question. It boils down to a matter of opinion. You have to do your research and find out what card works well with your system. If you’re basing a system on the card, then you need to find out what others are saying… read reviews, figure out if there have been a lot of problems, make sure you can get drivers.

This holds true no matter what you are going to ask when wanting to know if something is “better” than another thing. I can’t tell you what’s best for you, anymore than you have a clue what would be the best for me. You need to do some research, figure out what your needs are and then look at what’s available within your price range. That, my friends, will be the one which works best.

There is no better answer that I can give you.

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This is Better Than That

Should You Build Your Own PC?

Chris Pirillo — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 03:33:15 +0000

Should You Build Your Own PC?

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I had a caller from Australia the other night whose older computer has served him well for a number of years. He’s trying to decide whether he should build a new one, buy a new one off the shelf or simply upgrade his current system. He asked my opinion as part of his research. What are your thoughts? Which would be a better option for him?

I feel that if he can do it, he would be best off building a computer for himself. Always spend as much as you can afford, and buy quality components. Do your research on each part prior to choosing, and pick what you feel will work best for you.

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Should You Build Your Own PC?

AMD’s Vision

Chris Pirillo — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 21:00:00 +0000

AMD’s Vision

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During my trip to SXSW last week, I spent some time at the AMD campus. I was able to talk briefly with Raymond from the AMD Product Marketing Group. I had heard that AMD has a vision for Vision, and wanted to get more information for all of you. It’s a difficult process to buy a new computer these days, with all of the choices there are. AMD Vision was created to simplify that process for you.

When a consumer walks into a store, they typically have ideas as to what they want to buy. Vision, Vision Premium and Vision Ultimate designations are similar to “good”, “better” and “best” hardware configurations. What this will do is give the purchaser a much better idea of what they will get with any particular model, to help them decide if it is the right one for them.

Even without knowing a model number, people can compare models against each other by using the Vision designation. People don’t necessarily care about the tech terms, such as “gigabyte”. They want to be able to look at something, and just know it will work for them. With this program, it’s simple for an average computer user to figure out what is what, and what will do the job.

For instance, let’s say a woman walks into the store and needs to buy a notebook that will allow her to surf the web and watch movies. The Vision line would be perfect for that. However, if she also needed to do some light video processing, she would be better off choosing the Vision Premium model. If she’s a power user who does a lot of processor-intensive work (or even a gamer), she’ll need to go with a machine designated with the Vision Ultimate tag.

This is the vision of Vision – to simplify the buying process, and make it more intuitive. AMD has been seeing very positive results with this program. People understand what they are trying to convey, and are using it to their advantage.

From what I’ve seen, I have to agree. Vision is fantastic, and I highly recommend using this system when you are looking to buy your next computer.

I appreciate the folks at AMD sponsoring my trip to SXSW, and giving me the opportunity to get important product information to our community.

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AMD’s Vision

AMD Questions and Answers

Chris Pirillo — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 22:54:29 +0000

AMD Questions and Answers

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Thanks to AMD for allowing our community to ask them questions. Yes, we have an open line of communication with them – so don’t think it begins and ends with this video. If it weren’t for AMD, I wouldn’t have been able to attend SXSW (and, of course, visit AMD’s campus in Austin, TX).

Does ATI have any plans to counter Nvidia’s Fermi? Most people actually say that Fermi are trying to counter what ATI is doing. If you look, ATI has launched several DX-11 based graphics cards over the past several months, whereas Fermi has not launched a single one. The question should be thrown to Fermi, instead.

What is the best ATI video card out there? – If you’re looking for a single GPU solution, it would be the 5870. If you’re looking for the best overall (and fastest) graphics card, you’ll want to check out the HD 5970.

What is your favorite technology in the new series of graphics cards? – It’s going to depend on the person, and their usage of their graphics card. There are two technologies that make the ATI line the best there is. DirectX 11 is the one that is the most useful, as well as the most widely-demanded. DirectX 11 was introduced with Windows 7, and is now available on Vista. It brings additional performance and quality capabilities. For power users, the best feature is the Eyefinity technology. It’s a game changer.

What is the difference between the 4800 series cards, and the 5800 series cards? – Both cards are fantastic for DirectX 9 and DirectX 10 games. The 4800 is still a good value, but with the 5800 series you will have just a bit more performance.

If you were building an extreme gaming PC (no matter the cost), which GPU would you choose? – One of the employees answering questions recently did this exact thing. He chose the Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition Quad Core processor. He wanted this both for the ease of use with Eyefinity, as well as the sheer power of the hardware. This processor incorporates 6MB of unified high-speed L3 cache and a high-speed DDR2/DDR3 memory controller.

Thanks again to everyone at AMD – not only for helping me with my SXSW trip, but for being so fantastic to work with during the event.

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AMD Questions and Answers

Fingerprint Problems in Windows

Chris Pirillo — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:40:12 +0000

Fingerprint Problems in Windows

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My finger is very secure! It’s attached to my body. However, PC PitStop community member Bob isn’t so sure his fingers are secure. He wrote in to ask about fingerprint sensor on his laptop. He’s been having trouble with them since updating from Vista to Windows 7.

Hopefully Bob ran Microsoft’s Upgrade Advisor. That will tell you whether or not a driver is avaiable for the fingerprint scanner to work inside of Windows 7. Just because it ran fine on Vista doesn’t mean it will run on Windows 7. Sometimes, drivers are poorly written – or not updated at all.

The bottom line is that Bob will need to contact the laptop manufacturer and find out where he can get an updated driver for his fingerprint scanner. If there isn’t one available, he may have to roll back to Windows Vista (*shudder*) if he really wants to use the fingerprint scanner.

Sadly, there’s no magic answer here. Bob needs a driver. The hardware worked perfectly in Vista, but stopped as soon as he upgraded the operating system. To me, that points a big red arrow right to the drivers.

Bob, check with the manufacturer of your laptop. You can even log on to their website, and look for drivers there, without having to call them. Most reputable manufacturers will have a section devoted to the most up-to-date drivers that are available.

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Fingerprint Problems in Windows

These are a Few of My Favorite Things

Chris Pirillo — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 05:35:23 +0000

These are a Few of My Favorite Things

I’m willing to bet that old song is now stuck in your head. If you’re too young to know and remember the song – well, you just missed out. Look it up on YouTube, and immerse yourself!

What are your favorite “things”? You cannot list people, as they aren’t things. We all know your family, friends and loved ones come first… that’s a given! I’m talking about honest-to-goodness things. Is your cell phone the best thing you own? What about your iPod, or maybe even your dual monitors? Heck, maybe your favorite things aren’t even tech-related. That’s ok, as well! I’m curious to see what everyone will list as being their favorite thing.

We’re so wrapped up with using our gadgets and gizmos that we sometimes forget all about human connections. We forget to take the time to really talk to others, and get to know them. Why not spend some time today checking out what the people around you are talking about? Go ahead – join their conversations!

These are a Few of My Favorite Things

What Happens When Your Laptop’s Motherboard Goes Bad?

Chris Pirillo — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 04:02:14 +0000

What Happens When Your Laptop’s Motherboard Goes Bad?

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There is this thing sitting inside your computer that is the one thing every other thing is connected to! It’s called a motherboard. I have no idea why there’s no fatherboard… but yeah. The motherboard is crucial. If it’s not working – good luck using your computer at all. Ian from the PCPitStop community is sad because his Sony Vaio died. His motherboard is now dead, and wonders where he can find an affordable replacement.

Virut won’t corrupt your motherboard – but it will usually lead to having to reformat your system. With that said, if your motherboard is hosed for any reason, you might want to run a few diagnostics if you can. It’s possible it could be a bad power supply, you know? Check everything you possibly can, to determine for sure that it’s a motherboard.

I feel your pain. I’ve heard some not-so-happy things about Sony support in the past. Unfortunately, if it is a motherboard problem – it’s going to cost you. My recommendation is to find a local Geek. Pay them in pizza and cola. They’ll take a look at the computer to assess the problem. Sometimes it’s something small that trips us up, and I certainly hope that’s what is going on with you!

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What Happens When Your Laptop’s Motherboard Goes Bad?

Samsung’s SSD Hardware is Stupid Fast

Chris Pirillo — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 00:37:08 +0000

Samsung’s SSD Hardware is Stupid Fast

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I recently purchased a Samsung SSD drive and put it in my Mac. I decided to try opening a bunch of intensive programs all at once to see how fast they would open. It is STUPID FAST!! All of them opened before I could even count to two!

So what IS a solid state drive? An SSD is a data storage device that uses solid-state memory to store data. An SSD emulates a hard disk drive interface, thus replacing it in most situations. They’re light, and they’re fast. This makes them ideal for laptops!

These drives have been around for some time, but it is only recently that they have started to become available through normal channels and even available to the average consumers; despite that fact they are still far from affordable.

Not only are they stupid fast, they’re completely silent. You’d expect to hear your hard drive “working” when you’re doing something, right? Not with one of these babies. They’re just totally and completely quiet. What a change that is!

If you’re in the market for something like this, I’d definitely recommend the Samsung. It works very well, and I’m absolutely happy with it.

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Samsung’s SSD Hardware is Stupid Fast

Where Do You Find Manuals?

Chris Pirillo — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 13:41:34 +0000

Where Do You Find Manuals?

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You’ve probably hit the frustration when needing to find information about hardware or software. You reach for the manual, only to not be able to find what you need. You just can’t find things easily. They lead to nothing but frustration many times.

Take, in comparison, a PDF. You can do a quick search and find what you’re looking for. Electronic manuals are the way to go. You can read them on your phone, or on your desktop. Online help isn’t intuitative, no. You have to know what you’re looking for in order to find it.

So where can you find these electronic manuals? OwnerIQ helps you locate user manuals, how-to guides, installation instructions, and tutorials from thousands of manufacturers and hundreds of thousands of products.

Registration is completely free. Once you sign up, create an inventory of your manuals, based on products you own. You’ll have detailed information about your possessions stored for you on the site. If and when there are updates, recalls, or other information released about your products, you will receive an email to alert you.

OwnerIQ also has a community within their site. You and other owners can learn from each other by discussing problems, giving each other tips, and exchanging documentation. Exchange of information can help all of us to get the most out of the products we own.

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Where Do You Find Manuals?

Would You Like a Computer Contest has Ended

Chris Pirillo — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 05:00:56 +0000

Would You Like a Computer Contest has Ended

Hey everyone! Our HP Magic contest is officially over! We will be going through all of the posts and comments tonight, and will announce our winner tomorrow. Please keep in mind that any comments made from here on out will not count towards helping someone to win.

Thank you all for participating… and good luck! We were completely overwhelmed with the amount of submissions we received (and underestimated the time it would take to edit / prepare those that were 99% perfect to begin with).

This is Kat, posting an update for Chris. He’s been sick with food poisoning since early last night. Ponzi reports that he’s completely knocked out, but I wanted to express my thanks to those of you who played by the rules and remained patient with us. I also wanted to thank both Ryan Courtade and Jamie Inscore, who helped us get things done – and kept things running smoothly for the duration).

We’re finding it difficult to discover the winner, as we’re starting to peel back layers of duplicate IP addresses, use of proxies to comment, as well as checking for comment validity (remember, insipid comments would be rejected or would NOT count towards the total number). Thanks again for your patience.

Would You Like a Computer Contest has Ended

Do You Put Stickers and Skins on Your Hardware?

Chris Pirillo — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 08:52:04 +0000

Do You Put Stickers and Skins on Your Hardware?

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Yes, this is me you’re watching in this video. But that’s also me in the sticker on the back of my notebook. How awesome looking is that sticker? Customizing your notebook or hardware with skins or stickers not only makes them more fun – it also allows you to help identify them as yours. The sticker on the back of my Macbook came with a full skin. I uploaded a square image, instead of a circular one. So, it didn’t look right. I simply cut it out and made it look much better. Skinit allows you to customize your own skin.

Set yourself apart from the crowd with a Skinit Skin that reflects your tastes and passions. Choose from thousands of designs for thousands of devices, including professional sports leagues, entertainment, colleges, fashion, exclusive art and more.

Skinit is the leader in on demand personalization manufacturing, powering programs for computer manufacturers, wireless carriers, retailers, OEMs and other companies. Your skin will perfectly fit over 1,500 different wireless handsets, PDAs, iPods, notebook computers, gaming consoles and other devices.

Skinit offers the highest quality and most durable product in the market place. The Scotchprint Graphics 3M logo assures photo quality imaging, residue free removal and air bubble free application. The Skinit R and D team is dedicated to developing the best products possible with feedback from our customers, manufacturers, OEMs and service providers.

Even if you don’t need to deck out your hardware, maybe you’re buying something for a holiday gift. Why not personalize it to make it that much more special.

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Do You Put Stickers and Skins on Your Hardware?