Cobalt

Not sure I totally agree with that. I have a key from Pre SP2 and from post SP2 and the post won't take the pre key. If you can follow that. I've done so much wiping and starting from scratch on my four comps at home I have a hard time remembering all of the different annoyances that come with doing this. I do know that calling MS and trying to get them to verify you is worthless. Try to be honest and wipe your drive or install a new mobo, give them a call and tell them and its like you are on trial for murder. Thus, I have had a copy of all three isos at one point and time. Not sure which if any I still have. We work on a lot of HPs that get bad drives and need to be replaced. Since customers do not normally have the restore cds we end up installing with an OEM copy. The only problem I have ever had using an OEM XP key (PreSP1, SP1, or SP2) has been with drivers. Some of the older HP computers that shipped with early versions of home need updates to be installed (HP Hotfixes) before SP2 can be installed even IF SP2 is packaged with the operating system. In the event you do need to call Microsoft to activate they are going to ask you for your installation ID. If it could not activate on the internet it will not automatically activate with the phone computer. You will be transferred to a support representative who is going to ask you for the first 6 digits of your ID. They are going to ask you if this is a new copy of if it came with your computer, your answer needs to be "A new copy." They might ask you if this is the first time activating this windows and you respond "yes." They will then ask you how many computers this is on and you will respond "Only this one." They will probably ask you the make and model of your machine and where it was purchased. If you happen to get an Indian woman (75% chance of this) they will ask you to read back the product key. Once you do this they will "take a moment to validate" and then they will give you your 42 alphanumeric confirmation ID. You type this into the boxes and then click "Next" and then "Finish" and you are good to go.

Brand new models yes, but you can still buy some 32 bit models.

Though some people will argue the contrary, XP64 is junk and Windows Vista keeps getting pushed back further and further. Even with that being said, going with a 64bit enabled processor and Dual Core is still the right way to go. More specifically you want an AMD 64bit and Dual Core cause the Intel processors are junk. Your best bet is with an FX-60 or Opteron processor if you can find it for a good deal. Barring that I would check out the X2 line of AMD processors which generally tend to start right around $320 with the 3800+. The 3800+ can also be overclocked easily on stock cooling to 4200+ (2.2ghz) speeds with no stability issues. Given what you have told us so far if a customer is doing any sort of video editing he is probably also doing stills and/or audio. With that being said, you can set processor affinity so that one program is running on each core seperately. People who want dual DVI are the type of people who want 2x 24" Widescreen Dell monitors and like to multitask with a program on each. Dual Core processors at this point in time are made for those type of people. He will be able to use Premiere and Photoshop at the same time with no performance hit because he will effectively have one processor for each program. Speed and stability are also issues when it comes to builds of this sort but money is a huge factor as well. If your customer has told you money is no object you would want something like the list I am about to give you. In situations like your case I would also recommend going with XP Pro instead of Home Asus A8N32-SLI Deluxe - 8 Phase power. Stability. Asus. Best board out there right now TwinX2048 Corsair Memory - Corsair memory is quick and also reliable and their RMA is awesome EVGA Geforce 7900GTX 512 - Cause why not? PCP&C 510 SLI - Again, stability. Redundancy is an issue with a lot of clients of like this so I would say go something like this. Setup 2 RAID1 arrays 2x 150GB WD Raptor - 150GB space - Windows Drives - RAID1 Redundancy, Uber raptor speed 2x WD SE16 400 Drives - 400GB space - Storage Drives - One of the best storage drives out there A setup like that is probably going to set you back close to 2 - 2.5 grand depending on what types of deals you get and what type of processor you get. In the end, buy an Asus board and get a dual core processor. Do NOT use Windows XP64 cause it is junk.

Can we have a seperate section for Guild Wars like there is for Oblivion? You can feel free to delete this post once that is done. Thanks.

Heheheh...Yup.

Programs like Ethereal and Nmap tend to do that if discovered.

Or....not that you should do it...download Xp Pro Corporate. Didnt know there was a corporate version. What does it do different? It still requires a key but it does not require activation with microsuck...at all.

You can use the RDP client with XP Home but the server has to be XP Pro

Any luck sj?

Or....not that you should do it...download Xp Pro Corporate.

Hehehe...you and your crazy 300gb of drive space. This particular customer was like "I want speed, reliability, and redundancy." To which I responded "You are going to pay out the *expletive* for that." "Yeah I know, money is no object," was his reply. I swear to God I think dollar signs probably lit up in my eyes.

There is no difference between the OEM sp1 and sp2 cd licensing. You can use an OEM sp1 key with an OEM sp2 install. HOWEVER, you CANNOT install a retail copy and use OEM or Upgrade key, it will not allow you to activate. It doesn't matter which particular version of the OEM, Retail, or Upgrade you use as long is the key is from that type.

LOL....I'm glad you added this. I read all of that and was like, ok, how does it run? Me too! I spent all this time writing this and then I got home and I was like ZOMG I wrote a review about the packaging! I'm working on it right now so should have update by the end of the day. In regards to the packaging though its PRETTY AWESOME! hehehe.

If you go under Tools then Options then File Types in MP, you can select all the files that you want Media Player to be the default player for. You might even be able to have it check to see if it is the default player every time it starts, but I can't remember. Alternatively, you can just right click on specific file types select "Open With" then "Choose Program" select Media Player and check "Always use this program to open this type of file." In terms of extensions there is a video one for capturing video from youtube and google which is cool and I also use the google toolbar.

Whatever version key you have is the version of software you need to install off of. If you have OEM key download OEM software cd. With the purchases from vendors they give you everything. You can download an oem version of the software and use your key and activate it that way cause the only thing they care about is the license which you still have.

Hehehhe. AMDZone review is pointless, Anandtech review just further confirms Biostar sucks

You could try running nmap on his machine to see what extra ports are open that are not necessary. The other option is to reimage his machine and just add stuff in a little bit at a time until it gets bogged down again process of elimination style.

A customer came in to the store today and mentioned the words "high end system build" so I was summoned to the Communications department. He is building two identical high end systems for his office and wants RAID1 arrays with Raptor X drives. The components for system alpha are on my bench currently being assembled which brings me to this review. I would like to say that this hard drive begins its like on my bench as nonchalantly as any other but that is simply not the case. This drive has the most artistically beautiful and eye-catching box design outside of an Apple. It is a dark black with white and red text to offset the important features of the drive. Not saying that it was a delight to behold would be lying on my part. With that being said, venturing to the interior was a bit of a disappointment. On the inside of the box you find the hard drive ensconsed in the standard black plastic stands. Included with the drive is a minimal amount of accessories which include 4 screws, the standard WD sata cable, and presumably an instruction book (which I of course never opened). Removing the almost non-existant stands you discover the hard drive which is encased in the standard shiny silver static bag. This is the end of the humdrum with this drive as moving on I find something quite shocking. After tediously removing the static bag from the drive I find a black piece of cloth encompassing the drive. Upon further inspection I notice that it is actually a bag which is holding the hard drive. I am talking a bag that, in a lineup with a standard D&D dice bag, would probably be mistaken for the aforementioned dice bag. I was at this point absolutely amazed at the level Western Digital has gone to with their newest flagship drive. Inside the drive was a prize I never imagined would exist. Carefully stretching the strings and elastic of my new $350 dice collection I began my own odyssey into the realm of translucence. The drive was now removed from all of its extraneous packaging so that I could gaze upon it in all of its glory. The drive looks like any run of the mill raptor drive except for the top of the drive which is anything but normal. The top of the is in parts constructed with some type of plexiglass that allows you to actually view the platters as the drive operates. The entire top of the drive is not visible, only the platter and needle of the drive. The shape actually quite closely resembles what the Half-Life 2 logo would look like if it was opaque. From the outer edges of this visible awesomeness to the inner edges of the drive casing itself is some sort of "shiny black tape." I use that phrase simply because I cannot quite put words to the elements that compose it. That element of the drive is the only thing that I do not like about the composition. The reason being that it seems relatively cheesy to me given the rest of the construction. With that being said, it is not anything I think seriously detracts from the quality of this drive. This hard drive is one of the most amazing marvels of computer technology I have ever gazed upon. The interior packaging is somewhat lax in places but amazing in others and the "shiny black tape" does not detract from it too much. Everything considered I would say that the hard drive market has just had a new "bar" set. Probably should have put a disclaimer in here about how I intend to continue this once I actually install the drive.

<hijack> Chris Chelios's old house is like two blocks from where I live. My brother got hockey lessons from him and some other Hawks at Seven Bridges Ice Arena when he was younger. </hijack>

You said there were no nf4 boards with AGP, which is not the case. Whether it is labelled as AGR or XGP (each manufacturer has a different name for the slot) the slot is still AGP 8x the list of cards is just limited. With that being said, the nf4 chipset is better then the nf3 chipset but I cannot speak from first hand experience as to the stability of that Biostar board. MSI AGR BOARD Theres an MSI one too. I don't know which card you have but here is a list of compatible AGP cards. AGP Compatibility List Edit: Wanted to add some more. XGP and AGR will only function with certain AGP cards but you get full 8x AGP support.

Heheehe. nice.

Welcome!

I think you are thinking of AK|Rice EAter and he hangs out in TS alot. I was under the impression he had just joined but I suppose I could be wrong. ROK Medic plays with us all the time (also goes by AK|Kimchi Eater) and I bug him about it all the time. Firestarter and Ippo get bugged by a good portion of the West regulars about joining whenever they are on as well.

Nforce 4 DOES support AGP. Biostar NF4UL-A9 is an nforce 4 board with AGP, PCI-E, AND S939 Biostar NF4UL-A9 In fact, if I didn't hate Biostar so much I would tell you to get that board. You could find some reviews on it to see if it decent but it IS Biostar so I doubt it. My search will continue...