Episode #80
My PC is having terrible problems. It’s a Gateway laptop [Model Number MX3558] and it is over heating like there was no tomorrow. I’ve tried many things, I have Norton 360 installed on this PC and it didn’t see any Spyware or anything on the computer; and the most labor intensive program I have on this computer is The GIMP [GNU Image Manipulation Program, You should check it out and put it on LWL!] The computer is getting so hot I have it placed with two movie cases underneath the half of the laptop that stays cool. The CPU area is where most of the heat is coming from - and it’s not over clocked. It’s running at stock speed. I’ve checked all the programs that start when the computer is booted up [got rid of the ones I don’t need] and they don’t seem to be the problem. I used software to check for registry errors and it found over 3000! All I’ve done on this computer is surf the web and play one game [which works perfectly fine - it’s not a graphics card or power intensive game] And do some image editing here and there. Another problem is that my computer is consistently boggled down by a tracking cookie that continuously gives me pop-ups based on the websites I visit. Norton completely skipped over it and never even gave me any recognition that it saw it. Please help if you can! I would love to be on your show! PS: I’m Sean from Wetaskiwin Alberta [I’m 13 years old, hope that’s not a problem!]
Sean, Wetaskiwin, AB
Overheating is definitely a problem with a growing number of today’s laptops — they’re just trying to squeeze too much power into too small a case. The best solution may be to get a laptop cooling stand, to draw the heat away from the CPU…but let’s try a couple of things first. Number one, you want to make sure that the exhaust vent on the notebook isn’t plugged up by dust, or otherwise blocked (ie if it’s on the bottom of the machine, you can’t simply place the notebook down on a bed or a couch…it has to have sufficient clearance to get the heat away from the CPU. Secondly, you may want to make sure there’s no rogue software running on the machine that’s cranking your CPU up to an overheating-level temperature. Open up the Task Manager when your system isn’t running any other programs, and see what your processor utilization is using the Performance tab — and you can use the Processes tab to see which programs are using the processor. Uninstall these programs if you can, cleanse your system with anti-spyware if necessary, and be prepared to reformat the drive if things don’t get any better after your troubleshooting…and since you’re also experiencing pop-ups, it’s definitely a possibility.
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Air Date: September 24, 2007
TranscriptCaller Questions
- Keith, Picton, NSW
- Sean, Wetaskiwin, AB
- Stan, Thornhill, ON
Yewell's Jewels
- MP3Gainwindows
MP3Gain analyzes and losslessly adjusts mp3 files to a specified target volume. It does not simply do peak amplitude normalization. Instead, it performs statistical analysis to determine how loud the file actually sounds to the human ear.
Sean's Shinies
- Moon in My Room
$30
You don’t have to be a kid to want to have a replica of the moon sitting in your very own bedroom — the Moon In My Room is a wall-hung nightlight that features a fairly accurate moon face. The problem is that unlike a typical nightlight, the moon goes through phases…but so does the Moon in My Room, which has a series of strips of lights that simulate the various phases of the moon. It comes with a remote control that allows you to change the phase manually, or to set it into automatic mode, which changes phases every few seconds. The moon will light up automatically when the light level in the room gets low (a light sensor prevents it from turning on in bright light so you don’t waste batteries). It also comes with an on/off switch for turning it off entirely.
Moon in My Room
Uncle Milton Industries
www.ThinkGeek.comPro:
- accurate rendering of the moon
- light-sensitivity saves batteries during the day
- remote control works from across the room
Con:
- doesn’t automatically change phase through the month
Kate’s Tips
- Video Blog
Developer: Viddyou Inc.
Link your Viddyou video blog with your Facebook account and always have your latest vidd on your profile!
Note: you will need a Viddyou account to use this app.