Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Updates

June 9, 2007

Today we had our family reunion after two years from the last one back in 2005. Our next one will be in 2009. Our cousin came down and we had a blast watching movies, and playing video games.

Good times

June 12, 2007

Today I finally got my Tv-tuner card in my new PC working probably, but I did have a strange problem.

I did install it a few days ago but it wasn't working on I talk to tech support and they suggested to reinstall it into a different slot. In which I did and it came up. I installed the drivers and the application for the TV-tuner and trouble-shooted it for a while because I wasn't getting a picture. I switched cables and stuff and finally got it up and running with TV.

Then I left for work. I placed my computer in stand by mode. I get off work and get home into my room booted my computer and launched my TV from my PC tv tuner.

I got no picture just funky colors in the window. Again I looked at my cables and everything was fine so I decided to restart the machine. Once it booted back up I got a MISSING FILE ERROR. I was like OK, what the hell.

It told me to boot up my windows install disk and run the recovery console which I did and it is okay now.

I have no idea in the slightest why I got that error message. The only thing I did before that message is install that TV-tuner app to watch TV on my PC.

I wasn't all that worried because I had a image of my computer when I first installed the OS so I could just re-install that image. I just didn't want to take the time to do so...

Anyways that is it for now. I'm working now so I will try to blog whenever I can.

Later

Sunday, June 3, 2007

Computer Update: CPU delieved & Computer Built

6-1-07

Well today I received my CPU from Tigerdirect that was supposed to be in my first order back on May 18th.

After it came I got to work on my computer. First I got my motherboard out and then placed the back plate for the mobo and all the ports keyboard, mouse, USB, network, and audio.

Then I looked at my case to see all the pre-drilled holes that I would place risers to rise the mobo of the back of the case. If the motherboard was to touch the back of the case which is medal it will short out the board.

After I did that it was time to insert the CPU and CPU fan on the motherboard, as well as installing the memory in the correct slots.

Then I carefully place the motherboard on top of the risers and screwed it in to place. Then I got all the little wires such as power switch, reset switch, hard drive LED, and speaker and plugged them in on the board.

After that I powered it up for a short while and everything worked.

6-2-07

Today I plugged in all the case fans. There are 3 exhaust fans and 1 intake. I want to keep my case on the inside dust free so I installed a filter on the intake fan, from PurePC.com. It looks like a little mesh screen. On the site it says it was a patented design.

Then I noticed a problem, well I noticed it yesterday too, that my screws that were suppose to hold the motherboard down on the risers, well some of the screws were loose and didn't hold. So I checked them all out and replaced them with others and they all held.

Furthermore I also noticed to other things; 1. Looking at the back of my case where the back plate was I noticed it wasn't as flush as needed. So I removed the board and fixed it but it still seems to be flush but it is close.

The back plate has tabs to bend back and all I did was bend the ethernet network tab back then it looked better.

2. My video card was not flush as well. It was in the right slot, but when I installed it rocked back more then it should.

To fix that I placed a screw in were I would normally place a screw to hold the any kind of PCI, AGP or PCI Express card in place. The reason I didn't place the screw in the first place was because my case isn't supposed to have to use screws it has plastic connectors to hold components in place. But placing that screw did the job.

Then I installed my DVD burner drive and hard drives.

End

Well that was all the hardware work no it is onto the software work.

One thing I have to do is update the BIOS on the motherboard to the latest version.

Then I have to install the OS (Operating System) which will be Windows XP Pro, then one day Vista.

Later

Sunday, May 27, 2007

Another Computer Update: Order & Delivery

I ordered all my parts on the 18th of May. They shipped and were scheduled to be delivered next week on the 24th by UPS.

I tracked it all the way here using UPS's tracking on there site.

5-24-07
The package arrived and I was happy. So I took it to my room and opened it up like it was Christmas. I pulled out the Packing Invoice and pulled out all the items and checked them off the list.

Ran into a BIG problem they didn't ship my CPU, the brains of the computer itself, or my TV Turner card for my PC. Even without the CPU I couldn't build nothing the computer was worthless for now.

So I got on the horn, the phone, and called Tigerdirect.com 1-800 number to talk to someone in which I did. I told what items were missing and what there item numbers were.

NOTE: There was No damage to the box what so ever the missing items didn't fall out some were in transit.

So I told customer support and they said they have to investagate this insident it would take 2 - 7 days to complete. ok I said. and click went the phone.

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I had another project to keep me busy so I wasn't that mad but I was mad.

May 25, 2007

I receieved a email from Tigerdirect.com with an invoice stating that the missing items were being shipped.

But..... another problem looking at the email it said, they were shipping a CPU with all the right specs etc, but they were shipping another video card, NOT the TV tuner. So I called and again it was about 9 o'clock the email was recieved at 6:22pm but I didn't check it till now.

I had no idea that it was going to be shipping so fast.

So like I said I call and said there was a problem and your shipping the wrong item again. No like I was said it was 9 so the warehouse was closed and it was too late. What the man told me to do was when I recieve the package send the video card back and they will shipp the TV tuner.

NOTE: I've ordered from Tigerdirect before but it was only one item. That's it why you always check the invoice inside the package to make sure you got everything. I kind of expected something to happen with this big order of mine.

NOTE 2: From the warehouse from Tigerdirect it takes about 6-7 days to get here so about 2 weeks round trip. So I am looking at 5 weeks to complete this order. But the man said that they will "rush" my last item on my original list.

Thats it I'll keep you updated

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Computer Build update

Well today I have selected all the remaining parts for my computer.
 
I also edited my website today. I will make a section one day where when anybody clicks on it will show up in the frame in the middle of the page.
 
When I have time it will list my weekly activites, and much more.
 
 

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Computer building dely til May

I have stopped building on my computer because I don't have much time to mess with it. So far I have the keyboard, mouse, monitor/tv, case. I still have several things to order such as; motherboard, memory, power supply, cpu & fan, hard drives and DVD drive.

I'll pick it back up in May when college is close to letting out.

Friday, April 13, 2007

Working on my website.

I tired, I can't believe I spent most the day editing my website I planned it but didn't think I'd take this long o well, time well spent.

I have my own room now and a new computer desk made completely of good solid wood.

I'm on my laptop, on the internet editing my blog entry, listening to my mp3 player.

I had to restart this blog because they changed ownership, Google I guess owns it because I used my G-Mail account to access my blog.

Keep a look out, on my website Justin's Website for more pics of my computer I'm building coming probably late May.

Later
Justin