I have a Medion 8 GB USB Flash Drive. I am using a Dell Windows 7 (64-bit) PC. Everything was okay until today. I downloaded a movie and checked the flash drive with Norton Antivirus. As usual, I had no viruses. However, the flash drive stopped responding. It flashes, but I cannot open it. My computer doesn’t even show it. It usually shows up as the I drive. I hear clicking sounds, like computer is trying to open it, but nothing is happening. Do you think it is broken? Do you think that plugging the flash drive into the USB port, and then rebooting the computer while the flash drive was in might cure the problem? Could there be a virus that caused Norton Antivirus to block the flash drive from being read by the PC? My other flash drives work fine.

Diagnosing a Failed Flash Drive

To take your question in a few different parts - in the first place I think yes, your flash drive could be broken. Like everything, flash drives have life spans, and if you have been using it to download, save and replace movies for a while, it might have just reached the end of its days. A quick way to test this theory would be to plug the flash drive into another computer and see if there is any response - if the drive is dead then the computer won’t be able to open it. Not fool-proof, but worth a try. Because other flash drives are working, it’s possible but unlikely, that you need to update your USB drivers.

Resolve the Issue with Windows Disk Management

Another possibility is that your Windows operating system has produced a glitch that is preventing the drive from being recognized - and, thus, opened. Sometimes Windows Disk Management assigns removable devices drive letters that are already being used by another device. In such a case, the computer won’t be able to access the drive. Since your computer was able to open your other flash drives it is unlikely that this is the issue, but worth a try to rule it out.

The utility you need to use to check this is Disk Management, as a precaution - it is always good to backup your files before tampering with disk and partition settings. In Windows 7, you can launch Disk Management through the Start Menu by typing diskmgmt.msc into the search box, then click the file that appears to open the tool. The specific drive assignments for port can vary between computers, so you might have to look around a bit, but you can make sure that the drive letter used for your USB port isn’t being used by any other device or drive. USB ports are commonly designated H or I.

Reboot the System, and the Flash Drive

To answer your specific question about rebooting with the flash drive attached - the online community jury is out. It is not inconceivable that a reboot could resolve the issue - but before booting with the flash drive plugged in, I would suggest a simple computer reboot and power cycle. To do this, turn the computer off, then unplug it from the power source completely. Let it relax for a few minutes, then reconnect and reboot.

I hope this helps!

The MSI Wind Netbook

MSI develops a number of computer products around the world including a line of MSI Wind Netbooks. Depending on the netbook model that you have, your computer may or may not have a built-in webcam.

Using a Built-in Webcam

In general, using a built-in webcam is pretty simple. If your netbook has an integrated webcam, it will already be set up and ready to use. However, you’ll need to know which software to launch in order to begin using it. Start by clicking your Start button and looking through the list of programs. Do any of the programs sound like they may be webcam related such as “WebCam Companion”? If so, go ahead and launch the program and start exploring.

That’s not to say that you need software installed in order to use your webcam. The MSI Wind netbooks with integrated webcams use a webcam driver that’s built into the operating system. If you go to any site or use a third party communications tool that supports webcams such as Skype, your webcam should be automatically detected and usable. For example, if you have Skype, launch it and then go to Options and click on the Video link. Your webcam should be detected and displayed. From there, you can take a snapshot or set up your webcam preferences for Skype video calls.

Using a Detachable Webcam

If your Wind netbook does not have a built-in webcam, you can buy an inexpensive webcam designed specifically for notebook and netbook computers. These are small devices that clip onto your monitor and connect via a USB cable. Like all computer devices, prices range dramatically, but you can get one for as little as $15, perhaps even less. Most will come with software and be easy to install.

Depending on how you plan on using the webcam, you may or may not want to use the software. For example, if you plan on recording videos, then yes, you’ll probably use the software. On the other hand, if you want to use the webcam with an application that supports webcams such as Skype, then you don’t need the software.

SD Card Types

SD cards come in many different types including standard SD (Secure Digital) and SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) as well as miniSD and microSD. SD cards come in three physical sizes (standard, mini, and micro). Despite their size differences, the electrical contacts of all three card types is consistent, making it possible to use an adapter to ensure that the smaller cards fit into the standard SD slot.

In addition to the physical size differences, SD cards have varying capacities. Early SD cards had relatively small capacities in the 24 to 32 megabyte range. Today, high capacity SD cards are capable of up to 32 gigabytes.

SD Card Readers

Unfortunately, older SD card readers are not capable of reading high capacity SD cards. SDHC cards are backward compatible with SD cards, but SD cards and card readers are not necessarily compatible with high capacity SD cards. This could be why you cannot view any information on your card. For example, if you have a 4 GB SDHC card, you will need to use a card reader capable of reading the high capacity cards. If your computer is older, then your card reader may be incompatible. If you think that compatibility is the problem, consider buying an inexpensive USB SDHC card reader. You can find them online for under $10.

Viewing SD Files

If you don’t think the problem is a compatibility problem between your card reader and the card, let’s make sure that the card is properly inserted into the slot. Did it slide in as it should? Is it in the correct slot? Right-click the Start button, choose Explore and look for a new drive letter. The SD card should be listed as its own drive such as the “e:\” or “f:\” drive. If so, click the drive letter and see if you can view the SD files.

Another option is to connect the device that the card came with, if any, to the computer directly. For example, if the SD card is the card that you use with your digital camera, you may be able to access the files by hooking your camera up to the computer directly using the camera’s supplied cable and software. If so, this could get around any compatibility issues between the card and the card reader.

Typically, computers work harder when performing certain tasks such as gaming, downloading music, or downloading pictures. When this happens, the processor fan also works harder. Since you recently swapped out your old hard drive with a new one, it is possible that the computer must now work harder when booting up due to the size of the hard drive. Try the following suggestions to see if you can resolve the problem of the noisy CPU fan. Since the fan noise is associated with your computer’ start up and resource- hogging activity such as gaming, it is likely that nothing is actually wrong.

Troubleshooting Noisy CPU Fan: Overheating

An accumulation of dirt might exist leading to overheating or even have been dislodged while you installed the new hard drive. Disconnect the computer from the power source and check for dirt. You can use a can of compressed air to remove any dirt or dust that you find. Additionally, you need to make sure that sufficient space exists around the computer to avoid overheating due to blockage of the air vents.

Troubleshooting Noisy CPU Fan: Physical Set Up

It is possible that you dislodged either the fan or the cables inside the computer when you replaced the hard drive. If this is so, the cable could be hitting the fan or the fact that the fan is ajar could be causing the noise. Disconnect the computer from its power source, open the case, and check the fan out to see if you can see any physical problems.

Troubleshooting Noisy CPU Fan: Heatsinks

It is possible that your computer’s heatsink is in need of adjustment. The heatsink is responsible for attracting and dissipating the heat within the computer. It is attached to the processor and is responsible for getting the air properly distributed with the cpu fan. If your heatsink does not have a sufficient amount of thermal compound on it, it can function improperly. This compound acts as a seal between the heatsink and the area of the computer that it is responsible for cooling. If you do not have enough thermal compound on the heatsink it is possible that this is responsible for the added noise. Check it out and add a fine layer of the thermal compound if it is needed. This is a tricky process, so if you aren’t comfortable with it, you should get someone else to deal with it.

Troubleshooting Noisy CPU Fan: Faulty Fan

In some cases, especially when all of your troubleshooting has not resolved the problem, the only thing left to do is to replace the fan. Fans do stop working and a noisy fan could be the first sign of this.

Troubleshooting Hard Drive Errors

Before investing the time and energy into replacing your hard drive, first complete each of the following suggestions:

• Perform a soft restore using the recovery disc. If you do not have one, contact the manufacturer and see if you can get one.
• Run a thorough anti-virus/anti-spyware scan on the laptop’s HDD.
• Clean the registry using a reliable registry cleaner such as RegCure.

Slave the Hard Drive to Recover Laptop Data

In order to recover data from a damaged hard drive, you can replace it with a good hard drive first. The, you have two options left. You can either set the damaged HDD as slave on the laptop if you have room, or you can place it in an external hard drive case and access the laptop data that way. The second option might be the easier of the two as long as you have a compatible USB port.

Recovering Laptop Data from Hard Drive Using Data Recovery Software

Another option that you have when attempting to retrieve data from a damaged laptop hard drive is to use a data recovery program such as Data Recovery Pro.

Recovering Laptop Data from Hard Drive Using a Laptop Hard Drive Adaptor Kit

It is possible to plug your laptop hard drive into a standard desktop computer using a laptop hard drive adaptor kit. Once you do, you should be able to access the hard drive and recover any retrievable data.

Replacing a Damaged Hard Drive with 250GB SATA @ 7200 16MB

Whether or not you should upgrade to a 250GB SATA @ 7200 16MB hard drive is up to you. Take into consideration the age of your laptop and other mitigating factors. Are you happy with the performance of the hard drive that you had been using? If not, then you might want to upgrade.

This particular laptop hard drive is designed for top-of-the-line laptops so take that fact into consideration as well. It is noted for its speed and large capacity. Plus, it is noted for being quiet, reliable, compatible, and amazing ruggedness. It sounds like a winner to me especially since it is rumored to use little power.

Replacing a Laptop’s Hard Drive

You should be able to replace your VAIO’s hard drive with another brand hard drive without much difficulty. Look for a SATA drive of the same dimensions as your current drive. You current drive is most likely a 2.5-inch drive which is pretty standard for today’s laptops. You’ll need to open the laptop’s case, remove the old hard drive and replace it with the new drive and then either install Windows or restore your system from a bootable backup disc or disc image that you will need to create before the swap.

Inside My Laptop has some good information about how to remove a hard drive from the Sony VAIO VGNFE series of laptops.

Recovering Files from a Bad Hard Drive

Recovering deleted files is worth doing if the files are important to you. Data recovery programs cost about $40 to $50 and are quite easy to use, so if you have lost files that you’re willing to spend some money on getting back, by all means, give data recovery a try. For example, if you’ve lost all of your Quicken or QuickBook files for your business, $40 or $50 to get that information back may be well worth doing. The same is true if you lost your only copies of family photos or videos. On the other hand, if the lost data is just some old joke e-mail messages or old homework assignments that you’ve already turned in and will never need again, then data recovery is probably not worth attempting.

We recommend ParetoLogic Data Recovery which offers a free scanner that will show you what is recoverable for free. This way, you don’t have to spend money only to find out that data recovery isn’t possible. If the software finds recoverable files, you can then decide whether or not the data is worth the price of the software. If so, purchase the full version of Data Recovery and quickly recover the deleted files.

Noisy computers are fairly common, which makes them no less annoying. Most of the time the noise is harmless, but it is worth investigating to make sure there are no outstanding problems.  You’re on the right track with the fans - most of the time, computer noise is caused by the fans inside the case.

Possible Cooling Problems

It’s possible that your computer is overheating and that the fans are running constantly. Gaming, videos and graphics can put stress on the computer and cause it to run hot. First, take a look around the computer - is it sitting on a soft surface like a carpet or bedding? There needs to be some airflow on and around the unit.  It should be sitting on a hard surface or elevated just a little off the floor. Check the vents on the side and make sure they aren’t blocked by anything and that air can flow in and out of the unit.

Temperature Check

If you’re sure there is adequate airflow, you can monitor the PC’s internal temperature in BIOS or download a program that will let you easily see the information. There is a lot of controversy about what is a “safe” temperature, but you can find some temperature recommendations by CPU type and then looking at this chart on Technibble.

Keep it Cool

In addition to good airflow, there are other things you can do to cool down the computer. You will need to take the case off, so if you’re not comfortable rooting around in your computer, you might want to get some tech help. Take the case off and get a can of compressed air. Blow the dust off the fans, the heatsinks and the power supply. Make sure the vents are clear of dust and debris. You can also set up a desk fan outside the unit to pull hot air out, but then you have to deal with that fan noise as well.

Heatsinks

You may want to see if you have enough heatsinks.  There are two kinds of heatsinks. An active heatsink is a device that attaches to the processor for attracting and dissipating heat from the unit that it is attached to and into the air to be distributed with a fan. A passive heatsink works the same way, but does not have a fan attached to it. All heatsink devices need to have some sort of thermal compound on it. This compound creates a seal between the heatsink and the part of the unit that it is cooling. Most new heatsinks have a rubber thermal compound pad that is already attached while others will require that you use a thin layer of thermal paste. If you remove the heatsink from the unit, you need to put more thermal compound on it, even those that came with a pad. Make sure you apply only a thin layer - too much will stop the heatsink from working properly.

A noisy fan means that the computer is working as it should - make sure that the fans are clean and working properly and that you have all of the cooling measures in place that your computer can hold. Once your computer is cooled properly, the fans will probably not run as often and the noise should subside. 

Troubleshooting DVD Drive

At this point, it’s probably too late to have the Geek Squad come back out and double-check their work. In fact, Best Buy’s Geek Squad’s warranty is 30 days. So unless you want to pay the Geek Squad again, you’re likely on your own. The problem could be as simple as a jumper setting needing to be set or you may need to update the DVD drives’ device drivers. Let’s explore the options.

The Device Manager

First, let’s see if your computer recognizes the DVD drive. The Device Manager is just the tool for our initial investigation. Go to the Control Panel and click on the Device Manager. Click the plus sign next to DVD / CD-ROM drives. Are your DVD drives showing up? Is there a yellow caution sign next to either drive?

Now, double-click on one of the drives to view more information. The first screen you will see is the status tab. Does the status message indicate a problem or is “the device working properly”? Write down the manufacturer and model number of the drive as later you may need to search for updated device drivers. Do the same for the other drive.

If the devices do not appear in Device Manager at all, you will need to open the computer case and make sure that the drives are properly connected. One should be set as a master and the other as a slave. These settings are typically set using jumpers on the drives. In addition, the drives should be physically connected to the motherboard. If you are comfortable opening your computer’s case, you can manually inspect the drives yourself. Make sure to take appropriate safety precautions including unplugging the computer and grounding yourself.

If the devices appear in Device Manager and error messages are present, follow the instructions provided by the Device Manager to troubleshoot the problem. If not, let’s try updating the device drivers.

Updating Device Drivers

One easy way to quickly “freshen” up a malfunctioning drive is to uninstall it in Device Manager and reboot the system. This forces Windows to detect “new” hardware and install the latest device drivers. Simply right-click the drive in Device Manager and choose Uninstall. Reboot the computer and let Windows reinstall the software.

Windows uses drivers in its plug and play database. If you’d rather check with your drives’ manufacturers, you can do so by visiting the manufacturers’ Web sites. Use the information you wrote down earlier to search for updated device drivers for your drive. You’ll need to download and install these drivers according to each manufacturer’s instructions. Use extreme care to select the correct drivers for your model as well as for your operating system.

Common Laptop Startup Issues

Unfortunately, a number of issues could be preventing your laptop from starting up ranging from power supply problems, bad connections, or failed hardware such as the motherboard, video card, or hard drive. The trick is to figure out what is causing the problem and then addressing that issue.

Power / Battery Problems

Let’s take a look at the power supply itself. Are all of the cords secure? Does the power light on the “brick” turn on? Have you tried using a different electrical outlet? You can also try powering on the computer with the battery fully removed. If the laptop powers on with the battery removed, then the battery may be bad or interfering with startup somehow.

You may want to do a “laptop reset” at this point as well. With the laptop off, its battery removed, and the power cord plugged in, press and hold the power button for a full 60 seconds. This “resets” the laptop by clearing any retained power within the computer that could be interfering with startup.

Bad Connections

Bad connections can also cause startup failures. For example, if the internal power connector is loose, then the laptop will have power problems. It could be a faulty switch or a connector that needs to be soldered to the motherboard. Similarly, connections to video cards or even the hard drive could be to blame. Inspecting the internal components of a laptop is trickier than opening up a desktop’s computer case. Inspection ports are usually located on the bottom of a laptop though these do little to address components hidden under the keyboard. This is best left to an experienced computer technician.

Failed Hardware

Another common cause of laptop startup errors is failed hardware including the motherboard, hard drive, or video card.

In short, if resetting the laptop doesn’t revive it, a trip to the computer repair shop is your best bet. Technicians can try a different AC adapter, check for loose connections, and test your hardware.

A number of potential causes could be to blame including excessive heat, hardware issues, a bad power switch, a reboot loop issue, or even a computer virus. Where to start? Let’s start with excessive heat.

Excessive Computer Heat

If a computer runs too hot, shutdown issues are common. It’s a form of self-preservation. Check to see if your computer’s fan whirs on when you power up the computer? Is it clogged with dust? Most likely. Fans can become so clogged with debris that they can no longer spin. For example, human or pet hair is notorious for stopping computer fans from running. Use a can of compressed air to blow out the debris or have your computer professionally cleaned. This is a good first step for overheated computers. Filetonic Tech Jock Kat DeLong discusses overheated computers in greater detail in this “Overheated Computers” post.

Malfunctioning Power Switch

The power switch could be the culprit as well. A loose connection or a mechanical issue may be powering down your computer. You can inspect the button yourself by first disconnecting the computer from its power source and opening the case. Are the connectors firmly in place? Any broken parts? Contact your computer’s manufacturer for a replacement switch. If you have a laptop, this is an extremely common problem. Your computer repair shop may be able to solder the wires back into position.

Reboot Loops

Does the computer try to reboot when it shuts down? If it’s in a continuous reboot loop, let us know as there are several known issues with reboot loops and different fixes available. For now, you can try resetting the CMOS. This involves opening the computer case and, depending on the type of CMOS you have, either removing the round CMOS battery or setting the “Clear CMOS” jumper on the motherboard from pins 2-3 to pins 1-2. In either case, wait about 30 seconds and then reinsert the battery or move the pins back to their original position.

Computer Viruses

Finally, computer viruses and Trojans can cause all kinds of trouble including power issues. Since your computer never fully turns on, it’s more likely a hardware or mechanical issue rather than a computer virus, but it doesn’t hurt to try booting up from a bootable virus scan CD. You’ll need to make one using a different computer. You can read how to do this by viewing this Filetonic article and scrolling down to the “Running a bootable antivirus product” section.