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#1
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Acer netbook problem
I'm having a problem with an Acer Aspire One running XP Home.
Keyboard takes VERY hard hits to work. Mouse (screen and two buttons below keyboard) intermittent. Any guesses? Not used for years. Perhaps dirty keyboard but that doesn't explain 'mouse' problem. How to clean keyboard if dirty? Any guesses? TIA -- I love a good meal! That's why I don't cook. |
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#2
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Acer netbook problem
On 28 Mar 2017 13:55:24 GMT, KenK wrote:
I'm having a problem with an Acer Aspire One running XP Home. I've been using my Acer Aspire One netbook running XP home for 2 weeks now. I have problems, but not that one.... Oh, that's because I brought a full size USB keyboard that I use. Let's try the other one. It seems to be working just fine. except I have to keep my elbows raised or they rest on the other kb. And I used it the first 3 days when I was staying somewhere temporary. Keyboard takes VERY hard hits to work. Mouse (screen and two buttons below keyboard) intermittent. Any guesses? Not used for years. Perhaps dirty keyboard but that doesn't They sell replacement kb on ebay iirc, but just do what I do, get one of the Dell kb with very little margin around the keys, but otherwise starndard shape. It fit nicely in my suitcase, along with a full size mouse, and my landlady here even had an led monitor I could use. Plus I have a USB 4-in-1 with a the USB speakers, the phone, and a flahshdrive on one side. And headphones on the other. It's like Igor got me a brain from the medical school and I have it in a big vat of sal****er and everything is connected to it. explain 'mouse' problem. How to clean keyboard if dirty? Any guesses? TIA |
#3
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Acer netbook problem
On 28/3/2017 06:55, KenK wrote:
I'm having a problem with an Acer Aspire One running XP Home. Keyboard takes VERY hard hits to work. Mouse (screen and two buttons below keyboard) intermittent. Any guesses? Not used for years. Perhaps dirty keyboard but that doesn't explain 'mouse' problem. How to clean keyboard if dirty? Any guesses? Use Task Manager to see if you have any processes hogging the CPU. Check how much free RAM you have, too. If there is little free RAM and the system is using virtual RAM, that would affect response time. If all looks fine, run malware andf spyware scans. Stef |
#4
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Acer netbook problem
Stef wrote in news
On 28/3/2017 06:55, KenK wrote: I'm having a problem with an Acer Aspire One running XP Home. Keyboard takes VERY hard hits to work. Mouse (screen and two buttons below keyboard) intermittent. Any guesses? Not used for years. Perhaps dirty keyboard but that doesn't explain 'mouse' problem. How to clean keyboard if dirty? Any guesses? Use Task Manager to see if you have any processes hogging the CPU. Check how much free RAM you have, too. If there is little free RAM and the system is using virtual RAM, that would affect response time. If all looks fine, run malware andf spyware scans. Stef Thanks. Finally had a few free minutes to work on it yesterday. Task Manager says System Idle at high 90s. Doubt if it's a virus; it was working fine last time I used it a few years ago. Then 99% work processing, the other 1% checking Gmail. Little opportunity for a virus to attack. Tried plugging in external keyboard; same thing. Sems to work ok with word processor, or at least much better. BTW, long ago added a startup password. Would like to remove it, especially with typing so difficult. How? Forgot to check RAM. Problem are occuring even when entering password to startup. Any other ideas? I'd love to get this thing working again. Getting it repaired likely would cost more than it's worth or replacement cost. -- I love a good meal! That's why I don't cook. |
#5
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Acer netbook problem
On 1/4/2017 07:00, KenK wrote:
Stef wrote in news On 28/3/2017 06:55, KenK wrote: I'm having a problem with an Acer Aspire One running XP Home. Keyboard takes VERY hard hits to work. Mouse (screen and two buttons below keyboard) intermittent. Any guesses? Not used for years. Perhaps dirty keyboard but that doesn't explain 'mouse' problem. How to clean keyboard if dirty? Any guesses? Use Task Manager to see if you have any processes hogging the CPU. Check how much free RAM you have, too. If there is little free RAM and the system is using virtual RAM, that would affect response time. If all looks fine, run malware andf spyware scans. Stef Thanks. Finally had a few free minutes to work on it yesterday. Task Manager says System Idle at high 90s. Doubt if it's a virus; it was working fine last time I used it a few years ago. Then 99% work processing, the other 1% checking Gmail. Little opportunity for a virus to attack. Tried plugging in external keyboard; same thing. Sems to work ok with word processor, or at least much better. BTW, long ago added a startup password. Would like to remove it, especially with typing so difficult. How? Forgot to check RAM. Problem are occuring even when entering password to startup. Any other ideas? I'd love to get this thing working again. Getting it repaired likely would cost more than it's worth or replacement cost. What happens when you boot into Safe Mode? Same problem? If not, check task manager to see what's running and compare to what's running when booted normally. Malware and spyware aren't technically viruses, and antivirus software won't detect them. I suggest you run the free versions of Malwarebytes' AntiMalware and SuperAntiSpyware. Full scans with both. Have you tried a System Repair. Don't know how the notebook is set up, but it usually involves repeatedly pressing a particular function key at boot to get to the menu screen. f8 comes to mind. Check the user manual for the notebook. If Repair doesn't work, there's always starting from ground zero with a Factory Reset. Stef |
#6
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Acer netbook problem
On 4/2/2017 8:49 PM, Stef wrote:
On 1/4/2017 07:00, KenK wrote: Stef wrote in news On 28/3/2017 06:55, KenK wrote: I'm having a problem with an Acer Aspire One running XP Home. Keyboard takes VERY hard hits to work. Mouse (screen and two buttons below keyboard) intermittent. Any guesses? Not used for years. Perhaps dirty keyboard but that doesn't explain 'mouse' problem. How to clean keyboard if dirty? Any guesses? Use Task Manager to see if you have any processes hogging the CPU. Check how much free RAM you have, too. If there is little free RAM and the system is using virtual RAM, that would affect response time. If all looks fine, run malware andf spyware scans. Stef Thanks. Finally had a few free minutes to work on it yesterday. Task Manager says System Idle at high 90s. Doubt if it's a virus; it was working fine last time I used it a few years ago. Then 99% work processing, the other 1% checking Gmail. Little opportunity for a virus to attack. Tried plugging in external keyboard; same thing. Sems to work ok with word processor, or at least much better. BTW, long ago added a startup password. Would like to remove it, especially with typing so difficult. How? Forgot to check RAM. Problem are occuring even when entering password to startup. Any other ideas? I'd love to get this thing working again. Getting it repaired likely would cost more than it's worth or replacement cost. What happens when you boot into Safe Mode? Same problem? If not, check task manager to see what's running and compare to what's running when booted normally. Malware and spyware aren't technically viruses, and antivirus software won't detect them. I suggest you run the free versions of Malwarebytes' AntiMalware and SuperAntiSpyware. Full scans with both. Have you tried a System Repair. Don't know how the notebook is set up, but it usually involves repeatedly pressing a particular function key at boot to get to the menu screen. f8 comes to mind. Check the user manual for the notebook. If Repair doesn't work, there's always starting from ground zero with a Factory Reset. Stef First thing I'd do is boot Puppy Linux Hiren's XP install disk or anything that can boot from USB or CD/DVD and see if the keyboard works there. Was the computer stored in a dry location at normal temperatures? That it doesn't work better with external keyboard SUGGESTS that the keyboard is ok, but if it's spitting out random garbage it still might be bad. If you take it apart, you can unplug the internal keyboard/mouse. Boot something other than your hard drive first. |
#7
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Acer netbook problem
On 1 Apr 2017 14:00:53 GMT, KenK wrote:
BTW, long ago added a startup password. Would like to remove it, especially with typing so difficult. How? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tweak_UI http://filehippo.com/download_tweakui/tech/ There's an option to automate the login (and some other useful stuff too). It just adds some values to the registry, does not "install" anything other than itself. HTH []'s -- Don't be evil - Google 2004 We have a new policy - Google 2012 |
#8
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Acer netbook problem
KenK wrote:
BTW, long ago added a startup password. Would like to remove it, especially with typing so difficult. How? There are two commands, as a function of OS. The first is for newer OSes, the second is for older OSes. netplwiz control userpasswords2 There is a tick box, to not have to enter a password at startup. It requires identifying an account, plus enter the password twice, and entering that info automates login. On the next login, it should work. What typically doesn't work, is if the machine "sleeps" (S3), the accursed login box is going to show up again. Perhaps actually removing the password, would solve the sleep problem, but I've not tested that. I'm not even sure a blank password entered in the User Account control, would be accepted. You can connect other HID devices via USB, if the built-in devices are faulty. You can run two mice in parallel, or two keyboards in parallel. The only OS that has a problem with that, is occasionally Windows 10 decides it doesn't want to use all the drivers at hand, and one of the devices goes dead. Sometimes a "reboot and try again", will fix it. That shouldn't happen with WinXP. With regard to using the above two commands, don't try to cram too many system changes into the same reboot. Just do your userpasswords2, reboot and verify the autologin worked, then do some more changes and do your second reboot. For some reason, it doesn't "take" if there is a bunch of other stuff going on during the reboot too. Paul |
#9
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Acer netbook problem
In message , Paul
writes: KenK wrote: BTW, long ago added a startup password. Would like to remove it, especially with typing so difficult. How? [usual excellent Paul info snipped] If this is soon after power on, rather than when Windows starts, it could be a BIOS password. Methods to get into the BIOS vary, but it's usually a matter of pressing/holding a key (often Del, but F keys are popular too): it _usually_ tells you on screen, though I think some BIOSes have the option to suppress that. Once in the BIOS, it shouldn't be too hard to find where whether a BIOS password is set or not is set. I've never set a BIOS password, so don't know, but I would assume that to clear it (possibly even to get into the BIOS at all), you have to enter it one last time - should not be a problem as it sounds like you know what it is. (The only other way is a BIOS reset, which usually means a link on the motherboard - failing that, removing the battery _and_ the CMOS battery, and possibly shorting the latter's terminals [in the computer, don't short the cell!]; this will clear _all_ BIOS settings, though this isn't _usually_ a problem. But since you know the password anyway, this shouldn't be necessary.) -- J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf Find out what works. Then do it. That's my system. I'm always surprised it isn't more popular. - Scott Adams, 2015 |
#10
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Acer netbook problem
J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:
In message , Paul writes: KenK wrote: BTW, long ago added a startup password. Would like to remove it, especially with typing so difficult. How? [usual excellent Paul info snipped] If this is soon after power on, rather than when Windows starts, it could be a BIOS password. Methods to get into the BIOS vary, but it's usually a matter of pressing/holding a key (often Del, but F keys are popular too): it _usually_ tells you on screen, though I think some BIOSes have the option to suppress that. Once in the BIOS, it shouldn't be too hard to find where whether a BIOS password is set or not is set. I've never set a BIOS password, so don't know, but I would assume that to clear it (possibly even to get into the BIOS at all), you have to enter it one last time - should not be a problem as it sounds like you know what it is. (The only other way is a BIOS reset, which usually means a link on the motherboard - failing that, removing the battery _and_ the CMOS battery, and possibly shorting the latter's terminals [in the computer, don't short the cell!]; this will clear _all_ BIOS settings, though this isn't _usually_ a problem. But since you know the password anyway, this shouldn't be necessary.) The password is stored two places, for the Basic BIOS protection. If you have an FDE hard drive, you may be seeing a prompt from that thing at startup. I've never seen any pictures or video of what that looks like. ******* The least-secure motherboard method, stores the BIOS password in CMOS RAM. Simply unplugging the computer, popping the CMOS battery (remove all power to the CMOS storage), removes the password. The "NRVAM" is re-initialized at startup, when it is discovered the checksum is wrong (typically a one-byte check over one set of bytes in the CMOS, a second one-byte check over the password storage area). On business laptops, the password is stored in a 2KB serial EEPROM (small 8 pin device). These cannot be defeated with power tricks. If you call up support, they will tell you to send it back to the factory, to have the password cleared. That's a much harder to deal with situation. There was a dude in Eastern Europe offering a programmer cable and instructions for $50, on how to remove the password, but that offer has disappeared the last time I checked. Don't buy business laptops, unless you're a "HIPAA person" and like aggravation. Just the existence of such password protection, means you'd better set it, or someone in your office will set it for you when you aren't looking. So if such protections exist, you *must* use them. Or end up losing the use of the machine at some point, due to office jackasses. There is always someone in the office, who will watch you not using the password, and then play a little trick when you're away later. Paul |
#11
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Acer netbook problem
In message , Paul
writes: J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote: In message , Paul writes: KenK wrote: BTW, long ago added a startup password. Would like to remove it, especially with typing so difficult. How? [usual excellent Paul info snipped] If this is soon after power on, rather than when Windows starts, it could be a BIOS password. Methods to get into the BIOS vary, but it's [] The password is stored two places, for the Basic BIOS protection. If you have an FDE hard drive, you may be seeing a prompt from that thing at startup. I've never seen any pictures or video of what that looks like. Is that likely for an XP-era computer? ******* The least-secure motherboard method, stores the BIOS password in CMOS RAM. Simply unplugging the computer, popping the CMOS battery (remove all power to the CMOS storage), removes the password. Not necessary in KenK's case, as he knows it. The "NRVAM" is re-initialized at startup, when it is discovered the checksum is wrong (typically a one-byte check over one set of bytes in the CMOS, a second one-byte check over the password storage area). On business laptops, the password is stored in a 2KB serial EEPROM [] When did CMOS-RAM-only storage stop being the norm - roughly? (Windows 98? 98SE? 2000? XP? Vista?) -- J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf .... the pleasure of the mind is an amazing thing. My life has been driven by the satisfaction of curiosity. - Jeremy Paxman (being interviewed by Anne Widdecombe), Radio Times, 2-8 July 2011. |
#12
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Acer netbook problem
J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:
On business laptops, the password is stored in a 2KB serial EEPROM [] When did CMOS-RAM-only storage stop being the norm - roughly? (Windows 98? 98SE? 2000? XP? Vista?) Obviously, 2KB EEPROMS have been around for a long time. I couldn't give you a year when Toshiba started doing this on laptops. It should really only happen on business laptops. They might have other features such as a TPM module, FDE hard drive, Intel Management Engine for remote IT access, belt and suspenders, all to meet some "tick box security model". And the owner of the machine had better be Einstein, or alternately, have the Head of IT on speed dial :-) I know some of our "cursing and swearing" executives at work, would make sure that no "little people" would suffer, for having to use kit like that. They'd phone the Head of IT, and give that person a lecture. Paul |
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