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HugeBee
Frequently Asked Questions
General
Q: How do I keep my mouse clean?
A: Clean the mouse.
- Turn off the computer and disconnect the
mouse.
- Turn the mouse upside down and remove
the retainer, which holds the rubber ball in place. It should just
twist off.
- Let the ball drop out. Gently blow any
dust out of the mouse chamber, using either a puffer or a can of
compressed air (you can buy these at a camera store).
- Run your finger over the rollers (the
two bars mounted at right angles inside the chamber). If they appear
grimy, wipe them with a cotton swab dipped in denatured alcohol. Use a
toothpick or something similar to remove any larger chunks of dirt
(don't use a metal object, since it could damage the rollers).
- Clean the rubber ball in tap water with
a little mild detergent. Rinse it thoroughly. Let it dry naturally at
room temperature before putting it back in the mouse. This could take
several hours, but you can speed up the job by resting the ball
against a couple of sachets of silica gel (the kind used in hardware
packaging).
- Finally, reassemble the mouse and plug
it in.
It's a good idea to give the mouse pad an
occasional cleaning as well. Wipe the surface with a soft cloth dipped in
warm water and mild detergent. Rinse the pad thoroughly and make sure it's
completely dry before using it.
Q: Are HugeBee
Computers systems "Y2K" compliant?
A: Yes, the hardware itself is Y2K compliant. The software that comes
preinstalled on the systems is Y2K compliant as well. Note that software
installed on the systems by customers will depend on the respective
software manufacturer's) Y2K compliance.
Q: Does installing other software and
hardware void my warranty?
A: Installing 3rd Party hardware and applications shouldn’t void your
warranty, other than if any damage to the PC is done by a direct result of
said hardware or software. However, there are thousands of products
available for your computer, and each of these have unique requirements
for installation and use. Unfortunately, Hugebee technicians can’t
possibly have access to all of the information necessary to support all of
these devices. The manufacturer or vendor of these products is usually the
best place to turn when you need help with a 3rd party product.
Q. How do I clean CDs if they get
fingerprints on them?
A. Use a clean, damp, lint-free, nonabrasive cloth. Do not use any harsh
cleaning agents. Wipe the disc using straight motions from the inside hole
towards the outer edge. Do not use circular motions when cleaning. You may
also purchase a compact disk cleaner at most local stores that sell music
or data CDs.
Q: What sort of maintenance should I
keep in mind to ensure that my system runs smoothly?
A: There are a couple programs that you can run about once a week that
will help keep your system running at top performance (these don't apply
to Windows NT.
- Scandisk: Click on
Start/Programs/Accessories/System Tools/Scandisk. When the Scandisk
screen appears, make sure there's a bullet beside Standard Test. You
can also choose what hard drive or partition you wish to scan. Once
you have chosen your options, click Start. This will begin the
program.
- Defrag: Click
Start/Programs/Accessories/System Tools/Disk Defragmenter. Choose to
Defragment the C drive. This program reorganizes the data on your
drive and make it contiguous again.
BIOS
Q: Is there a need for a BIOS upgrade on my
system?
A: If you aren’t experiencing any problems, then it is not recommended.
BIOS upgrades are normally used to fix problems that are occurring, or
they may be needed when upgrading the hardware or adding a program which
is having difficulties. They are not really developed to make your system
run any faster or perform any better. All Hugebee systems are Y2K
compliant.
Hard
Drives
Q: How can I find out how much space I have
left on my hard drive?
A: Double click on My Computer. Right click on the C: icon and choose
Properties. The diagram shaded in blue and purple represent the space used
and the space available.
A: Double click on My Computer. Right click on the C: icon and choose
Properties. The diagram shaded in blue and purple represent the space used
and the space available.
Q: My hard disk was sold to me as a
(for example) 3.2GB drive, but I only show a formatted capacity of 3.05GB.
Where is the missing space I paid for?
A: The operating system reports the capacity of the hard drive using the
assumption that 1MB is equal to 1,048,576 bytes. This is technically
correct. The hardware manufacturers compute the size a bit differently.
They consider 1MB to be equal to 1,000,000 bytes. You can see how this can
cause confusion! If the drive is advertised as 3.2GB (3,200,000,000
bytes), the operating system will see it as approximately 3.05GB
(3,200,000,000 / 1,048,576 / 1000=3.051758125). The full 3,200,000,000
bytes are there.
Internet
Q: I downloaded a file from the internet
that has a .zip extension on it. What do I do with it?
A: A file that has a .zip extension on it has been compressed in order to
make it easier to download. To "unzip" the file and gain access
to it's contents, you need to obtain a program such as Pkunzip or Winzip
to uncompress the file. There are quite a few sites on the web which have
this program for download.
Q. I downloaded a file from the
internet and now I cannot find it on my system.
A. Click on Start in the lower left corner of the desktop
and choose Find. Select Files or Folders and enter the name of the
file you are looking for. If you're not sure of the name you may
use * as a wildcard. For example, it you know the file began with
the letters CAR you could enter CAR* to find all files beginning with
those letters.
Q: How do I change the page that opens
each time I log on to the Internet using Internet Explorer?
A: To change the page that it opens to when you log on to the Internet,
perform the following:
- Within Internet Explorer, click View.
- Click Options
- Click on the Navigation Tab
- Where it says "Address", type
the name of the site you want to appear each time you log on (for
example: http://www.hugebee.com).
Memory
Q: Can I use my older memory (running at 66
MHz front side bus speed) on my new PII 400?
A: No. Memory from a 66 MHz motherboard is not compatible with a
motherboard running at 100 MHz. All processors running at 350Mhz and
above use 100 Mhz motherboards. These require the newer PC100 SDRAM
DIMMs.
Q: What does SDRAM stand for and what
does it do?
A: SDRAM stands for synchronous dynamic RAM (Random Access Memory).
Sending data from main memory to the system processor is typically one of
the biggest performance bottlenecks in any PC. Even the fastest standard
DRAM and EDO memory cannot keep up with the 66-MHz bus speeds used on many
Pentium systems. SDRAM incorporates new features that allow it to keep
pace with bus speeds as high as 100 MHz. It does this primarily by
allowing two sets of memory addresses to be opened simultaneously. Data
can then be retrieved alternately from each set, eliminating the delays
that normally occur when one bank of addresses must be shut down and
another prepared for reading during each request.
Modem
Q. My Modem won't dial out?
A: 1. Rule # 1, check the
cables. Make sure your modem is connected to the phone jack and that the
phone line is connected to the plug labeled “LINE.” 2. When you
install a new modem, make sure you followed the installation instructions
to the letter. Different modems require different methods of set up, so be
sure to do everything that the instructions require. Skipping steps can
and usually will mean trouble later. WINModems sometimes require Virtual
COM Port drivers to provide access to a modem. These drivers usually come
with the modem and the installation instructions will describe the
procedure to install them. 3. If you have verified that the installation
is correct and your modem is connected to a valid phone line, make sure
that the Dial-Up Networking is talking to the correct modem. If you
double-click the My Computer icon, then open the Dial-Up Networking
folder, and right-click on the icon for the connection you are trying to
make. Select Properties. Make sure the phone number is right, and at the
bottom you'll see "Connect Using:” Make sure the correct modem is
selected. 4. Check that dialing properties are correct. If you have to
dial a special number to access an outside line for local and/or long
distance calls, verify that the number has been entered. In Control Panel
select the Modem icon, press the Dialing Properties button and enter the
number required to get a local or long distance line.
Q: Why do I get a "No Dial
tone" message when attempting to dial into a service by modem?
A: This means the computer is connected to the modem, but the
modem is not properly connected to the phone system. Make sure you have an
active phone line by connecting a standard telephone and testing it (you
should hear the dial tone when you lift the receiver). Make certain you
have plugged the phone line into the correct connector on your modem.
Common problems are: If your modem has both a "LINE" and
"PHONE" jack, be sure the telephone line extending from the wall
goes into the "LINE" jack.
Q: My 56K modem connects at 33.6 or less!
A: 1. If your Internet service provider doesn't support
56K, or one of you uses x2 and the other uses K56flex, you're out of luck.
56K requires that both ends have 56K modems, and they both have to use the
same kind of 56K technology (x2 or K56flex). Some Internet service
providers have separate phone numbers for 56K. Make sure you're calling
the right number. 2. Check with the modem manufacturer to see
if they have an update to the firmware available. Many problems
disappeared once a new version of the firmware is installed. 3.
Try disconnecting additional telephone devices (fax, phones, answering
machines, etc.) from the phone line.
Motherboard
Q:
Windows is trying to install a PCI Bridge but I can't find any drivers
that work?
A. On your motherboard driver CD go to the VGA\M760V/AgpVxd
folder and run the Setup.exe program to install the power management
system controller.
Q.
My sound doesn't work?
Make sure you have your speakers connected correctly. Refer
to the motherboard manual for speaker, input, and microphone hookups.
Do not go by the diagrams on the ATX case as they are not correct.
Processor
Q: My diagnostic
software tells me that I have 266Mhz cpu on my Celeron 300 system!
A: There is no specific registry information on the Intel
Celeron processor other than the identification (type). Most of
diagnostic software on the market uses a pre-tested CPU performance
reference table to determine the CPU speed. If your
diagnostic software has not been updated with the latest information, it
may report incorrect information on the actual CPU clock speed, since the
Celeron 266MHz and Celeron 300MHz are relatively close in their
performances. Please check with your software manufacturer about the
accuracy of the CPU speed testing.
Sound
Q. How do I disable the
integrated audio?
A: The audio is disable via jumpers on the motherboard on the
P5SS-Me. Consult your motherboard manual for jumper number and
position. On the M760V motherboard you disable the audio in the
system BIOS. Hit Delete upon starting the system and choose PCI/Plug
and Play Setup. Disable Sound Pro Chip Support then choose Save
Changes and Exit. Reboot.
Q. I am not getting any sound from
my system?
A: Check to see that your speakers are plugged into the right spot.
For systems with integrated audio the location is one of the three plugs
below the serial ports -- NOT the sound ports on the modem. Refer to
the motherboard or soundcard manual for the proper line out jack to
connect speakers to. Check to see that there is a speaker icon the
the lower right corner of your screen. If not you need to reinstall
the audio drivers. If the speaker icon is present, double click it
to verify sound levels are turned up and mute is NOT selected.
Video
Q: I am interested in updating my video
driver. How do I know what version of video driver I currently have?
A: Go to start, settings, control panel, and double-click on the
“system” icon. Click on the “device manager” tab. Make sure the
“View Devices by Type” circle is checked. Click on the plus (+) sign
is front of the “Display Adapters”, double-click the display adapter
that is shown in that section, then select the Driver tab. Click on the
Driver File Detail button, on the next windows the driver version should
be shown.
Q: How do I change screen resolution or
number of colors
A: Right Click on your desktop, and choose properties. Click on the
Settings tab of the Display Properties. Adjust the resolution and color
depth to your satisfaction. Remember, at the highest resolutions, not all
color depths may be available.
A: Right Click on your desktop, and choose properties. Click on the
Settings tab of the Display Properties. Adjust the resolution and color
depth to your satisfaction. Remember, at the highest resolutions, not all
color depths may be available.
Q: When I load Windows 95, my
picture is either blank or all screwed up.
A: 1. This is due to an incompatible video driver that is
attempting to display on your monitor. The fix is to remove the driver so
that Windows loads with a standard driver, then choose the correct driver.
In Windows, restart the computer. When the screen displays the message
"Starting Windows." press the F8 key on the keyboard. This will
put you in a Text Based start-up menu. Choose "Safe Mode" from
the menu. Windows will load with the basic video drivers, which should
give you a picture. Now you can go to the Control Panel, select Display,
and turn down either the number of colors or the resolution. Assuming you
choose a resolution that is compatible with your display hardware, quit
and reload Windows, the picture should be fine. 2. You may
have a non-multisync monitor. For different graphic modes, your video card
puts out different sync rates. If your monitor isn't a multisync, it will
not be able to recognize these graphics modes. This will usually only be
the case when you try to use an old monitor with a new graphics card. All
new monitors will be multisync. If this isn't the case, you may have a
defective monitor. Try hooking it up to another machine to see if the
picture comes through. Otherwise, call a repairman, or buy a new monitor.
Q: Recently, my monitor's image no longer
fills the entire screen. It has a black border around the edges. Or I am
unable to change display resolutions. What's wrong?
A. Assuming the horizontal and vertical controls have been adjusted on the
monitor check to make sure you have a monitor driver installed by going to
Settings => Control Panel => System => Device Manager.
Click on Monitor and then verify a driver for your type of monitor is
installed. If it says No Monitor. Highlight it and choose
Properties. Click the driver tab and then choose Update Driver.
If your monitor is not listed choose Standard Plug & Play monitor.
Q. How do I change the amount
of memory the integrated video on my system shares?
A. Go into the bios upon startup by pressing DEL during the startup
process when prompted. Choose Chipset Features Option. In the
following menu choose VGA Shared Memory Size and set the value as desired.
Q. How do I disable the
integrated video?
The audio is disable via jumpers on the motherboard. Consult your
motherboard manual for jumper number and position. Video is disabled
in the system BIOS.
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