Author Topic: Okay, another question.  (Read 5531 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline ardentconservative

  • Just Off Probation
  • *
  • Posts: 136
  • Reputation: +4/-0
Okay, another question.
« on: March 29, 2010, 12:40:01 PM »
Okay, another question.  I have a pair of uc-280 powered speakers that I bought to use on a computer that has since been fried by an electrical storm.  Boy I have bad luck with computers getting fried. But I digress, my question is, that when I connected the speakers to the Dell Optiplex 170L they would not work.  After some searching I tried the "Install new hardware" wizard and received a message that Windows could not find the software for the speakers.  The speakers worked on the fried computer.

I tried to find Durabrand on line, and couldn't.  I could find nowhere to find anything to help me fix this problem except from Fix.it.  Anyone know anything about this site.  I downloaded their driver scan wizard and it said that there were several drivers out of date, and it showed no driver for the speakers.  But that is as far as I went not knowing anything about the site.   

That's it, just trying to get the speakers to work.  Thanks guys.

Offline cclanofirish

  • Just Off Probation
  • *
  • Posts: 121
  • Reputation: +15/-2
Re: Okay, another question.
« Reply #1 on: March 29, 2010, 12:44:29 PM »
Okay, another question.  I have a pair of uc-280 powered speakers that I bought to use on a computer that has since been fried by an electrical storm.  Boy I have bad luck with computers getting fried. But I digress, my question is, that when I connected the speakers to the Dell Optiplex 170L they would not work.  After some searching I tried the "Install new hardware" wizard and received a message that Windows could not find the software for the speakers.  The speakers worked on the fried computer.

I tried to find Durabrand on line, and couldn't.  I could find nowhere to find anything to help me fix this problem except from Fix.it.  Anyone know anything about this site.  I downloaded their driver scan wizard and it said that there were several drivers out of date, and it showed no driver for the speakers.  But that is as far as I went not knowing anything about the site.   

That's it, just trying to get the speakers to work.  Thanks guys.

Go to device manager on your computer and locate the speakers...see if the sound driver is installed and functioning properly.

Offline thundley4

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 40571
  • Reputation: +2222/-127
Re: Okay, another question.
« Reply #2 on: March 29, 2010, 12:50:41 PM »
Okay, another question.  I have a pair of uc-280 powered speakers that I bought to use on a computer that has since been fried by an electrical storm.  Boy I have bad luck with computers getting fried. But I digress, my question is, that when I connected the speakers to the Dell Optiplex 170L they would not work.  After some searching I tried the "Install new hardware" wizard and received a message that Windows could not find the software for the speakers.  The speakers worked on the fried computer.

I tried to find Durabrand on line, and couldn't.  I could find nowhere to find anything to help me fix this problem except from Fix.it.  Anyone know anything about this site.  I downloaded their driver scan wizard and it said that there were several drivers out of date, and it showed no driver for the speakers.  But that is as far as I went not knowing anything about the site.   

That's it, just trying to get the speakers to work.  Thanks guys.

Do you have a separate soundcard or just the onboard one?  If the speakers are just plugged in to the "line out" jack, then they shouldn't need a separate driver. It sounds more like the audio drivers may not be installed.

http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/driverslist.aspx?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&ServiceTag=&SystemID=PLX_PNT_P4_CEL_170L&os=WW1&osl=en&catid=&impid=

Offline Thor

  • General Ne'er Do Well, Troublemaker & All Around Meanie!!
  • In Memoriam
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 13103
  • Reputation: +362/-297
  • Native Texan & US Navy (ret)
Re: Okay, another question.
« Reply #3 on: March 29, 2010, 01:18:04 PM »
My woman, Inga, spent $150 on an Uninterruptable Power Supply for me for last Christmas. I highly recommend them as they will save your PC from death unless you take a direct lightning strike.

As said before, it's probably your sound card drivers. I don't know where you live, but there are several of us who DO repair computers. I'm one of them.
"The state must declare the child to be the most precious treasure of the people. As long as the government is perceived as working for the benefit of the children, the people will happily endure almost any curtailment of liberty and almost any deprivation."- IBID

I AM your General Ne'er Do Well, Troublemaker & All Around Meanie!!

"Congress has not unlimited powers to provide for the general welfare, but only those specifically enumerated."-Thomas Jefferson

Offline thundley4

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 40571
  • Reputation: +2222/-127
Re: Okay, another question.
« Reply #4 on: March 29, 2010, 01:21:36 PM »
My woman, Inga, spent $150 on an Uninterruptable Power Supply for me for last Christmas. I highly recommend them as they will save your PC from death unless you take a direct lightning strike.

As said before, it's probably your sound card drivers. I don't know where you live, but there are several of us who DO repair computers. I'm one of them.

The UPSs are nice to have. They allow you to shut down and not lose anything when power goes out, too.  I also keep a small halogen lamp plugged in, just in case.

Offline Thor

  • General Ne'er Do Well, Troublemaker & All Around Meanie!!
  • In Memoriam
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 13103
  • Reputation: +362/-297
  • Native Texan & US Navy (ret)
Re: Okay, another question.
« Reply #5 on: March 29, 2010, 01:50:55 PM »
The electricity in my area rivals that of a third world country. It may be because they haven't cleared the trees from the lines or some other loading problem. In the last week, I've had 6 events according to my UPS. Last summer, a storm fried two of my four PCs and damaged a third. This UPS will hopefully prevent that. Usually, the power only goes out for a second, maybe two and then comes right back on. When it goes out for more than that, it's a good 4 hours.
"The state must declare the child to be the most precious treasure of the people. As long as the government is perceived as working for the benefit of the children, the people will happily endure almost any curtailment of liberty and almost any deprivation."- IBID

I AM your General Ne'er Do Well, Troublemaker & All Around Meanie!!

"Congress has not unlimited powers to provide for the general welfare, but only those specifically enumerated."-Thomas Jefferson

Offline ardentconservative

  • Just Off Probation
  • *
  • Posts: 136
  • Reputation: +4/-0
Re: Okay, another question.
« Reply #6 on: March 29, 2010, 06:03:55 PM »
The electricity in my area rivals that of a third world country. It may be because they haven't cleared the trees from the lines or some other loading problem. In the last week, I've had 6 events according to my UPS. Last summer, a storm fried two of my four PCs and damaged a third. This UPS will hopefully prevent that. Usually, the power only goes out for a second, maybe two and then comes right back on. When it goes out for more than that, it's a good 4 hours.

thundley4, Thor, thanks, we had surge protectors on the computers but they didn't stop the computers from frying in the electrical storm.  I had two fry the same night. One was an HP that was a really righteous computer.  I paid almost a thousand dollars for it and it had been reduced.  The other was a Dell that was almost as good a computer as the HP.   Didn't know about the UPS's but I will look into it.

Six months ago about all I could do with a computer is to set it up, if it was new, add programs and hardware.  But I have learned a lot in six months, some by trial and error, and some online here and other sites.  Thanks for the help guys, I really appreciate it.  

Thor, I live in the deep South, only about 100 miles from the Gulf Coast in Mississippi. The HP motherboard was what went bad in it.  I tried to find another motherboard and HP didn't even offer them.  The Dell I never did figure out what happened to it.  The Dell was just over a year old and the HP wasn't even a year old.  Both were Duel core, the HP had and Intel processor and the Dell had and Anthlon.

And just before that I had another computer that was about a year and a half old that a got a virus that messed up Windox XP so bad it would not even try to boot up.  This was before I started trying to understand computers and I just junked them.  Had I known what I know now, I would have reinstalled Windows on the one that got the virus and could possible saved it.   
« Last Edit: March 29, 2010, 06:13:34 PM by ardentconservative »

Offline Chris_

  • Little Lebowski Urban Achiever
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 46845
  • Reputation: +2028/-266
Re: Okay, another question.
« Reply #7 on: March 29, 2010, 06:16:28 PM »
thundley4, Thor, thanks, we had surge protectors on the computers but they didn't stop the computers from frying in the electrical storm.  I had two fry the same night.  Didn't know about the UPS's but I will look into it.

Six months ago about all I could do with a computer is to set it up, if it was new, add programs and hardware.  But I have learned a lot in six months, some by trial and error, and some online here and other sites.  Thanks for the help guys, I really appreciate it.   

Thor, I live in the deep South, only about 100 miles from the Gulf Coast in Mississippi.   

A UPS will deal with power issues that a surge supressor can't handle.....also, if you use a dial-up connection, or have a phone line connected to your computer for fax purposes, a lightning suppressor on the phone line is a good idea......also, all lightning protection equipment has to have a good earth ground, or it won't work at all.

The best lightning suppression equipment available today is made by a company called "PolyPhaser"....their stuff is commercial grade, but it ain't cheap....

I have dealt with lightning suppression for a number of years in the broadcast industry, and usually found that if you are having a lot of damage problems, your electrical service panel is not adequately grounded, particularly if you live in an older building.....

Something you might check, you get a LOT of storms in the south.....

doc
If you want to worship an orange pile of garbage with a reckless disregard for everything, get on down to Arbys & try our loaded curly fries.

Offline Thor

  • General Ne'er Do Well, Troublemaker & All Around Meanie!!
  • In Memoriam
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 13103
  • Reputation: +362/-297
  • Native Texan & US Navy (ret)
Re: Okay, another question.
« Reply #8 on: March 29, 2010, 06:43:24 PM »
A surge suppressor will not help when the power browns out, which will fry a computer very quickly. A UPS will. That's what killed my PCs last summer.
"The state must declare the child to be the most precious treasure of the people. As long as the government is perceived as working for the benefit of the children, the people will happily endure almost any curtailment of liberty and almost any deprivation."- IBID

I AM your General Ne'er Do Well, Troublemaker & All Around Meanie!!

"Congress has not unlimited powers to provide for the general welfare, but only those specifically enumerated."-Thomas Jefferson

Offline The Village Idiot

  • Banned
  • Probationary (Probie)
  • Posts: 54
  • Reputation: +96/-15
Re: Okay, another question.
« Reply #9 on: March 29, 2010, 06:53:52 PM »
Sounds like Inga rocks.

Offline ardentconservative

  • Just Off Probation
  • *
  • Posts: 136
  • Reputation: +4/-0
Re: Okay, another question.
« Reply #10 on: March 29, 2010, 07:01:13 PM »
A surge suppressor will not help when the power browns out, which will fry a computer very quickly. A UPS will. That's what killed my PCs last summer.

Thanks Thor, I will check into a UPS

Offline ardentconservative

  • Just Off Probation
  • *
  • Posts: 136
  • Reputation: +4/-0
Re: Okay, another question.
« Reply #11 on: March 29, 2010, 07:03:10 PM »
A UPS will deal with power issues that a surge supressor can't handle.....also, if you use a dial-up connection, or have a phone line connected to your computer for fax purposes, a lightning suppressor on the phone line is a good idea......also, all lightning protection equipment has to have a good earth ground, or it won't work at all.

The best lightning suppression equipment available today is made by a company called "PolyPhaser"....their stuff is commercial grade, but it ain't cheap....

I have dealt with lightning suppression for a number of years in the broadcast industry, and usually found that if you are having a lot of damage problems, your electrical service panel is not adequately grounded, particularly if you live in an older building.....

Something you might check, you get a LOT of storms in the south.....

doc


Thanks Doc, but being an electrican, I am the one who conneted to the power company and the service panel is properly grounded.

Offline Thor

  • General Ne'er Do Well, Troublemaker & All Around Meanie!!
  • In Memoriam
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 13103
  • Reputation: +362/-297
  • Native Texan & US Navy (ret)
Re: Okay, another question.
« Reply #12 on: March 29, 2010, 07:04:48 PM »
Sounds like Inga rocks.

She treats me pretty well. I don't have any complaints  ;)
"The state must declare the child to be the most precious treasure of the people. As long as the government is perceived as working for the benefit of the children, the people will happily endure almost any curtailment of liberty and almost any deprivation."- IBID

I AM your General Ne'er Do Well, Troublemaker & All Around Meanie!!

"Congress has not unlimited powers to provide for the general welfare, but only those specifically enumerated."-Thomas Jefferson

Offline zeitgeist

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6194
  • Reputation: +390/-44
Re: Okay, another question.
« Reply #13 on: March 29, 2010, 07:21:33 PM »
A UPS will deal with power issues that a surge supressor can't handle.....also, if you use a dial-up connection, or have a phone line connected to your computer for fax purposes, a lightning suppressor on the phone line is a good idea......also, all lightning protection equipment has to have a good earth ground, or it won't work at all.

The best lightning suppression equipment available today is made by a company called "PolyPhaser"....their stuff is commercial grade, but it ain't cheap....

I have dealt with lightning suppression for a number of years in the broadcast industry, and usually found that if you are having a lot of damage problems, your electrical service panel is not adequately grounded, particularly if you live in an older building.....

Something you might check, you get a LOT of storms in the south.....

doc

Yep.  The surge supressor won't help a bit if it comes in on the phone or cable modem.  Painful learning experience after which I got a Belden (? iirc without looking) supressor for the phone and cable. That hit also took out the low voltage side of my garage door opener!!  Took the stuff in for the electronics instructor to use for show and tell with his class, at least it wasn't a total loss. :cheersmate:
< watch this space for coming distractions >

Offline Chris_

  • Little Lebowski Urban Achiever
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 46845
  • Reputation: +2028/-266
Re: Okay, another question.
« Reply #14 on: March 29, 2010, 07:32:21 PM »

Thanks Doc, but being an electrican, I am the one who conneted to the power company and the service panel is properly grounded.

In that case, you might want to install a seperate ground rod (8' copper-plated steel) near where your computer equipment is located, and ground the equipment to an internal ground buss, plus bond it to your electrical ground at that outlet.  To be most effective, run "00" stranded copper insiide, and cadweld it to the rod.

Lightning damages equipment when there is a voltage differential between one part of the equipment and another.....it becomes a question of the time required for the pulse to dissipate through the electrical ground in your house.....the shorter the path to ground, the less chance of damage.  Plus, all points of electrical contact with the equipment must be bonded to the SAME ground path.

I've actually been working on a piece of equipment when a lightning strike hit it (properly grounded), with a HV meter connected, and saw the voltage on the equipment hit the peg, but so long as the entire piece of equipment was at the same voltage, there will be no damage......

doc
If you want to worship an orange pile of garbage with a reckless disregard for everything, get on down to Arbys & try our loaded curly fries.

Offline kenth

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1017
  • Reputation: +1/-0
Re: Okay, another question.
« Reply #15 on: March 30, 2010, 05:38:20 PM »
Yep.  The surge supressor won't help a bit if it comes in on the phone or cable modem.  Painful learning experience after which I got a Belden (? iirc without looking) supressor for the phone and cable. That hit also took out the low voltage side of my garage door opener!!  Took the stuff in for the electronics instructor to use for show and tell with his class, at least it wasn't a total loss. :cheersmate:

Yep. All these years in computer service calls, I've yet to see one surge damage that came in through the electrical system. Every one of them was phone lines, cable and in one case, lightning inducing a current in a bunch of serial cables run across a drop-ceiling.

Offline ardentconservative

  • Just Off Probation
  • *
  • Posts: 136
  • Reputation: +4/-0
Re: Okay, another question.
« Reply #16 on: March 31, 2010, 08:50:20 AM »
Well, guys, as far as the powere Druabrand speakers go, I guess they are scrape.  I can't find anything on the internet about the speakers expect explanations about them, or drivers from places like fix.it.

I tried to find the drivers from Microsoft and Dell and neither had them.  The audio is working according the the Device Manager.  I checked the proprities of the Audio in the Device Manager and it said the device was working properly. 

I bought these speakers a couple of years ago and they must have come with an instalation disc.  If they did I can't find it.

Anyway they won't work, can't find any drivers, so I'll just toss them.


Offline Thor

  • General Ne'er Do Well, Troublemaker & All Around Meanie!!
  • In Memoriam
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 13103
  • Reputation: +362/-297
  • Native Texan & US Navy (ret)
Re: Okay, another question.
« Reply #17 on: March 31, 2010, 10:11:58 AM »
Unless they are USB speakers, there won't be any installation disk. Make sure that they plugged into the correct port for the audio out. Mine is "green" (many are)
"The state must declare the child to be the most precious treasure of the people. As long as the government is perceived as working for the benefit of the children, the people will happily endure almost any curtailment of liberty and almost any deprivation."- IBID

I AM your General Ne'er Do Well, Troublemaker & All Around Meanie!!

"Congress has not unlimited powers to provide for the general welfare, but only those specifically enumerated."-Thomas Jefferson

Offline Woodhick

  • Just Off Probation
  • *
  • Posts: 117
  • Reputation: +0/-0
Re: Okay, another question.
« Reply #18 on: March 31, 2010, 10:18:37 AM »
Unless they are USB speakers, there won't be any installation disk. Make sure that they plugged into the correct port for the audio out. Mine is "green" (many are)
If they aren't color coded they will have a mic symbol and a head phone symbol. If they are connected backwards they won't work as Thor mentioned.
GUN CONTROL is Hitting Your Mark The First Shot !!!

Offline ardentconservative

  • Just Off Probation
  • *
  • Posts: 136
  • Reputation: +4/-0
Re: Okay, another question.
« Reply #19 on: March 31, 2010, 03:35:26 PM »
Unless they are USB speakers, there won't be any installation disk. Make sure that they plugged into the correct port for the audio out. Mine is "green" (many are)


Yes Thor, there are USB speakers.  I should have said USB powered speakers.