Any Computer Geeks Here?

Battery Question

Battery Question

I have a laptop at home that I always run on AC power. Someone told me the other day that I should run it off the battery too. Is that true? Does it hurt the battery if I don't?
 
I have a laptop at home that I always run on AC power. Someone told me the other day that I should run it off the battery too. Is that true? Does it hurt the battery if I don't?

You should run it on battery until the battery is almost dead, then go back to AC to charge it again. It's good for the batteries to discharge and charge back up again.
 
Really - It was Dell tech support that mentioned it. I've spent hours on the phone with them this week because the fan on my laptop is loud. They're sending someone to replace it next week.
 
We leave our Dell laptop plugged in all the time. Only time we use the battery is on airplanes or if the power goes out and we need a fix!
 
I have a question for those of you who work with computers. I work for a small company so we have outside consultants come to work on our computers. I called to have them come fix A, B and C. While they were repairing those issues, they broke D and E and had to fix that. I said I would pay for the time it took to fix A, B and C, but not for D and E because I shouldn't have to pay for what they broke. They said that it was a Microsoft issue in repairing A, B and C and not their fault. What do you think?
 
I have a question for those of you who work with computers. I work for a small company so we have outside consultants come to work on our computers. I called to have them come fix A, B and C. While they were repairing those issues, they broke D and E and had to fix that. I said I would pay for the time it took to fix A, B and C, but not for D and E because I shouldn't have to pay for what they broke. They said that it was a Microsoft issue in repairing A, B and C and not their fault. What do you think?

My experiences with IT folks (retail only) has left me a bit untrusting of them. At the least they should have advised you that there could be other problems encountered to fix A, B and C.
 
My experiences with IT folks (retail only) has left me a bit untrusting of them. At the least they should have advised you that there could be other problems encountered to fix A, B and C.

We came to an agreement - I agreed to pay for fixing what I broke and they credited me for their time on fixing what they broke. I have a feeling they don't like me very much now though.
 
We came to an agreement - I agreed to pay for fixing what I broke and they credited me for their time on fixing what they broke. I have a feeling they don't like me very much now though.

What you broke? How did you break anything?
 
Can I ask what "things"?

Let's see - I couldn't access the external hard drive where all my files live. My computer was very slow - like a snail even though I ran all the diagnostic tests.
 
Let's see - I couldn't access the external hard drive where all my files live. My computer was very slow - like a snail even though I ran all the diagnostic tests.

Did you run "Trojan Remover"? Do you defrag? Do you run your spyware programs? The only time I couldn't access a drive I had a trojan that took me several hours to get rid of (too bad I didn't try the last thing I tired, first!).
 
I work in IT and I'll defend the IT field a bit. Theres been LOTS of times where Ive had to fix something that leads to something else breaking because I fixed the other thing. Pretty soon all kinds of things are breaking and being fixed and next thing you know its been all day and everything is either broken or needs to be fixed LOL. Ive even left a place only to have something else break and they think I planted a break later bomb. Trust me, most of these guys cant wait to get out of your office and dont want to come back.

So what else broke that they had to fix? Slow computer can be the result of user error, faulty hardware or some sort of infection.
 
Gateway screwed me when they sold their consumer division to Acer and their business division to MPC Corp, which subsequently filed for bankruptcy. My laptop was "deemed" a business computer (despite XP Home) and I couldn't get support or parts.

My Gateway desktop is almost 8 years old and still going strong. I've replaced the video card, doubled the RAM, and added a CD burner, all several years ago. It still has the original hard drive and the OS (Win XP Home) has never had to be reinstalled. I do have a 250 gb external HDD to take some of the load off the 80 gb OEM memory.

I hesitate to replace it because I have a couple of ancient game apps (Links 2003 and Mechwarrior 3) that are bound to give me trouble if I upgrade the OS. I'll probably keep it until it dies, then get the laptop I'll need when we relocate offshore.
 
My best friend has a MAC with iChat and I have a PC with Skype. Neither of us are very computer savvy, but we just spent a couple of hours trying to figure out if we were compatible. Are we?
 
Thanks Harry. I'll get one of her kids to download it for her. Talking on the phone isn't easy for her because of her illness so this would be great.

Why would talking on a computer be easier? (I don't mean to be intrusive, so I don't need details.)
 
Why would talking on a computer be easier? (I don't mean to be intrusive, so I don't need details.)

It's hands free so it's easier on her neck/back. She's tried a headset, but that doesn't work well.
 
Would a speakerphone work?
 
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