Question: I am trying to connect my Dell Inspiron 6000 notebook to a Toshiba TDP-PX10 projector. When I turn on the projector, the projected image says there is no signal. I am trying to show a PowerPoint through the projector, but for some reason the computer is not connecting with the projector. Are they not compatible?? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

-submitted by ksharp

Answer:  For the most part, plugging a computer or laptop into a PC compatible projector is pretty straightforward. Typically, the one area where people run in to complications has to do with enabling the laptop to output to two displays simultaneously. Let's first walk through the physical setup, then we'll talk about the software and configuration side of things.

Physical Setup

For ksharp, the Dell Inspiron 6000 offers two different kinds of video outputs. One is an analog output designed to plug into TVs, the other is a VGA output designed for computer monitors and high-res projectors.

Question:

I have an XBOX 360, and would only like to use it to play HD-DVD on my TV. I would like to diable the game controllers completely and not be able to play any games. Any ideas?

-submitted by Martyb

Answer:

To answer your question in one sentence, shy of hiding the XBOX 360 controllers entirely, there is no way to render the 360 incapable of playing games. That really is what the 360 was designed to do, afterall.

I thought about opening up the XBOX 360 and disconnecting the internal DVD drive from the main board. However, getting the 360 open is not an easy task, but it could be done. The problem though, is that this will void your warranty, and there's a chance the 360 will not boot if the drive is disconnected.

That doesn't mean there isn't hope though. You can severely cripple the XBOX 360's ability to play games by taking advantage of the family settings in the main menu.

Recently, Revelations2212 posted a question to the experts:  "I have some nasty spyware or adware on my PC.  I have ran Ad-Aware, Spybot and Anti-Malware and I can't get it removed. I have done everything I can think of, can someone give me some suggestions on what to do? What is the best spyware / adware remover out there?  I need it badly, as this has been going on for more than a week now."

I've decided to tackle this question since it seems to be the root of the vast majority of people's computer related issues, and in many instances, can be easily resolved.  I'd like to share some of my personal insights and experiences, gleaned over the years from helping dozens of people with this type of issue. 

Please note that this advice covers those with Windows XP PC's, not Vista users or users of other OS's.  This advice may work for Vista users, but is based on experience with Windows XP.

Question:

As the resident "Mac guy," I feel a special bond with user Sherry D, who is having some problems with her iPod Nano and iTunes:

"I am following instructions to transfer my CD's to my iPod Nano, but my player is not picking up the songs.  I put the CD into the iTunes window, the songs show up on the computer, and I press "import."  The songs show they are downloading to the computer.  I transfer them to a playlist, and press "sync." The songs then disappear.  I try it both with auto syncing and manual syncing.  Sometimes all of my songs on the iPod are removed when I try to sync. Help!"

Answer:

Fortunately, I've been a devout iPod user for years, and have cleaned out my iPod on accident many times!  To be honest, importing CD's and syncing your iPod can be tricky sometimes.  Here's some tips:

User amanda69 submitted an awesome question about using her iPod MP3 player.  She's wondering how she can connect her iPod to her car stereo.

A little background, first - Amanda has a Hyundai coupe, and I do as well.  I also listen to my MP3 player through my car stereo, so this question really hits home for me.  I'm guessing that many of you out there haven't even used a CD in months or maybe even years - personally, I can't remember the last time I played a CD in the car.

Amanda, you'll be happy to know that there are a number of different ways that you can listen to your iPod in your car.

#1:  Connect your iPod to an FM Transmitter

Considered the least desirable method by many, the FM transmitter also happens to be the easiest method to go about playing your iPod in your car.

Question:

Why is it that when I play DVDs in auto mode on a Denon AVR-1907 I get sound from the speakers, but when I try and play a DVD which has DTS I get no sound from the speakers when I select the DTS mode on the reciever?

-submitted by johnt

Answer:

Popcorn...check. Remote control... check. DTS surround sound...check. Wait? Where the heck is the sound?!

There's no doubt DTS offers up some rather tasty audio, but getting it to work isn't quite as simple as popping in the disc and hitting play. In fact, there's three big things you need to do before DTS will work, and one important step every time you play a DTS DVD.

Now, here's a little background on why selecting DTS on your receiver doesn't work. DVD players don't send out more than one audio track at a time, so it's not like a radio which has to

Question: I have just bought a DURABRAND SA51AR home theatre system to go with my DURABRAND 2127N TV and DURABRAND CG5660-M Freeview set-top box. I have connected all my output leads (the speaker ones). I have only one red, yellow, and white jack on my TV and three sets of red and white jack leads with home theatre system. I can't get sound no matter how many times I've swapped the input leads... any ideas whats going wrong :(

-  submitted by CKENWORTHY1986

Answer:

If I get you right, you have a home theater system, a TV, and a freeview set-top, but can't get any sound from the TV through your external audio system.

If that's the gist, let's look at a few things.

Based on your description, it doesn't sound like your TV has an OUTPUT... only an input (since there's only 1 set of jacks). If this is the case, you won't be able to connect the TV to the receiver directly. That's no big deal really; all you need to do connect the audio output from the set-top box to the home theater system directly (run the video cable to the TV) and simply bypass the TV for sound. You'll be forced to use the receiver to hear any audio, but who needs TV speakers when you've got external audio. :)

Question:  I downloaded pictures from my camera's SD card to my computer.  Then, I cropped, adjusted, etc. to my liking and created a Photo CD.  Can I put those photos from the disk back onto the SD card? (Contributed by BillyZ)

Answer:  It depends on your camera and your editing software.  Let me continue on to explain the details!

When your camera formats the SD card that you have inserted, it usually sets up directories in the card, that help it to figure out where pictures are located.  You can navigate to these directories using the File Manager in Windows or the Finder in Mac OS X.  The labels on the directories depend on what model camera you have.

In addition, when you snap photos and videos, the filenames are automatically created by the camera, and placed in the directories that it chooses.  Here, you can see how my Casio camera displays its file scructure and filenames for both movies and photos.

We definitely live in the days of rechargable technology.  I'm not really that old, and I remember when most gadgets took AAA or AA batteries... and getting rechargables included with the device was always an (expensive) upgrade.

Nowadays, though, pretty much every gadget or portable electronic device has rechargable batteries included... MP3 players, PDA's, phones, laptops, even toys.

With the convenience of rechargable batteries does come some problems, however.  Many devices use the Lithium Ion standard type battery, which has many advantages... but in some cases, a limited lifespan as well 

The iPod series of gadgets is particularly noteworthy for losing battery life quickly and having "bad" batteries... sometimes after just a year of use, or even less  I'm not sure if this is because iPods are so frequently used, or if they use poor quality batteries - but nonetheless, it's a common issue.  It's even happening to my 30GB iPod Video, which powers down after about 30 minutes of video playback.

Question:

I would like to get my home theater system (Samsung HT-Q45) hooked up so I can watch DVDs with the TV speakers at times... without using the surround sound speakers themselves. There will be other times I would like to use the surround, just not always. I would also like to be able to use the same components. Is this possible?

-submitted by ezylman

Answer:

All-in-one systems like the Samsung HT-Q45 don't typically have audio outputs since the audio capabilities are built in. Manufacturers that make these kinds of all-in-one systems commonly think, "Why would anyone want to use the TV speakers if they have an audio system." I agree with them for the most part, but everyone has their reasons. Who are they to stand in the way?

Fortunately, there's two options on how to proceed... and the second option will do what you want, though it may not work as easily as you may hope.

Question from TechLore Member snypy:

I bought a new LG HT554TH home cinema that plays Dolby Digital fine, but when I select DTS I get no sound at all, although the device display indicates that source as DTS. I asked LG technical support, but their answers were total wrong. In fact, they did not tell me anything at all, and then claimed that my home cinema does not support DTS sound at all despite their official specifications.

So, I'd like to ask, is there any way to make DTS sound work or not? The setup menu does not offer many options (in fact not a single one about Dolby Digital or DTS setup - not even in the manual) or should I send it in for service? It is still under warranty - but I'd like to know if there is a solution or anything which may help me when talking to a service staff.

Question: I would now like to know what video card would be compatible with my computer. I have a DELL XPS 400 that runs Windows XP. I saw mention of the "9600GT" in the forums, but have never heard of that card before. Can you go into specifics about what brand of card it is? Also, things like "the XPS 400 should have 1 PCI Express x16 slot" sounds like a lot of big words to me, can you describe it better?

If there is any other information that is needed, please tell. Thanks.

-submitted by codify

Answer:

Upgrading something like a graphics card, for the most part, is pretty straightforward. The installation isn't terribly difficult and you typically have a wide variety of cards to choose from (which is both good and bad). If you're unfamiliar with the terminology or are new to the aftermarket PC parts scene, it can be a little difficult figuring out where to start.

Greetings TechLore Members and Visitors! Welcome to the new home of TechLore's "Ask The Experts", where real technology experts will share their knowledge of gadgets and gizmos by answering real-life technology questions sent in by TechLore members.

Ask your questions directly to our Community Experts! Check back each week for a new question and answer, or subscribe today via RSS.

In order to help familiarize yourself with the program, please read our frequently asked questions below:

FAQ

How long has Ask The Experts been around?

It first started when TechLore launched in December of 2004, and has become one of our most popular features. To date, our experts have answered more than 150 user submitted questions ranging from MP3 players to surge protectors... and everything in-between.

How does Ask The Experts work?

Do you have a question that you just can't seem to get answered? Does every explanation you get involve acronyms and terms that you just don't understand? TechLore Experts are here to help. Submit your technology question to the experts. Each week, one of our experts will answer a submitted question right here in the

Question: On my Mitsubishi TV I have the option of "Fast Power On" or "Low Power." Fast Power On brings the the video up very fast and Low Power takes some time. They say that Low Power uses less energy, but TV power-on takes longer and some TV features may be unavailable.

What I am wondering is if I use the Low Power setting, would that extend my bulb life?

-submitted by Brandon C

Answer: Given the way that feature is worded and presented in the Mitsubishi TV's menu, I can see how it can be confusing. On other TVs I've used in the past, particularly with LCD, Plasma, and CRT sets, a low power mode often indicates that it's driving the image with less brightness and contrast, and thus operating using less electricity.

In Mitsubishi's case however, this is not true. Their Low Power / Fast Power On mode refers to how much electricity the TV uses while in stand by, not operating. Modern day televisions are commonly referred to as power or electricity 'vampires' since they continue to draw power from the wall even when off to support some of the various electronic doo-dads, like the clock or your video settings for example.

Question: I have successfully hooked up my laptop to my TV.. I have a new Toshiba computer and have made the connection using a VGA to TV converter box. Everything works good except for one thing, The videos and live TV broadcasts seem to be a little jerky, like they are buffering or something. I am receiving internet through a Verizon wireless DSL modem.

Is there a computer or modem setting that needs to be changed. Or do you need something else to produce seamless video similar to cable TV.

-Submitted by Fischer

Answer: Your question has me thinking from several angles, since you weren't exactly clear if the issue occurs when streaming content over the web (since you mentioned how you're connected to the web) or viewing local content (since you mentioned live TV broadcasts). I'll hit on both topics, though, since others could be facing problems with each.

Question:

cptdano from the forums asks:

"We have done away with land lines in our house. Do you have any ideas of another way we might accomplish something similar?"

Answer:

The country is in a recession, and your cellphone bills are high enough.  The last thing you or anyone else needs is yet another outrageous telephone bill, but your local cable and telephone companies keep on pressuring you to sign up for their included landline service.

Landline telephone service does have its advantages, including clarity of transmission and always-on service, but there are a number of solutions from various providers that offer voice telephone services over the Internet for a fraction of the price.  Are you ready to cut the cord?  Take a look at these three solutions.  (Before we begin, all of these solutions require a high-speed Internet connection.)

Skype: A Solid, Well-Known VoIP Provider

If you're not familiar with the term,

Question:

I'm searching in vain through my iTunes to find a way to make my favorite songs into ringtones for my iPhone.  I can't seem to find it.  How do I do this?

Answer:

Well, unfortunately for hundreds of thousands of iPhone owners who want custom ringtones, Apple doesn't make this easy for you.  Of course, you could always buy ringtones from the iTunes Music Store, but what if they don't have your favorite song available?  What if you want to use something completely different, like a video game sound effect or a recording of your kid playing the drums or something?

There are a few ways to do this - a sneaky (and lengthy) "manual" way, or you can use a third party program to make it easy.

The Manual Way

1.  Go to your Preferences Menu in iTunes and select the "General" tab.  See the "Import Settings" button in the picture above?

Question: I got a laptop that runs Windows Vista, and I've heard many rumors about vista... not good ones.

Here are the main specs:
XPS M1530
Intel Core 2 duo processor T8300 (2.4GHz/800Mhz FSB, 3MB Cache)
3GB Shared Duel Channel DDR2 SDRAM at667 MHz (2 dimms)
Hopefully this is all you need to figure out if i may or may not have problems.

-submitted by codify

Answer: Things haven't been good for the folks at Redmond since Vista debuted. With any major OS revision, in this case the move from XP to Vista, there are always going to be problems. The Internet boards haven't exactly been kind to Microsoft's latest; spouting off problems, issues, and complaints at every major corner. Some of these can be substantiated, others are just dribble posted by the Apple fanboys of the world or those who fear change (you know... the folks who like things the

Community member Goatyeah shot a message over to the TechLore Experts with a common, but frustrating problem that many apartment dwellers face. They asked:

Question: I recently moved into a great apartment, and in one bedroom they don't have a cable jack installed in the wall. The managers have told me I can't drill in the wall, but i need to have TV in that room. What can I do or buy to solve this problem? I dont mind spending a few $100 to get this solved.

Answer:

Don't worry Goatyeah... there are solutions for getting around this problem. And the good news, some aren't even that expensive. What you'll need to do depends on a few factors, like what kind of source devices you have available, and whether or not you're looking to pump HDTV into this room. 

You didn't indicate what kind of TV source you have. I'm going to go on the assumption you have a pay TV service like cable or satellite. If you have rely on broadcast, you'd only need a set of rabbit ears to get TV in that second room.

TechLore member dear82 recently wrote in with a question that doesn't come up very often, but sure could put even the tecnically minded person in a pickle.

The question: "The software installation disk that came with my new MP3 player is to small for my computer! What can I do?"

In other words, dear82 has been bitten by the "Mini-CD" problem. You see, CDs and DVDs typically come in the standard 12cm size, the size that looks like just about every CD, DVD, HD-DVD, and Blu-Ray disc you've seen the past 25 years. What you may or may not have seen is the less common 8cm size CD or DVD, which is known as the Mini-CD. These optical discs are the same as the full size, only they are physically smaller and hold less data or audio.

For the most part, these discs should also be compatible with the majority of CD and DVD drives out there. For example, tray based devices should have a second circular ring toward the middle shaped for the discs.