Lowyat.NET: Latest topics by nismo91

[REVIEW] Audiobox BBX 300 Speakers

nismo91 — Sun, 03 Apr 2016 16:13:18 +0800

Hello guys! It's been 3 years since my last post here. Today I'm going to review this portable speaker called: Audiobox BBX 300.
For those of you who don't know this brand, don't worry I just stumbled across this brand just about a year ago too. Audiobox is a multimedia speaker company from Leapfrog, the same company responsible for SonicGear speakers, PowerLogic peripherals and Armageddon gaming devices.

Intro:
About 5 years ago I have been wanting a speaker that has both rechargeable battery and adequate bass (as opposed to smaller alternatives like X-Mini). I was quite desperate, I insist to create a portable 2.1 speaker system, in fact I turned my Edifier MP300 into one using a 12V Li-Ion battery, as did my old Creative Inspire 2400. It costs me more than RM350 during that time to pair up a set of Edifier MP300 with 12V battery and a bluetooth receiver. Although it sounded great, it was bulky, messy and expensive. I decided to unpair the set and forget about it.

So quite recently I purchased an Audiobox Thor 900 as a gift to an elder relatives, and I stumbled across Audiobox BBX300. It reminds me of my rechargeable speaker project and after some hesitation I finally decided to get one. At RM120 retail price, it costs just a mere 1/3 of the money I spent for my project years ago. So here goes:

Key Features:
- Rugged ABS Plastic Body
- Built-in Rechargeable Lithium Battery (1650mAh)
- Multiple Inputs: USB, microSD, 3.5mm aux in, Bluetooth and FM Radio
- Built in Display with Infrared Remote Control
- Pure Power Output: 5W RMS
- Speaker: Single 4" Fullrange driver
- Frequency Response: 90Hz - 20000Hz
- Signal-to-Noise (SNR) Ratio: >60dB

Unboxing:

[attachmentid=6306008][attachmentid=6306011][attachmentid=6306019][attachmentid=6306020][attachmentid=6306021]

The carton box are colored, which is nice for speakers these days. Protective cushion are made from cardboard material as well. Pretty fancy for <RM150 speaker I think. What's inside the box:
- 1x BBX300 Boombox
- 1x USB Charging Cable
- 1x IR Remote Control
- 1x 3.5mm to 3.5mm Aux Cable
- 1x User Manual

First Impression:
My first impression with this speaker is that it definitely looks good for its price. It doesn't look very cheap if it wasn't for the bland on/off switch and pill-sized buttons at the top of the speakers. It is quite big, a little bit taller than a spray paint can. Despite its bulky appearance, it only weigh less than 1.2kg so it is definitely portable.

[attachmentid=6306005][attachmentid=6306040][attachmentid=6306043][attachmentid=6306044][attachmentid=6306022]

There is a battery-indicator light at the top too, kinda like the one you can easily find on powerbanks. At the back there are USB port, microSD port and input jack for charging. What I really like about the microSD port is that it has a spring mechanism so your microSD card will be flush instead of popping out. An IR remote control is provided for convenience, and it is quite responsive although it looks really cheap. User Manual contains loosely translated English sentence. I guess the manufacturer simply Google Translated the Chinese version of the manual. Display is a 4-digit seven-segment LED, red in color.

[attachmentid=6306056][attachmentid=6306057][attachmentid=6306058][attachmentid=6306059][attachmentid=6306060]

Using the Speakers:
After flipping the switch to on position, you will immediately hear chinese woman saying "Music" if you have plugged your microSD or USB drive.
Otherwise, the default mode of operation is Bluetooth.
Okay this is where it annoys me, everytime you switch the inputs by pressing mode button, there will be a sound of a chinese woman saying what input it is.
This is the default and order of inputs:
- USB / microSD - "Music"
- FM Radio - "Enter Radio in play"
- AUX - "Enter Aux in play"
- Bluetooth - "Enter to Bluetooth"

So it seems that the first priority of this speaker is to play MP3 files. Each time you turn the speaker off, it will return to USB/SD mode if there is either USB stick or microSD attached. A note is that you cannot switch between USB and microSD while using the MP3 mode. It will default to USB drive if both are present. I guess that's why there is a spring mechanism to the microSD slot. Strangely if neither of those are present, the speaker will default to Bluetooth, even if the AUX cable is attached.

This speaker also has a memory function, so it will remember at which volume level it was played last. It does also remember which FM station you left it at. The FM Radio works by a "preset" mode, so first you will need to save the radio preset by pressing and holding the play button until it record all the available FM radio channels. One drawback with this system is the lack of FM antenna, so you will have to use the USB charger cable as an antenna. A note regarding "Standby" button on the remote, all it does is switch off the unit except there is a small hiss heard at the speaker. So I guess it still consumes some battery power. Same goes for charging the unit even while the switch is at off position, it will go into standby and thus producing soft but audible hiss sound.

Enough with the speakers function, let's get to the sound quality. In short, I would rate this speaker performance as:
- Bass: 3/5
- Mid: 4/5
- Treble: 2/5
Overall: 3/5

Audio Quality:
The Audiobox BBX300 only uses a single 4" fullrange driver which says "5W 2ohm" at the back. For a 10cm speaker, it doesn't sound too good, but due to the shape of the box, it is able to produce some bass. No the bass is not hollow like the capsule-sized speakers like my old X-mini II, this unit is able to deliver deeper bass, but not at maxed volume like X-Mini II does. Listening to Problem by Ariana Grande in mid to high volume, I can hear immediate distortion. Fortunately, because this is a portable speakers, putting the unit near to a wall will boost its volume without having to max it.

The vocals are okay, but those of you who is looking for a proper "BOOMbox" will be disappointed because this speaker is not meant to be maxed out. I should note that before maxed out this baby will probably drown a maxed-out X-Mini II in low and mid frequencies already. Next, I used "Ai Qing De Gu Shi" by Fang Ji Wei. The mid and the vocals are surprisingly OK for a speaker at this price. However the trebles are lacking due to the lack of tweeter.

There are no equalizers present in this system, nor bass or treble adjustment. While I prefer 'flat' response, some people may find EQ or tone adjustment necessary. I think for this price you cannot simply expect EQ thrown inside the package. Although I must note that should there be let say bass adjustment, I can crank up the volume higher without having to resort to bass distortion.

[attachmentid=6306065][attachmentid=6306066][attachmentid=6306067]

Battery Life:
Battery capacity is 1650mAh according to the box, but after 40min of mp3 playback at medium volume, I lose about 1/4 of battery according to the little display next to the on/off switch. In my experience, when dealing with battery-powered speakers, battery life greatly depends on the kind of music (bassy music consumes more battery of course) and volume levels. So I would estimate this BBX300 to be able to deliver about 3h-4h of music through its battery.

Verdict:
An affordable portable speakers with embedded MP3 player, Bluetooth and FM Radio. Good sound quality at normal to moderate listening level.

Pros:
- Good midbass quality
- Acceptable bass
- Bluetooth, MP3 player and FM Radio onboard
- Trendy old-school boombox design with a handle
- Affordable price

Cons:
- Lacking in treble, outclassed by smaller speakers like X-mini II
- A loud chinese woman dialog heard each time mode button is pressed
- Lack of FM Radio Antenna
- Built-in Battery is non-removable

Thanks for reading, I hope it is found useful by readers. Cheers!

More BASS?

nismo91 — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 01:25:59 +0800

Craving for more bass?

Don't worry, you're not alone, not everyone are using bassy PC speakers/headphones. Something has to be done to get those thumping bass: keep the bass, reduce the rest, turn it up!

Don't be fooled by commercial software such as SRS Audio Sandbox, SRS Premium Sound, SRS TruBass, Dolby Natural Bass, DTS Boost, DFX Audio Enhancer. They offer you more bass but the mids and highs are squashed and with their poor algorithm your music are going to sound dull the second the beats peak around 0dB.

Don't have foobar2000?
DOWNLOAD HERE / MIRROR

__________________________________

2.1 Speakers - Find the best location for your subwoofer:
Subwoofer performance significantly depends on your room acoustic. If you have not try setting up the subwoofer in different spots / rooms, I suggest you do, so you know your real subwoofer performance .

Just for an example, my Klipsch iFi has been setup in more than 10 spots in different rooms, even at different house. So I know how bad it sounds on my bedroom and how good it sounds at my computer desk. Therefore I use different EQ settings for the same speakers if they're placed in different rooms.

2.1 Speakers - Determine your subwoofer frequencies:
If you have no idea on which frequencies you want to add, watch this video and listen from 100Hz to 30Hz without changing your volume level. Now you have an idea of which frequencies you want to add / subtract.

Enable and configure the Equalizer:
View > Equalizer > [55HZ] [77HZ] [110HZ] [156HZ]

More BASS:

Raise [55HZ] slider up and click auto-level , adjust until you are satisfied with the bass.

Reduce some muddy bass:

If you feel your subwoofer is a little 'muddy' (Edifier R501), you can try to reduce [110HZ] slider. Next, if you feel your subwoofer is rather boomy (Logitech Z Cinema), you can try to reduce the [77HZ] slider instead.

__________________________________
Example:

» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «

__________________________________
Headphones / In-Earphones:

f you're using good headphone or high end subwoofer, you might want to get bass lower than the 55hz foobar2000 offer. This is where the VST plugin in foobar2000 is useful. In the previous download link I've included VST plugin, SH-1 Equalizer and Voxengo SPAN.

Enable and configure SH-1 and SPAN:
File -> Preferences -> Playback -> DSP Manager -> Enable SH-1 and SPAN . Once enabled, you can access them through View -> DSP

SH-1 Equalizer:

You can increase 30hz , 40hz , and 63hz bar here. Do note that if you increase more bass, be sure to reduce the input level (left bottom corner) so there is no clipping or distortion.

Voxengo SPAN:

Use SPAN to check for clippings. Set the audio channels to 2 or Auto (left top corner). Check the clippings value and ensure it is always 0.

Caution: I am not responsible for your headphone / ear damage if you set too much bass or allow too much clipping.
__________________________________
For PC 5.1 Speakers, MP3 & CD Players, check out the Full Article

Logitech Z Cinéma

nismo91 — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 20:02:50 +0800

Update: review completed. Price of Z-Cinema outside SG IT Show is still S$229, according to some shops.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Well greetings to all, i noticed that there isn't much topics about Logitech Z Cinéma, and since I recently bought myself one, i guess i will make a simple reviews like found on the net. As usual, the speaker is tested in 2 rooms (to be fair) and will be compared (NOT side-by-side) to my other speakers. Some pictures are attached, but no-unboxing pictures since plenty of them can be found on the net.

Unboxing

Upon unboxing the heavy package, you will found a subwoofer packed with some plastic cushions, which is not protective enough. There will be another plastic box envelops the 2 satellites, CD, User Guide, USB cable, 2x AA batteries, and Infrared Remote

Both satellites and remote are glossy, and they are covered with clear film to prevent scratch prior to removal. My infrared remote arrived with some incident, that it has a thick scratch on the numerical pad below. But my subwoofer is in perfect condition. Techgage.com's Z cinema subwoofer arrived with some cracks at the bottom.

Features

- Infrared remote.
This is the second reason i'm buying this speaker after the price slash. The remote is well built, and it has a volume wheel, bunch of media-center compliant buttons and some playback buttons. The remote is thick at the bottom, which allows it to stand vertically on a table. Unfortunately the rear of the remote is rubberized, so it gets dusts and scratches easily.

- USB "soundcard".
I recalled in late 2008 i got my desktop onboard sound faulty and replaced with x-fi. If the incident happens in the future, I can assure that the Logitech Z-Cinema will be an advantage since it doesn't need any soundcard. However, without installing the software, the z-cinema volume adjustment did not work properly. example i cant set the bass and treble with the remote. i need to go to control panel and set it or remove the USB cable first.

- Aux input & headphone jack.
Works good, a must have

- Button-less speaker set.
No physical button on z-cinema, at all. Not even an on/off switch behind the subwoofer. You can switch on/off through the Logitech Z Cinema software and adjusts volume from the control panel, in case you lost your remote.

- SRS TruSurround HD.
This is a pseudo-surround system. The result is crappy, as expected, but surprisingly, in certain movies with heavy-dialogues, it works pretty well in creating the virtual center speaker. However, I did modify the registry so i can gain access to the level of "focus", "tru-bass", "definition" etc.

Experience: (Cons first)

Cons:
- Crappy software.
If you never install the Z-cinema software, the Z cinema only act as a "stereo". If you install the software (even remove it later) it can act as a "5.1" and therefore will do its own downmixing from the internal soundcard. It will give distortion if you set it in 5.1 mode and you listen to heavy songs. Therefore use 2.0 stereo mode just like before the software is installed. The advantage of installing the software, for me, is that I can adjust the bass / treble / volume control properly, and set the music button to open & maximize foobar2000. As usual, SRS is disabled permanently after this test.

- No physical button.
Although I prefer this configuration, others may not appreciate this.

- Unacceptable "bug" of the speaker.
The problem persists when you play speaker at normal or lower volume. The subwoofer starts to "crunch" as if the midrange has bleed into the subwoofer. making extremely unpleasant sound. I had to turn off the subwoofer completely via remote or crank the volume up. This annoys me because i often listen to music after midnight. In afternoon, however, I didn't seem to be bothered by this, at all. Looks like many users also complains at Logitech Forums. A quick solution to this was to move my subwoofer to better "sweet spot" so the 'crunch' did not sound so obvious.

- Limited output.
Z-cinema internals limit the output. Note the limit is not like EIDC (Edifier Intelligent Distortion Control). The limit is on the volume output only. Only problems for me is when playing DVD in WMP or WMC the volume is lower than other media player software, so I need to use other media player.

- Short Wires
Although technically all their wires can be extended using longer usb cable, longer RCA cables and longer VGA cables with proper connector I believe Logitech should have included a longer cable. This is a huge PC speakers, better stereo separation should be considered. what are they thinking??

- Subwoofer lack of very low kicks.
Perfect example to explain is when playing "Bass I Love You", on the part the subwoofer should slam rigorously (probably <20hz), the z-cinema subwoofer seems like bottlenecks and bring the volume of the entire set down. Looks like the symptoms of underpowered subwoofer. Compare this and this you can see the Z-Cinema exactly plays like the Z2300, while it should be like the klipsch.

- Expensive
If it wasn't for the discount there is no way i'm buying the Z-Cinema. And because of this discount too I say it's worth getting.

Pros

- Elegant design.
The Z-Cinema fits in your house beautifully. the aluminium brush on the satellites mated with glossy front finishes produces a elegant look, especially when it sits on my black table top.

- Volume indicator
The volume indicator is useful when watching DVD from afar. Instead of the "OSD" interrupts the movie screen you can just look at the right satellites and check the volume.

- Does not rely on soundcard
If your soundcard suddenly gone faulty, don't worry since the Z-Cinema uses USB and therefore has its own 'soundcard'.

- Switching power supply
Works from 100V-240V worldwide, works similarly like laptop power supplies. Eliminates the need of "transformer" if you brought it to 100V countries and vice-versa.

- Impressive sound quality

After unboxing, I placed the z-cinema in my living room and start listening to music. At first, the sound isn't fantastic. there were too much booms from the subwoofer. probably because i placed it in the corner of the living room. Few days after, I decided to put it in my room, replacing the old trusty R501. In this position, the bass is much less, but the midrange is more emphasized. Probably because the subwoofer booms is significantly reduced.

Comparing it with my Edifier R501 and Klipsch i-Fi, the Z-Cinema leaves R501 behind and positioned itself behind the ifi. it's the second best PC speaker I've ever owned, not only listened. However the brightness of the satellites seems to be disturbing me. So I leave the treble at 0 (default). Comparing the sound-stage to R501, this has definitely more soundstage. But not as much as the ifi's one. I guess that's why Alienware uses the same RSX3 satellites from Klipsch i-Fi for its Alienware ALX 5.1 Speakers apart from satellites found in Promedia 5.1 Ultra.

Now I will not compare the Z-cinema to R501 and i-Fi in music since music is very subjective, someone like too much bass while others like less bass. I will not elaborate. Instead, comparing Z-Cinema vs i-Fi vs R501 in movies is very interesting. i-Fi had wide soundstage, deepest bass among 3 and R501 has a proper 5.1 surround sound. Do note that I do not compare them side-by-side, nor i do not compare them by watching the same movie 3 times.

These 2 days I've watched "Two Fists One Heart" and "Sherlock Holmes" DVDs. On top of that, I watched couple of trailers from "demo-world.eu" which I have in my computer. For the trailers, I've played them back on each speakers many times, so I remember how the sound are. Anyway the SRS is OFF during testing.

In the first DVD, first impression is: loud and clear voice, better than the i-Fi cause Z-Cinema actually recognized as 5.1 Speakers instead of Stereo Speakers. During the dialogue I can hear the voices clearly, but not as if they're coming from the screen itself. R501 gets the vote here. When the boxing begins, Z-Cinema really shines. The thick midrange helps to create the wide soundstage, and the subwoofer slams effortlessly.

Second DVD, when Sherlock have some fight with the gigantic guy, nice fighting sound, as if you were in a theater. When the explosion near the slaughterhouse begins, the bass is just right, not too much probably because i set the bass to 3/4 only. Overall nice experience watching movies with this PC speakers.

Now during some trailers I've played back, as usual Z-Cinema takes over the i-Fi for the center channel, but i-Fi owns Z-Cinema when it comes to low frequencies. Obviously the Z-Cinema is packed with some booms, but it appears that it cannot produce bass as low as the ifi does. In Pirates of the Carribean - At World's End trailer, during the first storm where the ship gonna fall down the subwoofer of i-Fi seriously show how powerful can it gets. Z-Cinema is not bad, but with higher power rating than i-fi and "Z-cinema" name at least it should be better.

The Dark Knight trailer, it's where the Z-Cinema shows it's really capable of doing some serious boom in explosion scene. There are plenty of explosion scene in this trailer. Now last but not least, I managed to play Prison Break season 1 a couple episode to test the Z-Cinema. The sound is very good, ambient prison sound is present. Death race trailer, again, Z-Cinema leaves R501 and i-Fi behind.

Now I conclude that among these 3 speakers i currently own, no doubt the i-fi as the name suggests is suitable for music, while Z-Cinema perform superbly in movies. What about R501? well it's in different pricerange but trust me R501 does better than other 2 when it comes to gaming.

Personally I havn't test the Z-Cinema fully when it comes to games. However so far not even once the Z-Cinema has given me a virtual rear speaker sound. In fact with both SRS on or off, max surround volume it just sounds boring. Couple of games I've played using R501 in the past such as GTA IV, Rise of Argonauts, L4D2, Halo1, and some other titles I believe the rear speaker of R501 cannot be replaced with "virtual surround" like from Logitech or SRS.

It's correct Logitech named the speaker Z-Cinema and Klipsch named his iFi. as the name suggest, they are actually designed to excel in specific areas. R501 is a good choice for budget users, still gives me the best gaming experience among these 3.

Conclusion

First of all the discount I mentioned is from (SGD400 to SGD230) which is approx RM550 after discount. At this price, I find it sounds better than the rest of the more expensive competitors such as Altec MX5021, MX6021, Creative T3, Edifier S530, even Klipsch GMX. About AEGO M I have listened before but not thoroughly so I simply can't comment.

If you're looking for a speaker mostly to watch movies, Z-Cinema is a good choice, apart from all the cons that I have listed above.

Update: April 2010

I'm away for some holiday break. Thus i met my iFi again. This time, something serious happened to the iFi. the subwoofer "sweet-spot" has actually got bigger. This time, I playback'd again some trailers that i recently got. The subwoofer slaps Z Cinema subwoofer in no time.

Z Cinema is really weak when it comes to very low frequencies, i repeat, very low frequencies if we're to talk about PC speakers (30-50hz). Obviously in some movie scene the iFi takes over because of its subwoofer capability. Plus the RSX3 has much heavier midrange than Z Cinema's satellites.

Overall Z Cinema is a very good product, but without discount, again, I don't think it's worth getting. The 40% discount is significant enough to make it become a best buy speaker. Sadly the discount doesn't go worldwide.

Read more below.

Bluetooth headset and WM6

nismo91 — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:26:26 +0800

Hello all, i got a situation right here. im using an old LG KS20 with its default OS, WinMo 6 and i happen to have 2 stereo (A2DP) devices which are Philips SHB7100 and Fujitsu SPK-796.

so i pair them to my older phone, LG KU990 Viewty and both devices work perfectly. Now i'm trying to connect either one of them to the KS20 without any luck. So the bluetooth headset and speakers are working right.

I discovered that there are "handsfree options" in bluetooth settings that has "authorization" "authentication" and "encryption". ticking or not ticking any of them did not give me what i need.

so basically the problem is: i can connect both devices as "hands-free" and it asks me for pairing code when i pair both of them, but i cannot connect the "high quality audio bluetooth". it says connection failed, obviously because it didn't ask me the pairing code, which is necessary in the first place.

so anyone here facing the same issue?

More bass

nismo91 — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 19:27:11 +0800

» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «

How to backup 3.5 HDD w/o PC?

nismo91 — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 16:47:14 +0800

hey all a disaster has happened to my computered so i needed to backup.
it has Windows XP on C: drive and has another D: partition without any OS.

it's a SATA 3.5" HDD by the way.

so how do i backup? just buy a external enclosure and retrieve all the data in other com?

MoBo shorted. need new one, any recommendation?

nismo91 — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 22:50:04 +0800

hey all, i recently have problems with the 4-pin mobo, which is actually if i meddle with it, i can get into my computer. but now its worse:

- i plug IN the 4-pin connector to mobo, the computer doesnt boot and fan NOT whining.
- i plug OUT the 4-pin, it doesnt boot, but the fan is working. and i can hear DVD drive acting.

*i tried with another new PSU which i got it free from buying the case, same luck, exactly.
*i installed new GPU, 9500GT this monday.

anyone can share some lights? im so desperate right now. couple of things went wrong in the house...

[addedon]August 8, 2009, 11:19 pm[/addedon]one more update:
i tried removing the RAMs. and my mobo doesnt even beepp as it should.
definitely mobo problem eh?? i need this com!

finally it's been checked and come to conclusion that the mobo is faulty. not the PSU.

the reason it stopped working when i plug the 2x2 12V is because it's shorted, so PSU stop it as 'short-circuit protection' happens.

thus, i need new mobo. any value intel board that support E6300 still selling today?

HELP! mobo 4-pin connector issue

nismo91 — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:29:22 +0800

hey all my computer reading shows very high CPU temp so i decided to dismantle the heatsink and reapply thermal paste. and make sure the hsf seat properly. after everything fine, i cant boot. everything works. except no LED is on.

so i remember, few days ago i installed a new GPU and i forgot to plug in the 4-pin connector to mobo and it happen EXACTLY like this.
so i check, this time i already plugged in the damn 4-pin mobo connector. but still doesnt work. tried reseating ram also.

any ideas? help!

spec can be found on my siggy, 2nd one.

[addedon]August 6, 2009, 1:32 pm[/addedon]hey guys. im sorry, but i just PULL PULL the cable and it works...
so i know, its definitely the 4-pin cable.

BUT! still, im worried this thing happen in the future. because this is my bro computer and he's not techie so he wont be able to solve it, once im away.

so, since the cable is the culprit, what can i do to make this doesnt persist in the future?

[addedon]August 6, 2009, 1:42 pm[/addedon]guys.... as i told u the problem persist... just now my com suddenly off itself without i touching the wire...

any idea?? its definitely the cable loosen or something...

Advice on upgrade GPU

nismo91 — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 21:16:14 +0800

hey all, i got a almost-3-years-old desktop on home with integrated graphics. suddenly my brother wanted to play "the last remnant". so i need buy new GPU.

so i check out the specification, turns out mine is of course, lack at CPU and GPU.

game vs mine, minimum requirement
E4400 2.0 ghz -- E6300 1.86ghz stock no OC
1.5GB RAM -- 3GB RAM
15GB Free -- 100GB Free
XP SP2 -- XP SP3
8600 256mb -- onboard, plan to buy 9600gt 512.

well, some questions:

1. what u think of 2.0 ghz requirement and my 1.86 ghz E6300?
2. i have 400W AcBel PSU. (34A on 12V rail) with 4 pin PCIE connector. is it compatible?
3. my board is D946GZIS. its PCIE v1 im sure. 9600GT compatible?
4. my budget is 100US$, converted. if u think 9600GT is not enough to play the game smoothly (i dont expect high details) any other recommendation?

if it require me to upgrade my entire PC, i will then cancel my plan to buy 9600gt, and wait until i got some $ to upgrade my entire system later this year.

thanks all

Win32 VITRO / VIRUT!

nismo91 — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 20:10:27 +0800

hey all, my last post was not really popular, but this time im facing something new.
click here

some okay, i've deleted the dllhost.exe and restore it and the C:\windows\temp folder is clean (temporarily).

i only face vrtxxx.tmp in \user\temp folder. ive been searching they said this is virut. if it is, it will be hard time fighting it.

so anyway, do not scare me first, im to report, that each time i download new file, the htm and exe will be infected...
im just trying to download some nice clean app but many of them are infected by win32 vitro file.
i need to know who has infect all this, because after last reformat, it still there.

maybe it is the explorer.exe that is infected? u see, i scan the file in .zip, its clean. after i extract it is infected..
cmon how possible it is all files i downloaded end up quarantined. (some of them)

cmon, this virus is all linked. the VPS date say its the same date database. i need to find the root and my problem is gone...

im so sick of this, i ran the avg virut remover (oh hell yeah vitro = virut )
so i see alot of things are infected... really, i rather lose all my executables but get my computer clean... as long my mp3s and jpgs are here.

any suggestion before reformat 'again'?

i will run few more virut remover from symantec and friends, will keep up if im done with result.

--------------------

tell you what, i boot to safemode, delete all temp, prefetch and system restore.
and i ran the symantec virut remover. it doesnt detect anything...

so i scan using AVG virut, and it says ALOT of virut and it cleaned all. i just tried download things, and it no longer detected as vitro by avast.

really, but the AVG tool at least very useful. i recommend everyone check ur computer too!
http://www.avg.com/filedir/util/avg_rem_su...rut/rmvirut.exe

well guys, im abit relived now. but im not 100% sure. but at least, 50% already.

Vista Power Plan

nismo91 — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 05:17:22 +0800

hi all

its really tiring, each time i recover my damn computer i have to edit all the power plans according to my needs. since the vista power plan has alot of thing, which is tiring... can i save my life by backing up them?

im sure they are registry values... just that a specific destination to backup would be appreciated... so i dont have to do this process each time i recover my computers.

thanks all.

HELP on iframe virus

nismo91 — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 18:03:52 +0800

hi all, basically my computer are usually free from harmful viruses, but recent recovery (done early last mth) has brought some iframe viruses. usually, what i saw is during the start of mozilla firefox. it blocks site jl.chura.pl/rc

yeah i found the solution by modifying the hiddenwindows.html in res folder.
last mth it works, but yesterday it appears again without any obvious source.
i delete the row <iframe>, but after i close it, it appears again.

it begins when i was watching dvd suddenly my C:\windows\temp folder is infected. after that, the firefox start begins to show "access to iframe jl.chura.pl is blocked"

i am using avast home free edition with updated virus database, anyway.

so since im not a huge fan of iframe trojan, i boottime scan every single file in my computer, delete some useless crap. but it didnt work, i tried enabling UAC back for security purposes. after next reboot so the com surrogate has stopped working (i am using vista 32 home), and some viruses found again in C:\windows\temp.

i delete those files manually, and the firefox iframe issue has been gone. but randomly, i got those messages that viruses in C:\windows\temp appears again, but with different name.

here is the attachment of what is my antivirus logging.
as u all can see, i've been clean from 30/06 (ignore the autorun.inf, its my friend portable disk) and this morning, many attacks are shown.

» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «

Razer Pro V1.6 driver prob

nismo91 — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 20:05:07 +0800

hello all,
i just bought a Razer V1.6 bundled with propad.

the pro pad is amazing mouse pad, the pro click 1.6 too, but the driver that came with it sucky.

the problem is, after install, i cant configure the button. so i figured it out that like in razer website knowledge base, i need to manually go to device manager and update driver of USB HID Device to razer one. after that is works like charm.

but after reboot i need to do that again and again. so i wanted to know does anyone here know how to "force" driver to use razer driver forever. and one more thing, the driver is actually unsigned.

thanks all.

Help on IDT/SigmaTel Sound + X-Fi 5.1 USB

nismo91 — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 00:01:43 +0800

Hi all LYNers

i have a problem with my 2-years-old desktop. basically its been doing fine for 2 years, just this afternoon it gone mute. to be exact after woken up from a standby. have tried uninstall and reinstal of sound driver. disable and enable of audio in bios. but no luck. worse is, it says all jacks are connected. although i only plugged a cable to green front speaker jack.

any idea on this? the soundcard is onboard to Intel D946GZIS. name is IDT Audio. spec can be found on my siggy.
thanks alot!'

update:

now since i change it to x-fi surround because of the mute IDT. its worse. each time i plugged in the speaker i got minidump and restart.

USB Mouse wiring

nismo91 — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 20:03:14 +0800

Hi all
i have one working usb mouse, but the cable is near-to-faulty. so i plug out all the wire and want to change with a new usb wire. the problem is:

the old wire is one fiber-optics wire, so the colour is red green yellow blue.
while my USB is black red green white.

anyone knows which color correspond to which color?
its because when i tried red green white black it does not work.

thanks very much.

Linksys WRT54GV7 problem

nismo91 — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 23:46:00 +0800

Hi all.
i have a small problem here regarding a new piece of Linksys WRT54GV7.

so here how it goes:

this tuesday i went to buy a piece of Linksys WRT54GV7 from a computer shop.
the purpose is very simple, to multiply my single-port broadband modem connection into wireless and wired.

basically i know how to setup that device. in fact a have one WRT54GV1 before and i've ever setup one WRT54GC under same condition... This time, its weird. when i plug the linksys into the broadband modem (of course i change the linksys IP first so that both does not use 192.168.1.1) there's no internet in wired/wireless connection. even frequently i cannot access the broadband modem IP itself from the linksys. im sure ive plugged in the correct line for correct slot though. surprisingly, the no-internet wireless connection from one desktop featuring SMC Wireless G Dongle likes to disconnect occasionally, although the WRT54G is just right in front of the desktop. just bypassing a thin wall with glass windows.

today i went back to the shop and sent it back. they replace it with the new one and i try it again back home. same, no luck it still the same, but the disconnect issue no longer exists i suppose. even worse i cannot access my broadband modem page from the linksys WRT54GV7

i hope you understand what i write above, and sorry for my terrible english.

the problem i would like to highlight is:

i want to know why the internet connection cannot get through the WRT54G, im quite sure maybe i have some incorrect settings in linksys page. but i tried resetting to factory defaults without luck. the guy in shop told me i should not use DHCP in the internet settings but i tried that and it gives me same result. anyway the connection here is PPPoE. should i set the internet username and password there too??? my WRT54GV1 does not do this...

i know there's lot of difference between V1 and V7. but i'll appreciate it if someone could share some light. im a n00b in networking especially wireless networking.

Thanks!

How many of you take care of your phone?

nismo91 — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 17:58:08 +0800

Hi people, i just want to know what is your preference for a case for your beloved phone. I apologize if this post have been post before, and however if you have more than one answer, please choose the one which you like.

Best Edifier 2.1 Speaker Under RM250

nismo91 — Sun, 28 Jan 2007 08:59:13 +0800

Hi all, i know this topic have been listed 3 times before (i've been eyeing ).
But i would like to ask some of edifier expert what about their opinion on a product that im going to buy...

My chosen 2.1 speakers are:
R401, X600, M2300, M3300, M3400

ATP3, VS4121

I would like to have a speaker which have a good bass and midrange, well i previously use a X300, but finally i give it to my cousin. X300 bass was lack, but tweaking it by putting under the table improve lot of performance. Hence i've been eyeing around and still couldn't find an appropriate upgrade from my X300. For sure, i'll not get a E3100 as my housemate also has it and i've try the sound many times.

Thanks for your suggestion

Oh yeah, one more thing i'm not in malaysia, but i could convert the currency easily.