Its oh so quiet Shh Shh

[infernalis]

I feel for you
she's around Mikhaila's age (12), isn't she?
computer time is to her what curfew used to be to us, I guess

15 tomorrow, One of those "hot topic - Goth wannabe" kids.

Runs around in "Alice Cooper" makeup and defies everything.

Somehow you can dress her conservatively, and when she gets off the bus, it's Elvira all over again.

happy times.

[Stefan-A]

Today should be interesting... Our daughter was a real **** last night, so this morning while she is still sleeping I changed all the passwords on the computer, including the BIOS power on password.

Can't even get windows to load without it.

Unless you pluck out the CMOS battery for a moment, start the computer from a suitable bootable CD and copy and rename a couple of files in system32. If that happens, she can lock everybody else out, until someone does the same thing again.

[ConcinusMan]

ok well wheres my logic flawed...how do you explain the mimossa pied? it expressed both pied and mimossa coloration?

Pied gene works completely different than what I am talking about. The pied gene has to do with the distribution of pigment on the body, it has nothing to do with what type of pigment is produced. Theoretically, then, a snake could even be albino AND pied at the same time.

It's well known that you cannot combine Nebraska and Iowa albinos. It must be one or the other. Combining the two would result in snakes that are either nebraska or iowa albinos, and het for the other type.

[ConcinusMan]

Today should be interesting... Our daughter was a real **** last night, so this morning while she is still sleeping I changed all the passwords on the computer, including the BIOS power on password.

Can't even get windows to load without it.

It's going to be rough around here today, the only social networking will be mom and dad or nothing at all.

oh well!

I would have just opened the case and took the cable connected to the HDD.

Unless you pluck out the CMOS battery for a moment, start the computer from a suitable bootable CD and copy and rename a couple of files in system32. If that happens, she can lock everybody else out, until someone does the same thing again.

Very risky move if it's an OEM computer. They often use customized bios settings specific to the hardware. Taking the battery out would result in a loss of those settings. Without knowing what those settings were, you have yourself a paperweight.

[Stefan-A]

Very risky move if it's an OEM computer. They often use customized bios settings specific to the hardware. Taking the battery out would result in a loss of those settings. Without knowing what those settings were, you have yourself a paperweight.

I can't agree that it's that risky, but of course it depends on a few factors. Making it a paperweight would send a message, too.

[guidofatherof5]

Just changing a Bios power on password isn't that risky.
Especially when Wayne changes it

[infernalis]

Luckily, the child does not even know what a CMOS battery is, or the fact that one jumper can be moved for 3 seconds, and the whole bios falls back to default.

Oh, Richard.. I do IT for a living, so there is no chance of anything getting ruined. All data is redundantly backed up on DVDr & a pair of external drives, all critical data is also on a set of internal drives that are removed completely and locked in a box.

The only OEM computers I would ever own are laptops and trade ins.

The pre loaded software and the poor specs of OEM machines are lame. Plus the buyer has no control over who made the motherboard.

HP entered into a deal with Azus Motherboards a few years back, and churned out container loads of scrap metal. Because Wal Mart sold tens of thousands of a unit that nearly all got returned for a refund due to machine failure within the first month of ownership.

[ConcinusMan]

The pre loaded software and the poor specs of OEM machines are lame. Plus the buyer has no control over who made the motherboard.

HP entered into a deal with Azus Motherboards a few years back, and churned out container loads of scrap metal. Because Wal Mart sold tens of thousands of a unit that nearly all got returned for a refund due to machine failure within the first month of ownership.

Tell me something I don't already know. You couldn't give me an OEM machine for free. Oh wait, yes you could but first thing I would do is to rip it apart and use some of the parts to build something else.

Actually, the last time I owned an OEM machine, (long ago) the first thing I did was wipe it clean, throw away the OEM "system restore" disks, create a slipstream windows disk, and install the OS and drivers from that. Not surprisingly, after I did that, it ran 10X better than it did out of the box.

Why the manufacturers insist on crippling their hardware with the garbage they load up onto it, is beyond me.

[Stefan-A]

Bought an OEM about a year ago, after I beat my barely functioning laptop to death out of frustration. Picked the cheapest one, just because I knew they hadn't stuffed it with a lot of extra garbage. I needed it up and running immediately, so I didn't bother doing anything special with it.

It's currently serving as my #2 (in more than one sense) comp.

Anyway, there's usually not much of the O in OEM machines. Apparently people have successfully turned PCs into Xboxes.

[infernalis]

Anyway, there's usually not much of the O in OEM machines. Apparently people have successfully turned PCs into Xboxes.

Yep, Just about the time you thought you could count on Dell having an Intel motherboard wit ATI (AMD) graphics, they start using the Nvidea all in one board in the same exact chassis with the same exact model number.

The power supplies are a joke for the most part too. Why equip a machine with the ability to install six drives, and use a power supply that will barely power one? Add in card readers, high speed r/w drives and a heavy USB load, and it will smoke a supply quickly, unless you buy a good one to start with.