Support F.A.Q. - updated 17th October 2007

[Davey W]

I. Hard Drive/Optical Drive (CD-ROM/DVD-ROM) Problems

Q. How do I check my hard drive’s capacity?
A. Double click on MY COMPUTER, then right click on the drive you wish to check and choose PROPERTIES. This will tell you the formatted size and available space.

Q. I have 2 hard drives but they only show up as 1 in My Computer?
A. The hard drives have been set up as a RAID configuration

Q. My hard drive is supposed to be XXGb but Windows says the capacity is less. Have I been supplied the wrong HDD?
A. The quoted size of the HDD on your sales order is the unformatted capacity of the drive. What Windows reports is the formatted capacity. The reason it appears you have lost disk space is down to the way files are being stored on your hard-drive and how Windows reads the information provided by the boot sector of the drive (partition table). The best way of detecting the exact size of the drive is to boot the machine up with the MESH boot disk and choose to start without CD-ROM support. After a minute or so you will see a DOS prompt flashing, waiting for something to be inputted. Type in: 'C' and press ENTER. Now type in: 'CHKDSK' and press ENTER. A detailed list should now appear containing all the information about the size and usage of the hard drive. Locate the line that displays the total disk space and check the amount of bytes listed. This should now be a closer match to the size of the hard drive compared to what Windows is reporting.

Q. Why were their bad sectors found by Scan Disk?
A. Back up all-important information immediately. If the drive has more then 5% bad sectors you should contact Technical Support for further assistance.

Q. The printer does not seem to be working correctly?
A. Assess whether or not the port may be faulty. You may need to uninstall and reinstall your printer software. Please refer to your peripheral printer manufacturer warranty. You may need to download the latest printer drivers. Please see page 3 for a list of the peripheral manufacturers websites and support telephone numbers.

Q. I am having problems with my Joystick/Game pad?
A. If you bought your joystick independently, and your MESH PC is not recognising your joystick, a good idea may be to go to www.windrivers.com and check for updated drivers. Alternatively check the Creative website at www.soundblaster.com/support/faq/, which has a detailed trouble-shooting page that may well be able to help you.

Q. My games keep crashing?
A. Please refer to your games software publisher for details on patches and updated versions of your games.

Q. The fan is making an audible whirring noise in my MESH case?
A. If you are able to, establish which fan it is. It might be the chipset, CPU or chassis fan. This will enable MESH technical support to isolate the fault and save you time in resolving the problem.

Q. The hard drive is faulty?
A. You are recommended to read the Troubleshooting section in this guide and follow the steps provided. If still persisting, format and reinstall the appropriate drivers provided. Please note that MESH cannot take any responsibility for the loss or corruption of data in such circumstances.

Q. Why do I get the following error message ‘illegal operations’ with application software running under Windows?
A. Run Scandisk, if the problem still occurs. Uninstall and reinstall the application which is giving the problem (to un-install under Windows, click START - SETTINGS - CONTROL PANEL, double-click ADD/REMOVE programs and follow the instructions. If you are still having problems contact the software manufacturers.

Q. I cannot send or receive a fax?
A. Try the following:

• Check that the telephone lead is not damaged and connected to a suitable telephone line.
• Check that the modem has been installed correctly in Windows XP, by clicking the mouse on MY COMPUTER - CONTROL PANEL - MODEM - DIAGNOSTICS. Then highlight the COM port that has the modem on and click MORE INFO tab.
• Check that the application software has been installed correctly.
• If your telephone service has been provided by a Cable Provider, check with them that the modem is compatible.

Q. I can’t open the MS Encarta/Auto route software provided?
A. Insert CD number 1, then go to INSTALL and choose CUSTOM INSTALL, then pick from the list provided.

Q. Why does my PC turn on by itself?
A. Switch on the system and continuously tap on the delete key. In the BIOS move to Power and then APM Configuration. Set the following options as follows...(options may vary)

• Power On RTC Alarm [Disabled], Power On External Modems [Disabled]
• Power On PCI Device [Disabled], Power On PS/2 KeyBoard [Disabled]
• Power On PS/2 Mouse [Disabled], Power On OnBoard Lan [Disabled]

Press Esc to go back and then move across to Advanced. Move down to Onboard Devices Configuration. In the list make sure OnBoard LAN Boot ROM is set to disabled. Press F10 to save changes and exit the BIOS.

Q. I have one extra CD drive in My Computer
A. This CD drive (vobid) is a virtual drive created by Pinnacle Instant CD/DVD. See Pinnacle help section for more details.

Q. My TV, My Music, or My Videos buttons do not appear on the Start page of Media Center
A. From the Start menu, click Control Panel. Click Add or Remove Programs, and then click Set Program Access and Defaults. Double-click Custom. Click the Enable access to this program check box, scroll down the list to the Choose a default media player section, check the boxes for the programs you want to restore access to in Media Center, and then click OK.

Q. I have just reinstalled Media Center and it is in American
A. To get around this, boot the PC to the desktop and put in the recovery CD. (It should autorun) You will get a message “Do you want to update”, click yes and once updated Restart the PC and then run Media Center.