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Home / I-Opener Areas / I-Opener Technical Stuff I-Opener Tips For New Owners #7 More I-Opener tips

I-Opener Tips For New Owners #7 (modified 0 times) ckbone Profile This is the seventh in a series of tips involving I-Opener modification and use. Here's a link to the previous set of tips #6. http://www.linux-hacker.net/cgi-bin/UltraBoard/UltraBoard.pl?Action=ShowPost&Board=technical&Post=1654&Idle=0&Sort=0&Order=Descend&Page=0&Session=ckbone.97041347784005 Anyone with a good, tested tip....feel free to add it to the list. 10-01-2000 08:27:45

RE:I-Opener Tips For New Owners #7 (modified 0 times) ckbone Profile INDEX TO TIPS FOR NEW OWNERS Tips #1 7-5 easy file transfer 7-5 search tip 7-6 USB drives 7-7 link to CPUCool 7-8 hard drive physical size 7-9 sandisk as emergency boot disk 7-10 ram install problems 7-10 link to hard drive LED 7-11 TSRs and computer speed 7-12 Safety tips 7-13 ergonomics and the I-Opener 7-14 fans and cooling thoughts 7-14 modem warning 7-15 parts hack list 7-15 using laptop to setup drive 7-16 windows update 7-16 screen protection 7-16 misc tips 7-17 BIOS chip problems 7-18 external hard drive 7-18 misc tips 7-18 file transfer 7-19 cable warning 7-19 E-Bay and computer parts 7-19 Win98 and sound problems 7-20 editorial 7-20 link to digital slide show 7-21 SiSoft Sandra and benchmarks 7-21 yamaha driver and RISE cpu 7-22 misc tips 7-22 surge protection 7-22 parallel port hard drive and cdrom 7-22 more yamaha problems 7-23 starting a V4 hack 7-23 speaker stuff 7-24 Badflash stuff 7-25 using Drive Image 7-27 using fdisk /mbr 7-27 overclocking w/software 7-27 link to SoftFSB 7-27 link to cachman 7-29 Partition Magic and I-Opener 7-29 V4 hack problems 7-31 IDE cdrom working 7-31` superdisk and I-Opener 8-1 stock heat sink thoughts 8-1 link to I-Opener drivers 8-1 4in1 driver problems Tips #2 8-2 links to drivers 8-3 IDE cdrom 8-4 recovering from crashes 8-5 4in1 drivers 8-5 BIOS info 8-5 link to modem driver 8-5 misc tips 8-5 fan grills 8-6 display type in win98 8-6 quiet fan install 8-6 Tweak UI 8-6 Tennmax fan failure 8-7 cooling stuff 8-7 auto-power controller 8-7 misc tips 8-8 modems and line noise 8-8 changing BIOS settings Tips#3 8-9 soldering on the main board 8-9 quick-detach cables 8-10 4in1 stuff 8-11 link to Zone Alarm 8-11 link to Syber Secure Desktop 8-11 misc thoughts 8-12 Drive Image explained 8-12 cable clutter solution 8-12 computer shows 8-14 link to free stuff 8-14 setting up an I-Opener 8-15 Hacking thoughts 8-16 RadioShack nipper 8-16 SW4 settings Tips#4 8-16 what to do first 8-17 operating systems and speed 8-18 3.5" adapter warning 8-18 link to sw3...sw4 stuff 8-18 dealing with TORX screws 8-18 links to pictures 8-18 hacking thoughts 8-20 splitting ribbon cables 8-20 link to finger mouse 8-23 windows updates on cdrom 8-23 BIOS chips and connections 8-26 using compact flash media 8-26 external speakers 8-26 re-installing win98 8-27 misc stuff 8-27 editorial 8-27 Fellows Adjustable Monitor Arm Tips#5 8-28 photo sharing using Yahoo Photos 8-28 V5 and sound 8-30 hack description 8-30 BIOS settings 8-31 Telling your version 9-2 best upgrade? 9-2 using a digital multi-meter 9-4 booby-trapped shareware 9-4 RadioShack VOM 9-4 chain of upgrades 9-5 using UB code 9-5 I-Opener and cdroms 9-5 DOS cdrom driver 9-6 Badflash cables 9-7 Win2000 and I-Opener 9-8 I-Opener speakers 9-11 link to CPUCool Tips#6 9-12 Win 2k stuff 9-12 link to new motherboard monitor 9-14 finding info 9-14 WindowsME stuff 9-15 link to K62 500 9-18 portable I-Opener 9-18 misc tips 9-19 link to windows help site 9-21 Logitech cordless keyboard and mouse 9-21 keyboard stuff 9-23 editorial 9-24 grounded outlet how-to 9-27 ORB usb drive 9-27 Amd upgrade stuff To find any of these different tips, follow the links at the top of the page. Use the dates to scroll down to each tip. Thanks to everyone who helped out. 10-01-2000 09:34:36

RE:I-Opener Tips For New Owners #7 (modified 0 times) friar Profile Tired of carrying my IO back and forth to work in a flimsy sports bag, I decided to look around for a (hopefully cheap) solution. Happily I found a bag intended for a Dell laptop that was a pretty good fit for my IO, for $30 at a local computer show (Vallejo, CA). Don't risk breaking your IO's display, get a case! Note: I also got a very small keyboard to go with it (about the same size as the stock IO keyboard), as a full size keyboard wouldn't fit in the bag. Works great!! 10-01-2000 19:26:11

K6-3: Raise VCore to fix CPUIdle/CPUCool/Rain hanging (modified 0 times) Tackhead Profile I had a K6-III-333 running stably at 1.9V. Or so I thought. Whenever I ran CPUIdle, CPUCool, or Rain, or any other "software CPU cooler", the machine locked up hard. When the K6-3 executes a HLT, it seems to go into a power-saving mode that's incompatible with running at such a low voltage. All I had to do to solve this problem (and it puzzled me for weeks until I realized that the only thing different between my box and other people's boxen was that I was tweaking VCore with a pot!) was bump VCore from 1.9V to 2.05V. Your mileage may vary. But if you've got an IO running a K6-3 at a below-spec voltage, and it hangs when you try to use software CPU coolers (to cool both the CPU and Q16), you may wish to increase VCore slightly. 10-05-2000 11:37:04

RE:I-Opener Tips For New Owners #7 (modified 0 times) redwood Profile tackhead, are you not useing any fans? I'm trying NOT to use any fans, but, with limited success... ie: I crash Alot... not stable, just standare RISE chip, win98... networked... I guess I will have to give in to the fan noise.. I just can't keep them running any length of time... let me know if you are doing this with no fan, thanks, btw, I am running Rain also... 10-05-2000 12:25:59

RE:I-Opener Tips For New Owners #7 (modified 0 times) Tackhead Profile redwood: I've got one _very_ small fan mounted near the passive heatsink, blowing across it. At first glance, your symptoms don't sound temperature-related. The hardware you're using is basically a stock IO with the RISE chip, and it should be able to run Windoze just as well as it should the built-in QNX supplied by Netpliance. Have you tried running either non-networked, or without Rain running? Does it lock up at precisely one point in time (can you replicate it?) or is it intermittent? The problem I was solving was a system that worked perfectly until I ran the cpu cooler, and then locked up instantly. The cpu cooler was the _only_ thing that could have been causing the lockup. (And it turned out that the only reason it was locking up was because I'd hacked the voltage too low.) Finally, what are you currently using for a heatsink and/or cooling solution? Given that this thread is for new-owner tips, perhaps we should start a new thread? 10-05-2000 14:52:20

RE:I-Opener Tips For New Owners #7 (modified 0 times) ckbone Profile Free stuff: How about a free office suite, compatable with MS Office stuff? If you have limited hard drive space on your I-Opener, this could be the solution. http://www.software602.com/ The download for the basic suite is 15mb. Try it..... 10-06-2000 04:40:37

RE:I-Opener Tips For New Owners #7 (modified 0 times) ckbone Profile Cordless mouse: Here's another alternative for cramped spaces, mobile use, or whatever....Logitech Cordless Trackman Wheel Mouse (optical, psu/usb). I'm using this on my V2, mounted on a bedroom nite-stand. The reciever is very small, and could be mounted easily in the base. If anyone has not tried an optical mouse, you're in for a treat. Optical mice, of all sorts now, have the smoothest operation of all.....once you use one, you'll never want anything else. I'm using this USB, with the stock keyboard on an extension, stuffed under the stand. For surfing around you can't beat the freedom of going cordless. CompUSA....$59. 10-12-2000 03:30:46

RE:I-Opener Tips For New Owners #7 (modified 0 times) zhensel Profile Looking to lower your iopener noise? Get a hacksaw! I just cut off about a 1/2"x1.5" section of the stock heatsink to fit my IDE connector (thanks badflash) and ran the cable out the memory door to the disk (attached using the ever-reliable velcro). Sure, I am using the rise266 at stock clocking and voltage, but there is no noise other than disk access. Also, it runs at like over 150 degrees which I suppose is hot or something :) Hell, if it burns out I'll just buy a k6 3 upgrade for 30 bucks or so. I highly recommend the forementioned velcro-drive by the way. It looks reasonably decent (my ibm drive was originally a laptop spare drive so it came with a sort of case type thing) and I can easily shut down the computer and swap out the drive to my desktop if the network is down for some reason. 10-12-2000 19:36:51

RE:I-Opener Tips For New Owners #7 (modified 0 times) ckbone Profile IBM hard drive caddy: Back on 7-18 in these tips sections, I talked about using a hard drive caddy as an external enclosure....never did it though. If I ever get another I-Opener, I've got the set-up ready to go. I'm glad to see someone tried the same thing. One thing that does concern me is blocking the case vent holes with internal or external objects. Obviously, if your hard drive is on the inside, quite a few vent holes will be blocked.....which makes a fan necessary for a really cool computer. On the outside, you could mount the caddy (or hard drive) in such a way, with stand-offs maybe, that ventilation would not be hindered. I've heard of people who have mounted hard drives internally, by the use of a velcro attachment directly to the RF shield. This is an accident (fried computer) waiting to happen. I've used velcro for many years, and I have seen it shift, loosen, and fall off when exposed to excessive heat.....such as an I-Opener produces under various configurations. If you want to mount a hard drive internally against the RF shield, for safety sake, use screws......only takes a few extra minutes. 10-14-2000 04:25:41

RE:I-Opener Tips For New Owners #7 (modified 0 times) ckbone Profile Thermal compound: For all of you over-clockers, and for everyone concerned with heat-related issues, here's a link to a good discussion on the subject: http://www.thetechzone.com/reviews/roundup/thermal_compound/index.htm 10-30-2000 05:10:48

RE:I-Opener Tips For New Owners #7 (modified 0 times) ckbone Profile Audio Solution: Take a look at this complete audio(no solder) solution for your I-Opener. This website has a ton of neat USB items: http://www.usbstuff.com/alynn.html 10-31-2000 04:39:38

RE:I-Opener Tips For New Owners #7 (modified 0 times) ckbone Profile Philips DSS 350 USB Speakers: You want sound...You got sound. After I saw and heard these speakers, I had to buy a set. CircuitCity $29. Great sound, rather large, almost as tall as an I-Opener...5" wide. It has an aux input(analog), headphone out, the power supply turns itself off when there is no signal. Great bass by itself, it also has a connection for a sub-woffer. Although the website and the box don't say so, it works perfect in Win 2000 with no extra software. I'm sold on them....best computer sound I've heard. The large power brick actually connects with a standard AC cord to the wall outlet. Take a look:http://www.philipsusa.com/cgi-bin/pusaimgr/PUSA/products/prod_template.jsp?BV_SessionID=457726829.973212909&BV_EngineID=faljefdfmkgbeflcffcgecggk.0&oid=6438&mpath=/PC+Peripherals/Digital+Speakers&msection=PC+Peripherals&msectLinks=products/perip_main 11-02-2000 18:12:55

RE:I-Opener Tips For New Owners #7 (modified 0 times) ckbone Profile Editorial: What is the purpose of this board? From where I sit, the sole reason for the existance of this board, is to provide a place for people to exchange ideas concerning the modification of the I-Opener computer. There are probably only two people who have made any money here.....we all know who they are.....for their efforts they deserve what they earned. For the rest of us, what remains here, is a place that enables us to modify our I-Openers more easily, a place to exchange ideas about the process. Unfortunately, in the recent past some people used this board to vent their apparent frustrations by flaming, cursing, and taunting everyone on every conceivable topic. This practice has fortunately slowed lately, by a change of rules perhaps. What remains is a more subtle form of this undesirable practice, which can be described simply,as an unwillingness to share. Many people have put a large amount of time and money into this I-Opener thing. They have been unselfish in that endevor.....they have talked about their findings, explained them, and tirelessly answered questions. In return, all they ever asked for, was respect for what they did, and help, and information in return. I consider myself one of these people. There is a long list of others who have done much more than me. As for the long-term survival of this board, it depends entirely on the free exchange of ideas. Once the free exchange stops, this board will be of no use, and will die. To those of you who want to see this thing we have here continue, there is only one thing you can do....continue sharing your ideas and findings....unless that keeps happening, we will lose this board. 11-10-2000 05:02:56

RE:I-Opener Tips For New Owners #7 (modified 0 times) ckbone Profile If you are doing any custom cable mods, here's a link to a good article on splitting the flat ribbon cable, to make it route easier. http://sysopt.earthweb.com/articles/cabround/index.html 11-21-2000 17:53:13

RE:Rounding the cables (modified 0 times) BadFlash Profile | Email What I do to split the cables is NOT use an exacto knife (as indicated in the article). It is too easy to knick or cut a wire. It also isn't needed to cut apart all wires. Every 4th wire is good enough in my experience. I use a single edge razor and a cutting board. You lay the blade in the grove between wires and push down hard & rock the bladed end to end carefully. This will start the cut. Once started you can easily pull the wires apart the rest of the way. 11-22-2000 06:32:02

RE:Heat Sink Compound (modified 0 times) BadFlash Profile | Email Don't use it with a Lasagna cooler. Most heat sink greases can vaporize and get into the bearings of the cooler and freeze it up. 11-22-2000 06:37:31

RE:I-Opener Tips For New Owners #7 (modified 0 times) ckbone Profile FWIW....When I split ribbon cables, I use the method described by Badflash, been doing it this way for several years in regular computers. The flat ribbon cable routes easier, and does not impede airflow, when it is split. I'm not sure if you mean this about thermal compound. You say you don't use any with lasagna fans? Badflash, I know thermal compound will improve heat transfer quite a bit. You can find better brands of the stuff that will not vaporize. The lasagna in it's normal installation (case not cut) does not blow very much air anyway, notice the hi-pitched whine indicating a partially blocked air-flow. I've used it all along with mine, also in every other computer I've built. I use the cheap Radio Shack type with no problems. 11-22-2000 12:43:55

RE:I-Opener Tips For New Owners #7 (modified 0 times) ckbone Profile Silver Thermal Compound: Here's a link to the best of this stuff...If you are worried about heat this is the way to go.....http://www.exhardware.com/reviews/arctic/ 11-26-2000 05:12:00

RE:I-Opener Tips For New Owners #7 (modified 0 times) ckbone Profile Dauphin mini keyboard: I bought one of these at a computer show today. If you're looking for a small standard keyboard, this is it. It is large enough to be practical, but is small enough to be portable, and goes with the I-Opener really well. Cost me $19. Take a look http://www.directron.com/dauphin.html 12-02-2000 17:16:11

RE:I-Opener Tips For New Owners #7 (modified 0 times) info Profile I've had one of these Dauphin mini keyboards for awhile now and it's driving me crazy! The numlock enables its self every time I reboot! Do you know how to get it to stop doing this? I'm sure it's something simple I'm missing... Otherwise I like this keyboard 12-02-2000 17:31:00

RE:I-Opener Tips For New Owners #7 (modified 0 times) info Profile PS, I have used it on other computers to and it does the same for all of them. 12-02-2000 17:33:34

RE:I-Opener Tips For New Owners #7 (modified 0 times) WanneBe Profile The Dauphin keyboards cost $12.95 at http://www.allelec.com/. I have a Cherry keyboard at work and it cost the company over $100. EIO has one listed; but I don't know if it the same type or still available. It looks like it. The Dauphin's OK for light data entry. The Cherry at work is very good. Typing, feel, construction of a normal size keyboard. http://www.eio.com/hotdeals.htm $20.00 12-02-2000 19:10:36

RE:I-Opener Tips For New Owners #7 (modified 0 times) ckbone Profile Info...You can change that strange keyboard behaviour in the setup screen/bios settings. There is a line that refers to the numlock....change it from on to off.... 12-03-2000 07:47:49

RE:I-Opener Tips For New Owners #7 (modified 0 times) Zogg Profile You can also force NUMLOCK off by adding this command to the CONFIG.SYS file: numlock=off 12-03-2000 12:41:36

RE:I-Opener Tips For New Owners #7 (modified 0 times) ckbone Profile Ghost mouse: Here's a link to a cool program which could allow you to execute the SOFTFSB program and reset the FSB at startup, all without any actions on your part. http://www.mrdo.com/1.html This is a program that remembers mouse/click actions, saves the thing as a program, and when added to the startup folder, executes all the mouse actions during startup. This could allow a boot at 66....then automatically change the FSB to 75 (or whatever) after windows has booted. Bestpart...it's free. 12-04-2000 04:28:39

RE:I-Opener Tips For New Owners #7 (modified 0 times) ckbone Profile Check out Opera 5.0....it's free now, it's fast, it's small (2 mb). http://www.opera.com/ It'll do a neat full-screen that removes everything except the page. 12-09-2000 14:20:39

RE:I-Opener Tips For New Owners #7 (modified 0 times) mp3boombox Profile | Email i gues you could call this a tip premade simple to install audio hacks for the yamaha chip and serial hacks for all the io version's cheep audio: solder/hot glue 4 wires and drill a hole serial: plug it in and cut a hole for serial port or mount in seccond usb hole http://www.linux-hacker.net/cgi-bin/UltraBoard/UltraBoard.pl?Action=ShowPost&Board=technical&Post=1847&Idle=0&Sort=0&Order=Descend&Page=0&Session=mp3boombox.97650675715796 12-10-2000 21:05:05

RE:I-Opener Tips For New Owners #7 (modified 0 times) 02U2 Profile I ran across this website below while looking for a 14.1" Replacement LCD display for a Toshiba notebook. May contain some useful Windows info for newbees? http://www.laptopking.com/hintswindows.asp Besides I felt this cool tip thread needed to be dusted off anyway...Has not seen any action since december... 07-07-2001 23:33:19

RE:I-Opener Tips For New Owners #7 (modified 0 times) ckbone Profile There's a lot of useful stuff in this "Tips" series, and a lot of work. Remember to note the date of each tip.....When first started, these tips applied to the Winchip2, V2, with scraped epoxy, and Yamaha sound (the tips by me anyway). Later on the Rise chip models came out...As newer info became available, some of the earlier tips may not apply to your I-Opener and probably a lot of links will be dead. Most of the stuff still applies, however. 07-08-2001 05:00:21

RE:I-Opener Tips For New Owners #7 (modified 0 times) Ragnar Profile I would publickly like to thank ckbone for all the fine info in these threads. I was definitely one right royal newbie when I found this board six months again. His "Tips for new owners" certainly "greased the skids" for me by taking out a lot of the uncertaincy one experiences when one starts doing something unfamiliar. Thanks :-> 07-08-2001 07:42:00

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