Uninstall F@H while servicing

SpywareShooter

In a few weeks I'm going on vacation and while Im' there I'm bringing the computer to Best Buy for them to take a look at the heat issue. I asked a guy that worked there and he said that it is definately running hotter than it should, and if I was concerned to bring it in and they'd try to get it to run cooler.

So my question is, should I uninstall Folding@Home and DIMES while it is being serviced? I just don't want them to get pondering through my stuff and possibly screw something up, so I'm going to uninstall a bunch of stuff and delete the files from my computer that I have on my websites. Of course I'm going to install them as soon as I get the computer back. I just don't want to run the risk of screwing something up, where the computer probably won't have Internet access while they are servicing it and I don't know if that could mess it up.

csimon

well if you uninstall f@h your computer won't be as hot ...f@h probably heats your cpu at least 10c above it's idle state.
I don't see a problem leaving it and they may just uninstall it themselves who knows?

primesuspect

Do you have a spare hard drive? Just take the hard drive out completely and keep it at home. Technically they don't really NEED a hard drive in there to address a cooling problem.

I wouldn't trust those goons at any of those consumer electronics stores. They are all undereducated, underpaid, and overconfident. Are you SURE this is something that you can fix on your own (with our help)? I guarantee you that we can help you with it - saving you money and the heartache of losing anything that those monkeys happen to screw up.

CB

Ja, I wouldn't trust those yahoos with a clock radio, much less my PC...

I had one of those Best Buy guys tell me once that the only brand of cables that anyone should ever use for anything is Monster brand cables...

I felt kind of bad because I laughed harshly directly into his face.

SpywareShooter

well if you uninstall f@h your computer won't be as hot ...f@h probably heats your cpu at least 10c above it's idle state.

I tested this a while ago and it only cooled it down about 2ºF.

They are all undereducated, underpaid, and overconfident.

I've never had any experience with BestBuy in fixing a computer, but I can tell you that that is true with HP Tech Support. I had a problem on my other computer with an alert message popping up on boot that said something like "cannot access memory at (some number)". They asked me if I had any spyware, and of course, I told them no, but then they told me that spyware was GOOD. Next they told me to go into HijackThis and check EVERYTHING and click "fix checked", rendering my system almost completely useless. Once again, I didn't follow their instructions. In the end they told me to do a system restore to the first day (luckily I hadn't cleared any restore dates) after almost wrecking my computer 3 times.

Are you SURE this is something that you can fix on your own (with our help)?

I'm almost positive that I could, but it would most likely void the warranty

saving you money and the heartache of losing anything that those monkeys happen to screw up.

I've got like a 2 year warranty on this so it isn't costing me anything.

primesuspect

yeah, i guess if it's warranty work...... oh well, good luck. I hope they don't screw you over.

witenoiz

SpywareShooter wrote:

Of course I'm going to install them as soon as I get the computer back.

If I could address one issue here and ask a question.

I had a box in the basement with Win 2K - Dimes was called witenoiz_Base9 and F @ H was running as a service - Only one with Folding as a service that I have ever had. I had no idea how to take F @ H off and figured when I got the system running again (Win XP Pro SP 2) I would install Folding the way I normally do and just do the Dimes thing as it was. With Dimes, I couldn't use the agent name for the old Box so I had to rename it witenoiz_NewBase9 - and what/where do I get the information on removing Folding as a service from Win XP Home. I have it on 2 at a friends house and I am going to have to remove it from both. Jack

Have fun on your vacation and good luck with the tech support staff at that place - I just take the sides off the cases in the summer.

SpywareShooter

"I just take the sides off the cases in the summer."
That's what I did and I had a fan blowing one side on intake the other on exhaust and it cooled it down about 10ºF. Some guy told me that it was the worst thing I could do, but I didn't believe him. The only thing I am worried about is if that could void the warranty. Best Buy is very strict on their warranties. My old computer's warranty was void as soon as I took the case off, so I had to wait 5 years before I could even clean it.

primesuspect

My guess is that the OEM cooling is just cheap and crappy. If you put a nice aftermarket heatsink in there, it would probably help. I know you can't do that without voiding the warranty, though

SpywareShooter

The guy at Best Buy told me it wasn't the heatsink... but again, what do they know?

primesuspect

Refer to my first post

SpywareShooter

Yeah, that's why I said "but again, what do they know?"

witenoiz

SpywareShooter wrote:

Best Buy is very strict on their warranties. My old computer's warranty was void as soon as I took the case off, so I had to wait 5 years before I could even clean it.

YIKES!! Makes me wonder if they are ashamed of the parts they put in those secretive cases! I know you can buy them cheaper than you can build them! But - you know - a friend of mine down the street has a Dell that Micro Center tells him the only way he can upgrade the memory is to BUY it from Dell. I don't even want to look inside any ones Dell again. Another neighbor has a Hewey Packer and it is a neat looking package - I had to guess at what software was meant for burning CD's So a fan blowing into the case is the worst thing you can do hmmmmm the one at my feet that I always use has had a fan blowing into it for 2 years. Jack

SpywareShooter

I don't think it's true, I've read online at a bunch of places to do it for a quick fix and he's the only one who said its bad. It's not good for the computer, but won't hurt it too much.

mmonnin

You could always just disable the service then it wont start up at all and they wont even know its installed. Then once you get the PC back, set it to automatic again.

witenoiz

mmonnin wrote:

You could always just disable the service then it wont start up at all and they wont even know its installed. Then once you get the PC back, set it to automatic again.

And this takes me back to my question - I don't even know how to disable the service let alone uninstall it when it is in set to boot into running as a service. Jack

primesuspect

Click start, click run, type "services.msc"

In the services, scroll down the list until you see the service (should say something about folding) - click properties, and click "disabled" instead of "automatic". Next time you reboot, it won't start. To turn it back on, change from "disabled" to "automatic".

SpywareShooter

So they don't look in your files (even program files) and registry at all? That's good to know

witenoiz

SpywareShooter wrote:

So they don't look in your files (even program files) and registry at all? That's good to know

ohhhhhhhhhhh Shooter Maybe some places don't look but I wouldn't count on that! I knew a tech a few years ago with the largest music library in the world ( well - you know ) he copied everything from customers computers. Prime - thank you so much for that answer - I have wondered about that for a long time. Now thanks to you I have my answer. Jack

SpywareShooter

"I knew a tech a few years ago with the largest music library in the world"

Ouch... I've got like 4GB of music here and half of it is low quality.