MaximumPC 2006 06

Ask the Doctor

58 MA XIMUMPC JUNE 2005

how 2 IMPROVING YOUR PC EXPERIENCE, ONE STEP AT A TIME

Interested in over-

clocking your ATI

GPU? Consider

using ATI’s

Overdrive utility.

It appears in the

Catalyst Control

Center for many,

but not all, of the

company’s GPUs.

ding). There’s no space in this column to print

the detailed instructions you’ll need to remove

SpyFalcon, but several websites can lead you

through the process, including this one: http://www.

spyware-removal-guideline.com/spyfalcon-

removal.

As far as your drive is concerned, you

should be able to recover the files as long they

haven’t been written over, but for best results,

you’ll need to buy some software, such as

Zero Assumption Recovery (www.z-a-recovery.

com). You’ll find a how-to on the topic in the

February 2006 issue of Maximum PC. Point your

browser here for details: http://www.maximumpc.

com/2006/02/how_to_recover.html.

PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE

I was experimenting with the ATITool overclocking

utility to test my Connect3D Radeon X800 GTO

card’s capabilities. Using minor 4- to 5MHz jumps

each time becomes a real pain after you reach

about a 100MHz overclock, so I did something so

stupid I regret it every time I turn on my computer: I

jumped from 500MHz to around 600MHz or so and

got a jumbled screen.

I rebooted and everything was all right until

a couple weeks ago when I started up Call of Duty ;

after about an hour of play, I got a Catalyst VPU

Recover message indicating that the graphics accel-

erator was not responding to graphics-driver com-

mands. Do you think either the retailer from whom I

bought the card or Connect3D will give me an RMA? If

not, is there anything I can do to fix this problem?

—Michael Fry

The primary rule of overclocking is similar to a

pledge the Doctor made long ago: First, do no

harm. Overclocking components can be danger-

ous if not practiced carefully and in moderation.

You had the right idea to make minor and gradual

tweaks to your videocard’s core clock speed, but

I’m afraid your impatience might have toasted

your GPU when you boosted it 100MHz in one fell

swoop. It’s unlikely that ATI, the board manufac-

turer, or the retailer will issue an RMA for a board

that’s been cooked by overclocking, but it wouldn’t

hurt to ask; the worst they can say is no.

FISHING SCHEME

I’m a fisherman and I navigate with Lowrance’s

GPS and mapping software stored on flash memory

(both SD and MD media). This software is fairly

expensive, so I’d like to make working copies in

case I drop one overboard.

I tried using Roxio to back up the program to

blank 128MB flash memory cards, but my GPS

won’t recognize the copies. I called Lowrance’s

customer support for help, but the tech refused

to help and accused me of trying to make illegal

copies that I could sell. You’ve published articles

on how to make backup copies of other copy-pro-

tected media; do you know of any techniques for

flash-memory cards?

—Bob Skomra

Secure Digital (SD) derives its name from the

fact that it can store data in encrypted form.

This is accomplished using embedded crypto

technology known as Content Protection for

Recordable Media. The Doctor doesn’t know if

your GPS software is encrypted, but there should

be no harm in trying to copy it this way: Insert

the SD card into a reader connected to your PC

and double-click the icon to open it. Click the

Tools menu and select Folder Options. Click the

View tab and choose “Show hidden files and

folders.” Click OK. Now drag all the folders and

files to your desktop, replace the SD card with a

blank one, and drag everything back.

If that doesn’t work, you might try super-

gluing a long leash to the edge of the card

that’s exposed when it’s inside the GPS. Tie

off the other end inside your boat; then you’ll

at least be able to retrieve the card if it falls

overboard. If the contents wind up being

destroyed by water, you can still prove to the

publisher that you own a legal copy—it’ll help

support the argument that you’re entitled to

a replacement since they won’t allow you to

make a backup.

SECOND OPINION

In your April 2006 column, reader

Paul Lichenstein wrote that he

couldn’t get his Abit motherboard to

go beyond POST, and that it repeat-

edly reported a “CPU has changed,

go to setup” error message. Your

advice to check his battery and

BIOS settings was excellent, but

I think his problem might actually

be related to his power supply. I do

computer repair on the side, and

I’ve experienced this exact problem

at least three times. What’s hap-

pening is that during a cold boot,

the PSU is dropping the voltage

supplied to the CPU, and the BIOS

is interpreting this as an indication

that the CPU is different from the

one stored in its settings.

—Rick Falzone