Magnet near the screen?

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breezier

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Hey there, couldn't find the search button in this section so here i go...

Just bought a 2 years old MDG (MSI)ms-10342b laptop from a friend for cheap.

Thing is, he had to change the screen and used one from a 1 year old lappy with a failed motherboard. He installed everything just fine and it's running for like 3 weeks now,

but yesterday testing it i noticed a flickering of the screen every hour or so, a fraction of second.

Telling him the problem, he told me that he forgot to put a small magnet in there, and he gave it to me...

The question is... is there a particular location for this? he told me wherever i wanted... but this seems like a funny answer to me lol... what does that magnet do anyway near my data... lol.

so hay, thanxs for your time, truly i googled for an answer but all i could find is people wondering if they could erase their hdd with a magnet...

... what happens if i don't put it back in there... bad stuff i guess...
 

cheaptofix

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doesn't have to do anything with it, the magnet is just for the screen's lid to close properly with the base, flickering screen is usualy a bad inverter or a bad cable or it could even be a bad screen. the magnet always goes on top section usualy there's a square hole for it. but you gotta take the bezel...again no point because this wont solve your problem
 

breezier

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thanxs, the flickering seems to have stopped now...

About the magnet, i wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that my lid even closed doens't put the screen to sleep even if it is configured properly in windows... lol. W/e

btw i did notice your sig, twas more like a comeback for the rest of the community ;)

up to the next problem... crappy wi-fi capability ^^;;
 

breezier

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Well a whole different problem, see i got that lappy for real cheap from a friend co-worker who needed quick money so i shouldn't complain...

The adapter is an Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG WLAN card.

I've looked across the net and found good and bad opinions about that one, mainly about some vista drivers but it has been updated since.

Fact is i went to my favorite café yesterday to test wi-fi and couldn't get ahold of the signal, well it came in each 5 mins or so FULL SIGNAL but couldn't connect to it. Normally at that café i pick up about 6-7 wi-fis most of em locked, of course. About the café's wi-fi, i figured the connection problem was on their side (which wouldn't be the 1st time) but 5 mins to pick up the signal is abnormal to me...

So i went to another place recognized to have fast wi-fi, and couldn't even find the signal from the middle of the place, from XP nor WinSeven beta, while somebody was connected in the furthest corner... I moved to the other side of the place, about 20 feet away, to finally get ahold of a 10% strenght signal... LOL...

was finally able to connect at 54mbps on a G signal

I mean... is my problem from the card, or from the fact that there is no N wi-fis around here (which i wouldn't pick anyway...)

I'm thinking about buying an external USB wi-fi dongle if I can't get better performances...

Ms-10342B MDG laptop (company is now MSI)
Intel Core Duo 2.5ghz
Kingston 1ghz 4-4-4-12
Intel GMA 950
Unknown MB

Dual-Boot XP / Windows 7 Beta (clean installs -- 2 days ago)
Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG WLAN card configured at Maximum Performance
Latest drivers from Intel Website...

my my!

Have a good one

Breezier
 

cheaptofix

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why don't you just buy an internal card (bg2200) is realy nice its old but works!
they sell them on ebay for like £10, you get it in an envelope

1. open envelope
2. remove the card
3. remove the panel under the laptop for the wireless card "laptop off, no battery"
4. remove the black and white connector, and then remove the card "like removing a memory card"
5. place the new card "then place the white and black cable"
6. power on the laptop, install the driver and surf without usb sticking out
 

breezier

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Eh, you've got me on that one, pertinent question lol

The reason why i said a usb dongle comes from this site:

http://www.msicomputer.com/NB/product_spec.asp?model=MS-1034_(Core2_Duo)

which says in the ms-10342 section... (but in all versions actually)

"Wireless LAN
Compatible with Intel Intel® PRO/Wireless 3945ABG WLAN card ONLY ! "

With ONLY written in red...

Since I'm not really used to the Laptop world though I'm pretty connaisseur on the desktop side, i presumed it had something to do with the motherboard (which for some reason doesn't show anywhere), and maybe is brand-specific and doesn't have common adapters / incompatible with other wi-fi's card...

Now if you tell me that it's probably a marketing thing and that all wi-fi adapters are interchangeable and totally compatible... i guess i'd take the risk and buy one, especially that cheap!
 

breezier

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Speaking of it, CPU-Z doesn't even give me a manufacturer name / model, both cases are grayed... all i have is

Chipset --> Intel i945GM Rev. 03
Southbridge --> Intel 82801GHM (ICH7-M/U)
LPCIO --> NS

BIOS

Brand --> American Megatrends Inc.
Version --> A1034IMD V1.70 10/24/06 (lol i should check for a new one -- no luck till now on msi's site though
Date --> 10/24/2006
 

cheaptofix

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you don't have to buy a card that a website says its compatible, any card is compatible as long as its the same size, there are only 2 sizes, the standard pci and the mini pci. mini is for sonys and rarely used so yours is a standard.

I recommended BG2200 or BG2300 because I like them personaly and they tend to be smarter.

here is standard: http://www.laptoprepair101.com/wp-images/wi-fi-card/laptop-wireless-card.jpg

here is mini: http://img.chrosmack.com/images/Atheros_AR5BXB63_MiniPCIe_Wireless_Card_101608.jpg

if there is low signal or poor its not the board its the card. "your links are dead"
 

breezier

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Thanx for your advices and time, truly appreciated...!

All I seem to find for the BG 2200 on ebay is Mini PCI ... like this one
http://cgi.ebay.ca/Intel-Pro-2200-2200BG-Wireless-Mini-PCI-Card-802-11g-BG_W0QQitemZ220357665625QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item220357665625&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1215|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318

I guess they come in both size, but i have no luck or my keywords are wrong :p

"BG 2300" gives me no link either

Guess I'll check there and then ;)

Thanx for the enlightment you provided eheh
 

cheaptofix

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yeah that's fine but just to be sure take yourone out and see if it looks like it,

so let me correct my self, there is 2 types of pci cards for laptop.

mini pci
and mini mini pci lol
 

cheaptofix

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damn it I told you to check before you buy

yours is a mini mini pci!!! can you contact the seller and ask him to refund you or exchange you with mini mini instead becuase he might do that.

sorry if it was my fault but I realy said to check first which one you had in the first place.
 

breezier

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eheh actually i was going to order, made my post 1st then meanwhile was choosing which one from the ebay, but prior to bidding i double checked, then wrote the second post up there ;)

didn't find a 2200BG in mini mini format, i'll keep checking... no harm :)

meanwhile I'm truly enjoying my win 7 experience :)
 

breezier

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Sorry for multiposting, the site doesnt allow me to edit, wonder why.

Seems that it has 3 antennas though, i have only 2, guess i could add one somehow
 

cheaptofix

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one final thing, upon installation do not install the software only the driver
and how you do that is buy downloading the driver then go to the device manager and install it via "update driver" then show it where the driver folder is. this means you use windows utility to manage your wireless not "atheros or intel crap utilities with much harder " it should be very easy.
 

breezier

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I can do 20 bucks, to get N capability :)

Truly appreciate whatcha did here, I'll keep you updated with results / story

Your forum is bookmarked

Thanx for the suggestions over the last few days LOL
 

cheaptofix

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good! you can enjoy full speed and wider range i think if you hook it to starbucks and then drive away like 5 miles you'll still be connected lol. enjoy
 
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