Computer Hardware
Manufacturers & Sales
Computer Topics...
Note that this list in no way constitutes a recommendation for these companies or their products. It is provided to facilitate comparison of the alternatives. Factors to consider are: reputation, location, helpful & knowledgeable personnel, hours of operation, technical support, hours of tech support, product selection & availability, price, warranty. Ask for written price quotations and then do a comparison of the quotations before deciding what to buy and where to make your purchase.
- Geek.com
- Chromebook
- Wirecutter: New Product Reviews, Deals, and Buying Advice
- (NYTimes)
- The Wirecutter - a list of the best technology to buy as determined by dozens of hours of research and testing
- Adapters / Jacks / Cables / etc.
- Keyboards
- The Complete Computer System (by PJK) ... (not up-to-date)
- Companies - Computer Hardware
- Help = Support... (Technical support)
- Montréal, QC, Canada
- Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Storage ...
- BIOS & UEFI
- MBR & GPT
- Crash = BSOD = Blue Sceen of Death
- How to convert MBR to GPT drive to switch BIOS to UEFI on Windows 10 | Windows Central
- How to convert MBR hard drive partitions to GPT - TechRepublic
- To access the enhanced security features of UEFI, Windows 11 will forgo the older Master Boot Record (MBR) partition scheme and instead use the modern GUID Partition Table (GPT) scheme. If your Windows 10 computer is still using MBR, it will have to be converted to GPT before you will be allowed to update it to Windows 11.
- cmd > diskmgmt.msc > R-click on the drive > Properties > Hardware (tab) > R-click on the drive > Properties (button) > Volumes (tab) > Populate (button) > Partition style: MBR/GUID
- How to convert existing partitions for use with UEFI firmware - TechRepublic - Do a complete backup before making any kind of changes to a drive's structure.
- Converting an MBR partition to a UEFI partition is accomplished with the help of a simple utility in Windows 10 called MBR2GPT.exe, which is accessed from the administrative command line. The important thing to note about this utility is that it will make the conversion without losing or overwriting any of your existing data.
- mbr2gpt.exe /validate /allowfullos - (As a precaution, you should first validate that a conversion from MBR to GPT is feasible.)
- xxxxxxxxxxxmbr2gpt.exe /convert /allowfullos - (To start the conversion)
- Change the boot partition setting from MBR to UEFI before Windows 10 starts its booting process.
- 10 things you should know about UEFI - TechRepublic
- Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI)
- Windows 11 and Secure Boot
- cmd > msinfo32 > BIOS Mode > Legacy/UEFI
- If the BIOS Mode shows “Legacy” in the Boot setting in the computer BIOS, it must be switched from Legacy to UEFI mode.
- Note: Switching the Boot Mode from Legacy to UEFI will make the current Windows installation unbootable and requires the reinstallation of Windows. Ensure to backup your personal data before you proceed with this action. Note that using mbr2gpt.exe may possibly avoid data loss. (see above)
Vancouver, BC, Canada - Computer-related companies
- Vancouver, BC
- Batteries
- BatteryBuyer.com - Toronto - great selection and product availability.
- Vancouver Battery - 2192 E Broadway - very poor selection - Norton says its website may be dangerous.
- Best Buy Canada
= BestBuy
- Canada Computers & Electronics
- Dell Canada
- Frontier PC Canada
- Lee's Electronic Components - Fraser & King Edward (=25th Ave) - M-F.9h-18h, S.9h-17h - (604) 875-1993
- London Drugs
- Memory Express, Inc. - Computer Parts, Laptop Computers & Electronics in Canada
- Mike's Computer Shop
- 8889 Laurel St, Unit 102 (SWMarine@Oak/99), Vancouver, BC, V6P 3V9 - M-F.10h-17h -
604-876-0262 - 877-725-6989
- 45610 Yale Road, Unit 201, Chilliwack, BC, V2P 2N2 - M-R.9h-18h, F-S.9h-17h - 604-793-0260 - 877-725-6989
- Newegg.ca - online only
- OfficeDepot OfficeMax - Tech Services - USA
- RP Electronics - 4181 Dawson Street,
Burnaby, BC V5C 4B3 - 604-738-6722 888-921-7770
- The Source - (formerly Radio Shack) - Kingsgate Mall, Vancouver, BC
- Staples Canada
- Visions Electronics
- WimMedia = Western Imperial Magnetics Media | Blank Media | Duplication | Duplicators - Richmond, BC
Companies - Computer Hardware
- Refurbished
- 3Com
- Acer
- Adaptec
- AnandTech
- APC by Schneider Electric - APC Canada - American Power Conversion - UPS
- AST
- ASUS
- ATI Technologies Inc.
- Bloom MicroTech Corp.
- Computer Topics...
- Creative Labs
- Crucial.com - Memory upgrades, flash media, and usb storage at Crucial.com
- Daiwa Distribution Inc - Markham, ON
- Dell
- Drivers ...
- Intel Driver & Support Assistant
- What Function Keys Are Used on Dell Reboots? | Techwalla
- Dell Precision 7920 Tower Review | PCMag
- Dell Laptops and Desktops Vulnerable to Remote Attack | News & Opinion | PCMag.com
- Why does Dell have so many telephone numbers? Why doesn't Dell have just one number with an easy-to-use voice menu system?
- Voice menu systems should ALWAYS offer an option to press a number instead of (or as well as the option of) speaking your response.
- Canadian Tech Support for XPS - Small Business
- 800-387-5757
- 866-398-8977
- 800-906-3355
- 800-847-4096 - Soutien technique
- 866-461-3355 - Workstations
- 800-387-5752 - Ventes
- 800-624-9896
- 800-822-8965
- 800-387-5752 - Conseiller aux ventes
- 800-695-8133 (USA) - Dell Business Customer Service
- 800-847-4096 - Soutien technique (India)
- FR - 8h00-22h00 - 7 jours
- EN - 24/7
- www.dell.ca/AffairesSimplifiees
- www.dell.ca/sb360
- Hardware Warranty Support - (Please have your Service Tag ready when calling) 1-800-847-4096 24/7
- XPS Systems - 1-866-398-8977 24/7
- Support
- Chat
- Dell Spare Parts
- 866-440-3355
- 800-906-3355
- 877-671-3355 -1-4340003
- 5-letter part number = new or refurbished
- A99999 = new part
- 999-9999 = new part
- DFSDirect.ca = Dell's Outlet Store
- Dell SMB Sales - Gripes
- Sales representatives do not stay long. You never get the same rep for more than one purchase.
- You get a new rep, so you get a new account number. This is STUPID!! The customer should keep the same number - ALWAYS. The Dell sales system seems to be focused on monitoring and/or compensating sales reps based on volume of sales.
- The reps are unable to access previous information on the clients. The SMB client does not get a consistent experience.
- Discounts vary wildly. Aren't there any standards?
- D-Link Canada
- DiscTech Reseller of Enterprise IT Components, NAS & Data Storage Systems - SAS Hard Drives, SATA SSD, SCSI Hard Disk Drive Trays & Controllers, Caddies & Arrays - (formerly discountechnology.com)
- Drivers ...
- eBay | Electronics, Cars, Fashion, Collectibles & More | eBay
- ECS = Elitegroup Computer Systems (motherboards)
- ExtremeTech - Deep technology for enthusiasts and professionals
- Frontier PC Canada 1.866.800.8060 Fast Same Day Shipping
- Fujitsu Canada
- Future Shop
- Gateway.com
- Gearlog
- HP = Hewlett-Packard (prefers MSIE)
- See also: Printers ...
- HP Canada
- HP Store Canada
- The ITRC is a one-stop, personalized Web site where IT professionals get the multivendor resources they need to make better, faster IT decisions in their complex IT environments. The ITRC offers expert solutions across the lifecycle of IT activities, including: self-solve tools; reliable assistance; training; forums; planning resources; and a broad multivendor knowledge base.
- Equitech (subsidiary of DuMoulin) is an HP ASP (authorized service provider) - 514-852-5925 St.Leonard
- NWDmicroage is an HP ASP (authorized service provider) - 450-973-6678 Laval
- Printer drivers - HP recommends uninstalling the old driver and disabling any antivirus software before installing a printer driver.
- Micro Vault - mv-2020 - Prod#PE591AV#ABA-500GB
- HP no longer makes, supports, or provides parts for this product. Sold by HP in 2006, by 2009 HP considered this product obsolete. HP tech support was completely useless!!! (although polite and friendly)
- Starting about three years after purchase, the fan for the second drive bay started making loud unhealthy noises, hinting that its days were numbered.
- T&T 12VDC 0.14A 4500.RPM- 40*40*10 mm - 1-connector 3-wire-female-connector (+,-,tachometer) - T&T 4010L12C NF6 - This T&T product is no longer available.
- No computer or electronics store in Montreal could provide a replacement fan. I tried them all.
- Cofan USA - DC Fans, Blowers & Heatsinks from Cofan USA - 416-318-8308 - 800-766-6097 - 510-490-7533 - Freemont, CA
- Cofan Tech Support was very friendly, helpful, knowledgable, and competent.
- It would be better to get a higher (rather than a lower) "Rated Current" because there would be a higher rated RPM fan speed. (i.e. 0.18A would be better than 0.13A) However, amperage is not very important, since the important thing is to get some air flow.
- F-4010L12B II - The L in the product number means "Low Speed", which means less noise.
- Watt --- W=V*A or watts=volts*amperes So ... W=12v*0.14A=1.68W
- Support
- Drivers ...
- Lee Devlin's Website - use Search - Lots of info on lots of topics
- IBM
- Ingram Micro
- Insight Direct, Inc. - Americas Discount Source
- Intel
- Drivers ...
- Intel Support - Software and Drivers
- Intel Driver & Support Assistant
- Things to Know About Intel's Haswell CPUs | PCMag
- As was true with previous Intel CPUs, a fourth-generation Core processor's model number tells you a lot about it. Each processor has a family name (Core i3, i5, or i7), which denote the processing prowess of each family (i.e. i7 is more powerful and capable of complex work compared with i5 and i3), and a model number that further denotes that CPU's power and placement. Together they let you know that, for example, an Intel Core i7-4770K is more powerful than a Core i5-4570. If a letter follows the model number, that lets you know for which segment a particular processor is designed. Letters used include K (for unlocked enthusiast desktops), S or T (low-powered desktops; think S for "power Saving" and T for "thin chassis" like in all-in-ones), H (quad-core mobile with Iris Pro graphics), M (quad-core mobile with dual-core 2-chip), U (ultrabook with Iris graphics), and Y (low-power ultrabook system on chip for detachable hybrids).
- Intel Core i7-4770K Review | PCMag
- Intel Secrets -> Dr.Dobbs
- Iomega
- Kensington - All previous links to the Kensington Website were broken when ACCO took over.
- 800-535-4242 - M-F 10h30-21h30 EST (7h30-18h30 PT)
- Drivers ...
- Technical Support - Product Support - Support - Kensington
- Kensington - Trackballs
- Notes:
- The "SlimBlade™ Trackball - K72327US - Kensington" is a great product and works very well.
- KensingtonWorks - Kensington's TrackballWorks has been consolidated into KensingtonWorks
- TrackBallWorks
- "Kensington TrackballWorks Software for Windows" causes lots of problems. Every few months the software misbehaves and needs to be reinstalled.
Some of the buttons on the mouse no longer work.
This is probably not a hardware problem.
- NEVER NEVER install the SlimBladeDriver. It is only for multimedia.
- Uninstall "Kensington TrackballWorks™ Software for Windows" and then reboot.
- Use this old version of the "Kensington TrackballWorks™ Software for Windows". It is much more stable than the newer versions.
Make sure you download the file to your computer, right-click on the file and select "Run as administrator".
- Tips (for fixing TrackBallWorks)
- There are many free downloadable programs to help uninstall TrackBallWorks. Is there one that we could trust? Be careful with free downloadable software that makes amazing promises.
- Check for device conflicts:
Control Panel > Device Manager > Mice and other pointing devices
Control Panel > Device Manager > Universal Serial Bus controllers
- Control Panel > Programs and Features > Uninstall or change a program > TrackBallWorks > Uninstall
- Task Manager (Ctrl-Alt-Del) to make sure no Kensington TrackBallWorks processes are running. ("Kensington", "TrackBallWorks", "TBW", tbwhelper, track.works)
- Regedit > HKCU and HKLU > Delete all traces of "Kensington", "TrackBallWorks", "TBW", then reboot
- Kensington.com > Software & Drivers > TrackBallWorks for Windows > Save file to your computer > Open Containing Folder
- Make sure TrackBall is plugged into a computer USB port, not a hub.
- Disable Anti-Virus program while installing TrackBallWorks.
- Right-click on the TrackBallWorks installer executible (.EXE) and Run as Admin
- Warning! There is a very good chance that none of the above suggestions or tips will allow for a successful installation of TrackBallWorks. (Kensington tech support can't help you much.) Please feel free to scream and curse and jump up and down. At least you may feel better.
- Unable to install TrackballWorks, 'c:/program files/Kensington/trackballworks.inf'
Question:
When installing TrackballWorks on my Windows PC I receive an error message: Unable to install TrackballWorks, 'c:/program files/Kensington/trackballworks.inf'.
Answer:
The TrackballWorks installer requires Administrative privileges in order to run. You must be logged in as an administrator or have Administrator rights on your computer. To install with Administrator rights, right-click on the executable installer file and click on "Run as Administrator".
- X-Mouse Button Control - Some people have had success with this product. It didn't work for me.
- Repair
- Cleaning a trackball
- mycusthelp.net/kensington | The SlimBlade Trackball, model 72327, is coated with a light layer of lanolin to reduce friction and noise.
If the ball makes noise in the housing or is not rolling smoothly please roll the control ball in the palm of your hands for approximately 30 seconds to replace a thin coat of lubrication onto the control ball. The ball actually works best when it is lubricated with a thin amount of natural lubrication which is transferred from your hand. The ball should not be cleaned with water, alcohol, or other cleaners, as this will completely remove the lubrication from the ball.
- Other cleaning methods - Everyone has a different idea. Which one is best???
- "Roll the control ball in the palm of your hands for approximately 30 seconds".
- Windex cleaning wipes
- Clean with alcohol - NOT with a lubricant
- Aero oil?
- WD-40
- 3-in-1 oil
- 3-in-1 silicon spray
- Silicone oil (not grease)
- Plastic-safe grease
- Teflon
- Graphite
- Window cleaner
- Alcohol + window cleaner
- Ultimax 226 - Dupont
- Turtle Wax finish
- Kingston Technology Corporation
- Linksys...
- Logitech
- Maxtor - Malpitas, CA - M-F 6h00-18h00 MST
- 408-894-5000 Corporate
- 408-232-8600 MMC Tech
- 800-2-MAXTOR
- 800-262-9867
- 303-678-2015
- Memory = RAM
- NCIX.ca | Computer Parts Canada - NCIX.ca - Parts mainly available on Amazon
- NEC
- Networking...
- Newegg.ca - Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, Digital Cameras and more!
- NIC = New Internet Computer - Starting at US$199. (Remember that you always get what you pay for.)
- PC Connection Online SuperStore
- PCMag | The Latest Technology Product Reviews, News, Tips, and Deals | PC Magazine
- Power Supplies - www.pcpowerandcooling.com
- RAM
- Quantum = Maxtor
- Seagate
- SMC = Standard Microsystems Corp (network products)
- Springboard Technology (Drive repairs & sales)
- Storage...
- U.S. Robotics
- Video cards = Graphics cards
- Video Card Support and Help
- The unwarranted fixation on the amount of RAM is the biggest, most common mistake.
If you're playing at 1920x1080 or higher you should be looking for a high-end model in the first place, and that will come with more memory by default.
GDDR5 memory provides twice the bandwidth of DDR3 at the same clock rate.
1 GB of GDDR5 is infinitely preferable to 4 GB of DDR3.
The point is that a flashy factory-overclocked product with more RAM might look impressive, but you can bet it's grossly outperformed by a plain-Jane specimen of the next higher model.
It's about the qualified drivers for Quadro that make a big difference. Also, the product cycle is much longer than gaming cards, so you can standardize with Quadro cards (and get support) for many years. The biggest difference though is Quadro is built for precision, Geforce is built for speed.
But saying that you cannot game on a workstation card is completely false. While it used to be true that workstations cards didn't support gaming technologies like DirectX or PhysX, modern Quadro cards no longer have this limitation.
http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpus.html
- PassMark Software - Video Card (GPU) Benchmarks - High End Video Cards
- See also: ATI
- How to Check What Graphics Card (GPU) Is in Your PC
- WDC = Western Digital Corp.
- Yamaha Corporation of AmericaYamaha Canada Music
- ZDNet | Technology News, Analysis, Comments and Product Reviews for IT Professionals | ZDNet - Ziff Davis
Montreal, QC, Canada - Computer-related companies