A few simple tips and questions. Neo2 system XP re-install, which audio drivers?

My questions:
I'm re-installing my XP Pro system because I have decided I don't want to go with a 2GB primary partition as my first partition. Here are my questions.
1) Should I update from 1.4 to BIOS 1.5 ?
2) Which audio drivers should I use? nVidia Driver package 4.57? Or the Realtek ALCXXX_73 from nVidia website? Last time I actually accidentally installed the 4.60 audio MCP driver from the nForce 4 standalone package 6.39, but alas the sound was fine. (perhaps a little strange seeing as how my Neo2 is nForce3 and the 4.60 was from the nForce4 package.
Which audio drivers should I install?
3) What is nVidia nTune, what can I do with it and should I bother with it?
4) Which Catalyst driver should I install? The 29.7 MB driver with Catalyst Control Center or the 23.1 MB driver with Control Panel. Whats the difference and should I care?
I'll be using MSI update, keeping the windows IDE drivers, I may use the "speedfan" program but no digicell and no corecenter.
thanx,
My tips, See below:
0) Do your first install with a minimum of hardware installed (add your PCI cards later)
1) Research here for the proper BIOS settings for stable first boot and system install.
-Disable Agressive Timings in BIOS
-Turn Off NV/ATI Speedup in hidden BIOS
2) Install XP and SP2
3) install video drivers
4) Install nVidia UDP 5.10 (preferably without audio) and don't install the nVidia IDE drivers, just keep the XP drivers. (Use the XP windows IDE drivers) I used the nVidia LAN and it worked fine.
5) Install Zone Alarm (or your prefered software firewall) and then hook up LAN, preferably behind a router
6) Windows update once you have internet working
7) Install AMD Athlon 64 processor driverv1.1.0.18
8) Install audio drivers

Thanx 10-4 on that one. I edited my system install to reflect your idea by inserting Zone Alarm install BEFORE connecting to the internet. As an aside, I have a router which our PC's are connected to, so I'm reasonably safe for a few minutes
Also, I won't really be installing the ATI Catalyst drivers now, as I'm just using a Gforce2 GTS 32MB AGP for now and XP Pro installs perfectly adequate drivers. When I get my card back from ATI I'll install the Catalyst drivers then. I'd still like some advice on which driver to install when I do though
Anyone have any other tips in regards to my questions?

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I still am having problems with Aperture not loading, It just refuses to work, and I get the message saying it has encountered a problem, and I may need to re-install which I have done dozens of times. The fix mentioned on an earlier post wont work as it

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Do you have Final Cut installed on your machine?
If so, you may want to look at this article: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3528
Let us know if that helps.

Windows 8 crashes and with the error "kernel_security_check_failure" after installing Boot Camp drivers.

Hi!
I've got a new 27" iMac (late 2013), and I was going to install Windows 8.1 (64-bit) to be able to play a few games.
Everything went smoothly (installed normally via Boot Camp Assistant), and after the Windows setup, the Boot Camp drivers needed to be installed. After this, the computer rebooted, but crashed at a blue screen with the error called "kernel_security_check_failure".
It rebooted a few times on its own, but after a few times, I got some options, and I chose to "refresh" the Windows 8 install, meaning it would reset the install while keeping my files (even though I didn't have any, as I never got to use it). This took some time, but it worked, and it booted into W8.
The Boot Camp drivers had been removed though, so I had to reinstall them. After they had reinstalled, the computer rebooted and the same blue screen with the same error hit me.
Something tells me that some of the BC drivers are messing things up. I can't find any information on this elsewhere.
Would it be possible to install only selected drivers, to eventually find out which driver is causing the problem?
All help is greatly appreciated!

I finally gave up, reloaded everything, this time, using WIn 8.1 Pro, not Enterprise. After I did the updates, patches, Norton 360, shut computer down and connected the external drives, and booted up...and got the BSOD. This time, I went to Microsoft and downloaded the Windows Debugger, and think I may have found the problem...NORTON!
Probably caused by : SYMDS64.SYS ( SYMDS64+71be6 )
Am conrtacting them, but, here's the Debugger output:
Microsoft (R) Windows Debugger Version 6.3.9600.17029 AMD64
Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Loading Dump File [C:\Dump\MEMORY.DMP]
Kernel Bitmap Dump File: Only kernel address space is available
************* Symbol Path validation summary **************
Response                         Time (ms)     Location
Deferred                                       SRV*C:\Symbols*http://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols
Symbol search path is: SRV*C:\Symbols*http://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols
Executable search path is:
Windows 8 Kernel Version 9600 MP (8 procs) Free x64
Product: WinNt, suite: TerminalServer SingleUserTS
Built by: 9600.17085.amd64fre.winblue_gdr.140330-1035
Machine Name:
Kernel base = 0xfffff802`0f87e000 PsLoadedModuleList = 0xfffff802`0fb482d0
Debug session time: Tue Jun 17 00:48:52.131 2014 (UTC - 6:00)
System Uptime: 0 days 0:03:09.864
Loading Kernel Symbols
Loading User Symbols
Loading unloaded module list
*                        Bugcheck Analysis                                    *
Use !analyze -v to get detailed debugging information.
BugCheck 139, {3, ffffd0002852d3e0, ffffd0002852d338, 0}
*** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for SYMDS64.SYS
*** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for SYMEFA64.SYS
Probably caused by : SYMDS64.SYS ( SYMDS64+71be6 )
Followup: MachineOwner
6: kd> !analyze -v
*                        Bugcheck Analysis                                    *
KERNEL_SECURITY_CHECK_FAILURE (139)
A kernel component has corrupted a critical data structure. The corruption
could potentially allow a malicious user to gain control of this machine.
Arguments:
Arg1: 0000000000000003, A LIST_ENTRY has been corrupted (i.e. double remove).
Arg2: ffffd0002852d3e0, Address of the trap frame for the exception that caused the bugcheck
Arg3: ffffd0002852d338, Address of the exception record for the exception that caused the bugcheck
Arg4: 0000000000000000, Reserved
Debugging Details:
TRAP_FRAME: ffffd0002852d3e0 -- (.trap 0xffffd0002852d3e0)
NOTE: The trap frame does not contain all registers.
Some register values may be zeroed or incorrect.
rax=ffffe00059c129f0 rbx=0000000000000000 rcx=0000000000000003
rdx=ffffe0005718d2a0 rsi=0000000000000000 rdi=0000000000000000
rip=fffff8020f9e8cdb rsp=ffffd0002852d570 rbp=0000000000000000
r8=0000000000005aa0 r9=00000000000007ff r10=ffffd00066cc8000
r11=ffffe00059963040 r12=0000000000000000 r13=0000000000000000
r14=0000000000000000 r15=0000000000000000
iopl=0         nv up ei pl nz na pe cy
nt! ?? ::FNODOBFM::`string'+0x682b:
fffff802`0f9e8cdb cd29            int     29h
Resetting default scope
EXCEPTION_RECORD: ffffd0002852d338 -- (.exr 0xffffd0002852d338)
ExceptionAddress: fffff8020f9e8cdb (nt! ?? ::FNODOBFM::`string'+0x000000000000682b)
   ExceptionCode: c0000409 (Security check failure or stack buffer overrun)
ExceptionFlags: 00000001
NumberParameters: 1
   Parameter[0]: 0000000000000003
DEFAULT_BUCKET_ID: LIST_ENTRY_CORRUPT
BUGCHECK_STR: 0x139
PROCESS_NAME: System
CURRENT_IRQL: 2
ERROR_CODE: (NTSTATUS) 0xc0000409 - The system detected an overrun of a stack-based buffer in this application. This overrun could potentially allow a malicious user to gain control of this application.
EXCEPTION_CODE: (NTSTATUS) 0xc0000409 - The system detected an overrun of a stack-based buffer in this application. This overrun could potentially allow a malicious user to gain control of this application.
EXCEPTION_PARAMETER1: 0000000000000003
ANALYSIS_VERSION: 6.3.9600.17029 (debuggers(dbg).140219-1702) amd64fre
LAST_CONTROL_TRANSFER: from fffff8020f9ddae9 to fffff8020f9d1fa0
STACK_TEXT:
ffffd000`2852d0b8 fffff802`0f9ddae9 : 00000000`00000139 00000000`00000003 ffffd000`2852d3e0 ffffd000`2852d338 : nt!KeBugCheckEx
ffffd000`2852d0c0 fffff802`0f9dde10 : ffffe000`59c8cc40 00000000`00000000 ffffe000`54b71040 fffff800`1d6d40b6 : nt!KiBugCheckDispatch+0x69
ffffd000`2852d200 fffff802`0f9dd034 : 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 ffff6d2d`50094127 fffff802`0f81458f : nt!KiFastFailDispatch+0xd0
ffffd000`2852d3e0 fffff802`0f9e8cdb : ffffc000`061df4e0 ffffc000`061df4e0 ffffc000`061dfbf8 00000000`00000000 : nt!KiRaiseSecurityCheckFailure+0xf4
ffffd000`2852d570 fffff800`1d7a0be6 : ffffe000`59e10120 fffff800`1d794388 ffffe000`54dfe9c8 fffff800`1d735f7c : nt! ?? ::FNODOBFM::`string'+0x682b
ffffd000`2852d5a0 fffff800`1d7a54e2 : ffffc000`061df4e0 ffffc000`061dfbf8 ffffc000`061df550 fffff800`1d7367ea : SYMDS64+0x71be6
ffffd000`2852d5d0 fffff800`1d737f20 : ffffc000`061df378 ffffc000`061dfbf8 00000000`00000000 ffffc000`05a9bf18 : SYMDS64+0x764e2
ffffd000`2852d620 fffff800`1d73e171 : ffffc000`051e6a88 ffffc000`05a9bf18 ffffc000`05a9bf18 ffffe000`5988cb00 : SYMDS64+0x8f20
ffffd000`2852d650 fffff800`1d782027 : ffffc000`061ea018 00000000`00000000 ffffe000`58409008 fffff800`1d794388 : SYMDS64+0xf171
ffffd000`2852d680 fffff800`1d79af21 : ffffc000`061ea018 ffffd000`2852d8c9 ffffe000`58409008 00000000`10000004 : SYMDS64+0x53027
ffffd000`2852d6c0 fffff800`1d9a3bb3 : ffffe000`58409078 fffff800`1d98b3e8 ffffe000`58409008 ffffd000`2852d8c9 : SYMDS64+0x6bf21
ffffd000`2852d6f0 fffff800`1d9a91fa : ffffe000`5840a1a8 ffffe000`58409008 00000000`00000000 ffffe000`00000000 : SYMEFA64+0xe9bb3
ffffd000`2852d720 fffff800`1d9ae015 : 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 ffffd000`2852d8c9 ffffe000`58a10e60 : SYMEFA64+0xef1fa
ffffd000`2852d760 fffff800`1d9adf4c : 00000000`01820201 ffffe000`58a10e60 ffffe000`58a10e60 ffffe000`58a10be0 : SYMEFA64+0xf4015
ffffd000`2852d790 fffff800`1d9b294c : ffffe000`59e0a150 ffffe000`58a10e60 ffffe000`5988ca80 ffffe000`58a10e60 : SYMEFA64+0xf3f4c
ffffd000`2852d7c0 fffff800`1d9a2435 : ffffd000`2852d8a0 ffffe000`599a4010 ffffd000`00000000 ffffe000`59e0a010 : SYMEFA64+0xf894c
ffffd000`2852d7f0 fffff800`1d6d528a : 00000000`00000000 ffffe000`59e0a070 ffffe000`5604e300 ffffe000`58a10e60 : SYMEFA64+0xe8435
ffffd000`2852d820 fffff800`1d71bf76 : ffffd000`2852d960 00000000`00000000 ffffe000`5604f900 ffffe000`571dab10 : fltmgr!FltpPerformPreCallbacks+0x31a
ffffd000`2852d930 fffff800`1d6d413a : ffffe000`57170dd0 ffffe000`571dabd0 ffffe000`59cf18c0 fffff802`0fd411a7 : fltmgr!FltpProcessShutdownRequest+0x122
ffffd000`2852d9b0 fffff802`0fbf7518 : ffffe000`57170dd0 00000000`00000001 ffffe000`571dabd0 fffff802`0fb54a90 : fltmgr!FltpDispatch+0x13a
ffffd000`2852da10 fffff802`0fbf7273 : 00000000`00000001 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000001 00000000`00000000 : nt!IopShutdownBaseFileSystems+0xb8
ffffd000`2852da90 fffff802`0fbfb722 : fffff802`0fbfb4b0 00000000`00000000 ffffe000`59963040 ffffe000`59963040 : nt!IoShutdownSystem+0x127
ffffd000`2852db10 fffff802`0f8d1adb : fffff802`0fbfb4b0 ffffd000`2852dbd0 00000000`00000000 ffffe000`59963040 : nt!PopGracefulShutdown+0x272
ffffd000`2852db50 fffff802`0f94d794 : ffffe000`59965800 ffffe000`59963040 ffffe000`59963040 ffffe000`54b71040 : nt!ExpWorkerThread+0x293
ffffd000`2852dc00 fffff802`0f9d85c6 : ffffd000`66c40180 ffffe000`59963040 ffffe000`59965800 00000000`00000000 : nt!PspSystemThreadStartup+0x58
ffffd000`2852dc60 00000000`00000000 : ffffd000`2852e000 ffffd000`28528000 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 : nt!KiStartSystemThread+0x16
STACK_COMMAND: kb
FOLLOWUP_IP:
SYMDS64+71be6
fffff800`1d7a0be6 33d2            xor     edx,edx
SYMBOL_STACK_INDEX: 5
SYMBOL_NAME: SYMDS64+71be6
FOLLOWUP_NAME: MachineOwner
MODULE_NAME: SYMDS64
IMAGE_NAME: SYMDS64.SYS
DEBUG_FLR_IMAGE_TIMESTAMP: 51f84c44
FAILURE_BUCKET_ID: 0x139_3_SYMDS64+71be6
BUCKET_ID: 0x139_3_SYMDS64+71be6
ANALYSIS_SOURCE: KM
FAILURE_ID_HASH_STRING: km:0x139_3_symds64+71be6
FAILURE_ID_HASH: {bf9be68b-5f04-08d4-3152-3d420dc362f6}
Followup: MachineOwner

A few simple (?) dimension questions...

Hi, I have a few really simple dimension questions that I just can't figure out in OWB (which I'm just now starting to play with):
1) I'm trying to create a dimension that has no levels or any hierarchy. In the BI tool, I just want this dimension to act as a "pick list" for one of 8 values (DW data snapshot dates for the last 8 weeks...) Users won't summarize by this dimension, or ever have more than 1 week selected at a time. How can I set this type of dimension up?
2) Somewhat related to #1 - just to get something working, I set up a "time in weeks" dimension not as a time dimension, just as a normal user dimension. I then added a single "weeks" level with a surrogate key (using "key" instead of "id"), short desc (as the business key), and long description. Set up a mapping from my source table, everything worked fine. The strange thing I've notcied is that the relational table produced has both a "week_key" column and a "dimension_key" column. How can I get rid of the "dimension_key" column - its just an exact duplicate of the lowest level key column? Note - we will have a dimension table with over 1.3 BILLION rows in our warehouse - so duplicating this column does add a significant amount of overhead - this isn't just an academic problem.
3) related to building this "test" dimension - my source table has 8 records in it. Whenever I run the ETL to populate the dimension table, the surrogate keys end up being key values 9 - 16 instead of 1 - 8. Note this is even if I reset the sequence number to 1 before I start, etc. My understanding is that Oracle uses a variable width number field when storing data - so having this dimension with values 1-8 instead of 9-16 saves approx a byte for every fact table record (which we're predicting will be in the range of 20 - 50 BILLION rows). How can I force the dimension to start numbering at 1?
Thanks in advance,
Scott

Hi
Reg #2, I do not think we can get rid of the "dimension key". It looks like OWB is creating this column as a default Primary Key and hence is not possible to remove this. May be if we build the base Table for dimension as a normal relational table, which will allow us to define our own keys, and then build the "Dimension" using AWM on this relation table may resolve the issue of having duplicate primary keys. Its only a thougt, have not tested though.
rgds
Mahesh

Simple, safe and best way to solve SL install problem

Not long ago, the internal 230GB drive on my Intel iMac (2.16GHz, Late 2006, 4GB RAM) became unusable ('nuther story there...). So I tried starting up from my external 1TB drive where the Time Machine backups were stored. It had Leopard (10.5.something, which I then updated to 10.5.8) on it. Then after restoring some files from TM backups, I wanted to try to retrieve some apps that needed SL 10.6.8 to run. I tried to install from my SL install disc, but the SL installer said I couldn't (APM vs. GUID/GPT format); apparently the drive was formatted with APM (dang!). The install disc said I had to (re-)partition in GUID/GPT, except that means I would have to have a backup drive for my 500GB or so of TM backups... (which I do NOT have).
So, once I get another large external drive (or get a 500GB/1TB internal and put it into my iMac), I can then wipe and re-partition the external 1TB drive, and THEN install SL on the external drive, and then move all my TM backups back to the external drive, then tell TM to use that drive for my TM backups. I think, unless there's a simpler way that really will work.
For now, I am chomping at the bit, since I have a lot of Pages and Numbers docs (those apps were bought from the Mac App Store), as well as several apps and games (free and purchased) that were downloaded also from the MAS (and require Snow Leopard 10.6 to run).
What I'd like would be for someone to simply list what steps are needed (and in what order they should be done) to safely and reliably get this done, as my patience with APM/GUID/GPT, Apple's design choices on this iMac model, and a few other Apple-related issues is wearing thin. I don't (at this point) care to have any explanation of APM vs. GUID/GPT, why Apple chose to change things what each does differently from the other scheme, etc. (I have downloaded/printed PDFs of a few pages that I will go back and read later (after I get the problems with my iMac and its backup files resolved).
Give me a checklist of the steps (starting with my getting another drive, either an internal for my iMac, or another external one), please.

there are certainly no external drives with preinstalled leopard. you'll have to buy leopard and a drive. you can install it on that drive normally but I would recommend buying a bigger internal drive for your imac. put it in, boot from the leopard install DVd and install leopard.

A quick primer on audio drivers, devices, and latency

This information has come from Durin, Adobe staffer:
Hi everyone,
A common question that comes up in these forums over and over has to do with recording latency, audio drivers, and device formats. I'm going to provide a brief overview of the different types of devices, how they interface with the computer and Audition, and steps to maximize performance and minimize the latency inherent in computer audio.
First, a few definitions:
Monitoring: listening to existing audio while simultaneously recording new audio.
Sample: The value of each individual bit of audio digitized by the audio device. Typically, the audio device measures the incoming signal 44,100 or 48,000 times every second.
Buffer Size: The "bucket" where samples are placed before being passed to the destination. An audio application will collect a buffers-worth of samples before feeding it to the audio device for playback. An audio device will collect a buffers-worth of samples before feeding it to the audio device when recording. Buffers are typically measured in Samples (command values being 64, 128, 512, 1024, 2048...) or milliseconds which is simply a calculation based on the device sample rate and buffer size.
Latency: The time span that occurs between providing an input signal into an audio device (through a microphone, keyboard, guitar input, etc) and when each buffers-worth of that signal is provided to the audio application. It also refers to the other direction, where the output audio signal is sent from the audio application to the audio device for playback. When recording while monitoring, the overall perceived latency can often be double the device buffer size.
ASIO, MME, CoreAudio: These are audio driver models, which simply specify the manner in which an audio application and audio device communicate. Apple Mac systems use CoreAudio almost exclusively which provides for low buffer sizes and the ability to mix and match different devices (called an Aggregate Device.) MME and ASIO are mostly Windows-exclusive driver models, and provide different methods of communicating between application and device. MME drivers allow the operating system itself to act as a go-between and are generally slower as they rely upon higher buffer sizes and have to pass through multiple processes on the computer before being sent to the audio device. ASIO drivers provide an audio application direct communication with the hardware, bypassing the operating system. This allows for much lower latency while being limited in an applications ability to access multiple devices simultaneously, or share a device channel with another application.
Dropouts: Missing audio data as a result of being unable to process an audio stream fast enough to keep up with the buffer size. Generally, dropouts occur when an audio application cannot process effects and mix tracks together quickly enough to fill the device buffer, or when the audio device is trying to send audio data to the application more quickly than it can handle it. (Remember when Lucy and Ethel were working at the chocolate factory and the machine sped up to the point where they were dropping chocolates all over the place? Pretend the chocolates were samples, Lucy and Ethel were the audio application, and the chocolate machine is the audio device/driver, and you'll have a pretty good visualization of how this works.)
Typically, latency is not a problem if you're simply playing back existing audio (you might experience a very slight delay between pressing PLAY and when audio is heard through your speakers) or recording to disk without monitoring existing audio tracks since precise timing is not crucial in these conditions. However, when trying to play along with a drum track, or sing a harmony to an existing track, or overdub narration to a video, latency becomes a factor since our ears are far more sensitive to timing issues than our other senses.   If a bass guitar track is not precisely aligned with the drums, it quickly sounds sloppy. Therefore, we need to attempt to reduce latency as much as possible for these situations. If we simply set our Buffer Size parameter as low as it will go, we're likely to experience dropouts - especially if we have some tracks configured with audio effects which require additional processing and contribute their own latency to the chain. Dropouts are annoying but not destructive during playback, but if dropouts occur on the recording stream, it means you're losing data and your recording will never sound right - the data is simply lost.   Obviously, this is not good.
Latency under 40ms is generally considered within the range of reasonable for recording. Some folks can hear even this and it affects their ability to play, but most people find this unnoticeable or tolerable. We can calculate our approximate desired buffer size with this formula:
(Sample per second / 1000) * Desired Latency
So, if we are recording at 44,100 Hz and we are aiming for 20ms latency:   44100 / 1000 * 20 = 882 samples. Most audio devices do not allow arbitrary buffer sizes but offer an array of choices, so we would select the closest option. The device I'm using right now offers 512 and 1024 samples as the closest available buffer sizes, so I would select 512 first and see how this performs. If my session has a lot of tracks and/or several effects, I might need to bump this up to 1024 if I experience dropouts.
Now that we hopefully have a pretty firm understanding of what constitutes latency and under what circumstances it is undesirable, let's take a look at how we can reduce it for our needs. You may find that you continue to experience dropouts at a buffer size of 1024 but that raising it to larger options introduces too much latency for your needs. So we need to determine what we can do to reduce our overhead in order to have quality playback and recording at this buffer size.
Effects: A common cause of playback latency is the use of effects. As your audio stream passes through an effect, it takes time for the computer to perform the calculations to modify that signal. Each effect in a chain introduces its own amount of latency before the chunk of audio even reaches the point where the audio application passes it to the audio device and starts to fill up the buffer. Audition and other DAWs attempt to address this through "latency compensation" routines which introduce a bit more latency when you first press play as they process several seconds of audio ahead of time before beginning to stream those chunks to the audio driver. In some cases, however, the effects may be so intensive that the CPU simply isn't processing the math fast enough.   With Audition, you can "freeze" or pre-render these tracks by clicking the small lightning bolt button visible in the Effects Rack with that track selected. This performs a background render of that track, which automatically updates if you make any changes to the track or effect parameters, so that instead of calculating all those changes on-the-fly, it simply needs to stream back a plain old audio file which requires much fewer system resources. You may also choose to disable certain effects, or temporarily replace them with alternatives which may not sound exactly like what you want for your final mix, but which adequately simulate the desired effect for the purpose of recording.   (You might replace the CPU-intensive Full Reverb effect with the lightweight Studio Reverb effect, for example. Full Reverb effect is mathematically far more accurate and realistic, but Studio Reverb can provide that quick "body" you might want when monitoring vocals, for example.) You can also just disable the effects for a track or clip while recording, and turn them on later.
Device and Driver Options: Different devices may have wildly different performance at the same buffer size and with the same session. Audio devices designed primarily for gaming are less likely to perform well at low buffer sizes as those designed for music production, for example. Even if the hardware performs the same, the driver mode may be a source of latency. ASIO is almost always faster than MME, though many device manufacturers do not supply an ASIO driver. The use of third-party, device-agnostic drivers, such as ASIO4ALL (www.asio4all.com) allow you to wrap an MME-only device inside a faux-ASIO shell. The audio application believes it's speaking to an ASIO driver, and ASIO4ALL has been streamlined to work more quickly with the MME device, or even to allow you to use different inputs and outputs on separate devices which ASIO would otherwise prevent.
We also now see more USB microphone devices which are input-only audio devices that generally use a generic Windows driver and, with a few exceptions, rarely offer native ASIO support. USB microphones generally require a higher buffer size as they are primarily designed for recording in cases where monitoring is unimportant. When attempting to record via a USB microphone and monitor via a separate audio device, you're more likely to run into issues where the two devices are not synchronized or drift apart after some time. (The ugly secret of many device manufacturers is that they rarely operate at EXACTLY the sample rate specified. The difference between 44,100 and 44,118 Hz is negligible when listening to audio, but when trying to precisely synchronize to a track recorded AT 44,100, the difference adds up over time and what sounded in sync for the first minute will be wildly off-beat several minutes later.) You are almost always going to have better sync and performance with a standard microphone connected to the same device you're using for playback, and for serious recording, this is the best practice. If USB microphones are your only option, then I would recommend making certain you purchase a high-quality one and have an equally high-quality playback device. Attempt to match the buffer sizes and sample rates as closely as possible, and consider using a higher buffer size and correcting the latency post-recording. (One method of doing this is to have a click or clap at the beginning of your session and make sure this is recorded by your USB microphone. After you finish your recording, you can visually line up the click in the recorded track with the click in the original track by moving your clip backwards in the timeline. This is not the most efficient method, but this alignment is the reason you see the clapboards in behind-the-scenes filmmaking footage.)
Other Hardware: Other hardware in your computer plays a role in the ability to feed or store audio data quickly. CPUs are so fast, and with multiple cores, capable of spreading the load so often the bottleneck for good performance - especially at high sample rates - tends to be your hard drive or storage media. It is highly recommended that you configure your temporary files location, and session/recording location, to a physical drive that is NOT the same as you have your operating system installed. Audition and other DAWs have absolutely no control over what Windows or OS X may decide to do at any given time and if your antivirus software or system file indexer decides it's time to start churning away at your hard drive at the same time that you're recording your magnum opus, you raise the likelihood of losing some of that performance. (In fact, it's a good idea to disable all non-essential applications and internet connections while recording to reduce the likelihood of external interference.) If you're going to be recording multiple tracks at once, it's a good idea to purchase the fastest hard drive your budget allows. Most cheap drives spin around 5400 rpm, which is fine for general use cases but does not allow for the fast read, write, and seek operations the drive needs to do when recording and playing back from multiple files simultaneously. 7200 RPM drives perform much better, and even faster options are available. While fragmentation is less of a problem on OS X systems, you'll want to frequently defragment your drive on Windows frequently - this process realigns all the blocks of your files so they're grouped together. As you write and delete files, pieces of each tend to get placed in the first location that has room. This ends up creating lots of gaps or splitting files up all over the disk. The act of reading or writing to these spread out areas cause the operation to take significantly longer than it needs to and can contribute to glitches in playback or loss of data when recording.

There is one point in the above that needed a little clarification, relating to USB mics:
_durin_ wrote:
If USB microphones are your only option, then I would recommend making certain you purchase a high-quality one and have an equally high-quality playback device.
If you are going to spend that much, then you'd be better off putting a little more money into an external device with a proper mic pre, and a little less money by not bothering with a USB mic at all, and just getting a 'normal' condensor mic. It's true to say that over the years, the USB mic class of recording device has caused more trouble than any other, regardless.
You should also be aware that if you find a USB mic offering ASIO support, then unless it's got a headphone socket on it as well then you aren't going to be able to monitor what you record if you use it in its native ASIO mode. This is because your computer can only cope with one ASIO device in the system - that's all the spec allows. What you can do with most ASIO hardware though is share multiple streams (if the device has multiple inputs and outputs) between different software.
Seriously, USB mics are more trouble than they're worth.

A few simple questions from a new Iphone user

Hi a few simple questions, just got an iphone 2g - 2nd hand so not really sure what to expect. Anyway I guess my first question is about mine sometimes being a little slow - when I look at contacts and sometimes when sending a txt it slows down/freezes a little - normal?
Secondly Edge - I havent used it much but when I have its been painfully slow, is this normal - is it always really slow - cause I had read despite not being 3g Edge was actually pretty fast - what exactly is data roaming by the way? I mean I have been switched off as basically I dont wanna use the internet till next month when they change my contract to one I get unlimited access on - is that right?
Im having a problems syncing videos to it - it just wont sync some but will others and Im not sure why - theyre same file type and they used to sync to my ipod touch but now they wont for some reason
Cheers

I have the origina iPhone.
Downloaded 2.0, synced phone with everything UNchecked. Installed 2.0. Synced with all the options checked to reload my data. The iPhone has been great. Noticed a little lag when I opened contacts. Installed the new upgrade, and everything is back, no lag.
Edge is Edge and nothing more. It is slow compared to a strong 3g signal. But is liveable most of the time. Heavy traffic can slow it down to barely usable.
My four wheel drive club has a web site with a large photo section. I was standing out in the middle of parking lot in San Jose, Ca and showing a friend some photos. It opens up a page of small picts to choose from. Select a print and it enlarges, He was amazed at how fast they appeard. Especially given the quantity of photos.

Podcasting interviews with iChat and Garageband -tips and then questions-

Okay, I did a search before I asked this and there have been a few scattered topics on it. Some answered my question(s) some didn't so hopefully I can consolidate some of the qestions here and tell about my own experience. This is long so be prepared:
Here are the Apple Articles on doing this:
ichat- (number of voice chats total, and specs to do it)
http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/ichat/
garageband- (number of real tracks it can take, up to 8)
http://www.apple.com/ilife/garageband/features/recording.html
garageband- (how it records the chat(s) http://www.apple.com/ilife/garageband/features/ichatrecording.html
So... after finding this out I found myself in an Apple store and was able to get 2 20-inch iMac Core Duo 2's to do an audio chat and when I opened garageband and hit "new track" it AUTOMATICALLY popped up two tracks, one for each speaker (or chat), myself and my friend, on the other 20 inch. On my friends iMac, he hit "new podcast track" and the same thing happened for him, 2 tracks, 2 speakers (or chats, if you will) Now there was a bit of a feedback loop because we were right next to each other, but just by doing it in the store we proved to ourselves it could be done. Also we used the Bonjour sharing rather then logging-in with our AIM or .Mac accounts in iChat.
Fast forward to last night, while on iChat using my AIM account (NOT.mac) I contacted a friend about trying this. He was on a PC with AIM and a mic. I invited him 4 times and the invite never worked, it timed out or was not accepted. We both chacked out anti-virus and firewall setting (him anti-virus, me firewall) and still got nothing, but we did find a support article on it- http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93208 .
Then HE sent the invite and it worked. Great, we were chatting no problem. So I open Garageband and tried to record. Only one chat track. It has both of our voices, but only one track. Tried, new track, new basic track, new podcast track, and they were all the same. They were also all chosen with the "real instrument" choice because of the input from the mic.
Now this is my set-up. For audio "in" I have a logitech USB mic going into a USB Griffin PowerWave. The PowerWave also controls my "Out" to which I have 2 crappy external speakers that I picked up free from a friend.
The reason I am using a PowerWave for "in and out" is because A- I record a lot of vinyl and analog sources into my computer and the PowerWave has the best input/output solution short of getting any M-Audio products which I'm too broke to get. And B- my Apple Pro Speakers had the prong on the jack snap off in the speaker audio out jack, leaving me with only headphones for audio out. (with the prong stuck in the speaker jack the computer will think the speakers are still plugged in and won't play via "built in audio", but anything plugged into the headphone jack will over-ride that.) The Griffin PowerWave is connected via USB and works right around all of that.
Now I do have 2 choices for "Audio in" in my sys prefs. one is the PowerWave (which I choose when recording a source like a stereo or record player) and one is the Logitech mic. I choose the logitech mic (even though it's connected to and playing THROUGH the PowerWave (the PowerWave also has USB "in") it still reads as a seperate input source. For "Out" I have built-in, and the PowerWave, I choose the PowerWave cause thats where my external speakers are connected.
So I was able to do the chat, but NOT get multiple tracks for multiple chats to work.
Here is my system configuration as well as audio configuration.
Dual 800 MGHZ G4 quicksilver.
896 Ram
Cable Modem Connection (comcast)
OS X- 10.4.8
GB- 3.0.4 (104.7)
iChat- 3.1.5 (v436)
IN-
Logitech USB Mic- connected via "USB in" to Griffin PowerWave
Griffin PowerWave- connected via USB to G4
OUT-
Griffin PowerWave- connected via USB
External Speakers- connected to "audio OUT" on Griffin PowerWave
For anyone who doesn't know what a Griffin PowerWave is here is a link:
http://www.welovemacs.com/3254pwrw.html
It's a BIG Step up from a iMic in terms of availible connectivity both in and out. It's about 3 years old and Griffin does not make them anymore. Most people now are using USB 2.0 or Firewire audio boxes to get multiple input and oputput connections for the Mac and various instruments.
So after all that, my question is, what could I be doing wrong? The Apple article(s) mention nothing about internal or external Mics. Is it my settings? Is it because it was done in AIM and iChat, not just 2 macs and iChat like the experiment in the store? I think I've done everything right, but still only ONE chat track somes up. Also I have done chats in Skype, as well as Ventrillo (while gaming) with this set up, so I know it works, I'm just trying to figure out how to get the multiple chat tracks. Please give me some advice. Thanks in advance.
Keith M

Alrighty-
I just got off the phone with Apple support. With their tech I was able to find that this DOES work with my set-up.
While I was using iChat and my AIM account, the tech and I were able to have an audio chat and have garageband record it using HIS (the tech) .mac account as well as his AIM account.
What we seemed to find out that if I want to record it, I have to be the one that initiates the chat. (which is why my friend sending the invite didn't let it work and it was recording it as one track.)
If I send the invite and the other party accepts it, I then opened Garageband, started a standard "new project" (deleated the defualt grand piano track) then chose "new track" with "real instrument" and the following message came up- "garageband is detecting and active ichat, do you want to record that chat"(paraphrased): I chose "yes" and away we went recording the chat with one track for each participant.
Not sure how many folks I can add into the chat, nor don't know if it will add new tracks on the fly. Probably not. But at least I got it working, I know it does work with AOL and .mac accounts, I guess it might have been some network issues in terms of my PC friend's anti-virus or firewall settings, or the network itself.
Anyway, keep adding to this if you want, and keep it as a resource for more people, but this does work (for now) and if ther are any more revelations about (number of participants, etc) it I'll follow up here.

I need to reinstall my operating system for 10.5 after seeing a file folder and question mark flashing on my start up screen. Can anyone help me with this?

I need to reinstall my operating system for 10.5 after seeing a file folder and question mark flashing on my start up screen. Can anyone help me with this?

Hello,
That means it can find the Hard Drive, or can't find the things needed for booting.
See if DU even sees it.
"Try Disk Utility
1. Insert the Mac OS X Install disc, then restart the computer while holding the C key.
2. When your computer finishes starting up from the disc, choose Disk Utility from the Installer menu at top of the screen. (In Mac OS X 10.4 or later, you must select your language first.)
*Important: Do not click Continue in the first screen of the Installer. If you do, you must restart from the disc again to access Disk Utility.*
3. Click the First Aid tab.
4. Select your Mac OS X volume.
5. Click Repair Disk, (not Repair Permissions). Disk Utility checks and repairs the disk."
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106214
Then try a Safe Boot, (holding Shift key down at bootup), run Disk Utility in Applications>Utilities, then highlight your drive, click on Repair Permissions, reboot when it completes.
(Safe boot may stay on the gray radian for a long time, let it go, it's trying to repair the Hard Drive.)

My photoshop element 10 stop working, I am not able to open ti anymore. ? I posted this question a few days ago and I did not get any anwer yer, please help

My photoshop element 10 stop working, I am not able to open ti anymore. ? I posted this question a few days ago and I did not get any anwer yer, please help

I have photoshop premiere element 10 editor and organizer and I have a Macbook pro 10,9,9
When I try to open a picture with element editor or if I try to open PS editor directly I see this
file:///Users/main/Desktop/Screen%20Shot%202014-11-26%20at%201.17.35%20PM.png
when I click on Modify it doesn't open and I have this window
file:///Users/main/Desktop/Screen%20Shot%202014-11-26%20at%201.21.07%20PM.png
and if I click REOPEN , I still have the same message
Lucie

IMac running 10.7.5 and have 2 question marks from old PPC apps, which I cannot locate to remove from the system? Any suggestions please?

iMac running 10.7.5 and have 2 question marks from old PPC apps, which I cannot locate any links to remove from the system? Any suggestions please?

Hello, if those Question marks are in the Dock, it means OSX can't find them either.
Right click on the Q mark & choose Remove from Dock, might be Roght click or click, then Options>Remove from dock on later OSX versions.
Sometimes you can just drag it of the Dock, or CMD +drag it off.

My iMac has been slow to respond for about 6 months and it is getting worse, beach ball is here a lot I have tried a few different things and nothing works. i am not sure if i need to take to an apple store or what any tips or suggestions would be apprec

my iMac has been slow to respond for about 6 months and it is getting worse, beach ball is here a lot I have tried a few different things and nothing works. i am not sure if i need to take to an apple store or what any tips or suggestions would be appreciated

Well it doesn't appear the easy guess is going to help in your case, sorry.
So here are the heavy guns on performance that Dr. Smoke has written up
http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/performance.html
I hope something in this web site is able to help you.
Allan

Firefox hangs after a few minutes and freezes whole system -- tried all the help suggestions already

I just updated to the latest version of Firefox and now it hangs after a few minutes of use (maybe when using Facebook)...I tried all of the existing help suggestions and none of them worked. Once it hangs, I can no longer use my machine as it freezes everything. I have to shut down...and even that takes forever to happen. :(

Hello cswatson,
Try clearing your Java cache, and History.
If you're not sure how to do that go here. --> [http://www.java.com/en/download/help/plugin_cache.xml I'm a Link].
If you still have problems, and are running a 64 bit processor you may want to install Waterfox instead of Firefox. On the case that you are running a 32 bit operating system do not install Waterfox. However, if you are running a 64 bit operating system you may want to install Waterfox. If you do install you should update your plugins on the Waterfox Download page below.
'''Waterfox Support/Forum'''
http://www.overclock.net/t/975626/waterfox-11-0-13-mar-2012-firefox-64-bit
'''Waterfox Download'''
http://waterfoxproject.org/downloads/ http://waterfoxproject.org/downloads/
Sincerly,
Michael
'''''Waterfox is an unofficial version of Firefox, please use at your own risk.'''''
''Copyright © Waterfox. Mozilla®, mozilla.org®, Firefox®, Thunderbird®, Bugzilla™, Camino®, Sunbird®, SeaMonkey®, and XUL™, as well as the Mozilla logo, Firefox logo, Thunderbird logo and the red lizard logo are all trademarks of the Mozilla Foundation. Logo by [http://example.com Miloš Mirković]''

Problem\question about System.in and DataInputStream

Hello everybody,
I have the following code, trying to read an int and a string into two variables using System.in and DataInputStream:
package objectIO;
import java.io.*;
public class WriteStudentObject
     * @exception IOException Can not read the file
      public static void main(String[] args) throws IOException
          a loop could be used here to create more than one
          student object and write each one to a file
          Student mary = new Student("Mary Martin", 12345);
          // open inputstream to read data from keyboard
          InputStream is = System.in;
          DataInputStream dis = new DataInputStream(is);
          int g;
          String c;
          for (int i =0; i < mary.grades.length ; i++)
              System.out.println("Enter a grade for test" + i);
              g = dis.readInt(); //*QUESTION 1*
              System.out.println("Enter a comment for test"+i);
              Datainput stream can read String
             and store as text or reverse
              c = dis.readUTF(); //*QUESTION 2*
              mary.grades= new Grade(g,c);
try
FileOutputStream fos = new FileOutputStream("c:\\personal\\test\\studentObject.dat");
ObjectOutputStream oos = new ObjectOutputStream(fos);
oos.writeObject(mary); // write obj to file
oos.close();
} catch(IOException e) {
System.out.print("Error: " + e);
System.exit(1);
The class uses a Student object -attributes are name\String, id\int and Grades (Grade class has grade obtained\int and a comment from the teacher\String).
My questions are: (as bolded in the code)
1) at "g = dis.readInt()" I have to press Enter 3 times to finish the reading (one after entering a single int and then just 2 times Enter). Should I add bellow this line "System.in.read()" to clear the newline\return character?! What exactly does "System.in.read()" clears? After leaving the method readInt() the variable g has an enormous value... like 9 digits... why? I also tried "g = (int)dis.readInt()" but the results are the same... I want to read an int from keyboard, but using DataInputStream, not with System.in.read()
2) at this line the program never ends, it tries continuously to read characters... no matter what I enter it does not complete... I want to read a String from keyboard, but again using DataInputStream...
Many thanks in advance (and hopefully now I can assign the offered stars...)

don1983p wrote:
I read an int form keyboard with 'int read_int = System.in.read();' but why I must, after this line, enter a new System.in.read()? (what does this clears? the return character? )Yep. Note that InputStream.read() only reads the next byte of data. If your user had input something that required multiple bytes to represent, you would not have read all of it.
Fun Fact: Even if you had used Scanner.nextInt() to get your integer from the console, you still need to do a .nextLine() as .nextInt() only reads up to the newline and does not consume it.

Awful shopping experience and potential massive system flaw on Preorder Consoles

Hello, I wanted to take the time to write a lengthy post as it seems BB Corporate is active here and tends to take the feedback given here seriously to document my terrible shopping experience recently at BB store #293 in Rockville, MD.
To give some background about myself, I am an ITPro that has very fond memories of buying some of my favorite tech toys through the years from BB when I first started getting paychecks in High School and I'm now in my mid-30s with considerably more spending power. Even with the rise of online competitors like Amazon and Newegg, I still had a soft spot for BB and their big box presentation while local competitors like CompUSA and CC fell by the wayside. I was happy to see BB make a comeback in recent years and their RewardsZone (MyBB) rewards system has been a mostly trouble-free experience since its inception.
Over the last few years, I tended to make a lot of my big ticket purchases at BB due to the flexibility of their no interest financing, or the option to get 5-10% rewards on purchases paid in full, enough to qualify me for various levels of Elite membership ($2500-3000 spent per year). I was on track again for similar spending this year with the purchase of a Surface Pro 3 for my girlfriend, which I paid in full to receive the 10% in rewards for ~$90 in Reward Certs.
We decided to check out the new consoles as well, and she favored the white edition PS4 so we went ahead and pre-ordered the white PS4 Destiny bundle on Aug. 29 2014 on a whim. I took the option to pay it in full to get the benefit of the 10% rewards and was assured by the sales rep Jesse that the 10% rewards wouldn't be a problem when I picked the console up after the promotion ended, because I had already paid in full.
So we came back on Destiny launch day, 9/9 and it was perfect, great in-store experience that you simply cannot get buying online. Walked in, Jesse was there again and had the console under the counter and even the local Sony rep was there, talking up the game and console. Best part was they started throwing SWAG on us, PS4 lanyard, Destiny Bundle T-shirt and apparently there was even a free Gamers Club Unlocked membership I didn't even know about (I do a lot of research on my buys but again, this was bought on a whim) that was active, so I really felt great about my purchase with a fantastic in-store experience. We went ahead and picked up Last of Us Remastered too, since we loved it on PS3 and we got 20% off with our new Gamers Club membership!
But that's when things started to go downhill. Apparently there was a new employee working that day that Jesse was training, I am not sure if that was where things were missed, or what, but Jesse has provided me great service in the past so I don't really fault him here. We also wanted to apply the $95 in certs to the transaction that would have totaled around $463, so with the original prepaid amount of $450 minus the $95 in certs, we should have been owed ~$80 back to the card.. Instead, I was asked for my BB Credit Card again and it was swiped thinking that was to get the ~$80 back on the card, but apparently it charged the card again for the balance of $463 minus $95 in certs. I thought the transaction was a bit off, but figured they would just reverse the original $450 prepaid amount to charge the new transaction.
Fast forward a month, on 10/11, I checked my BB Credit Card statement to pay off the PS4 and was shocked to see an interest charge. In 3-4 years of having this card, I have never been charged interest once. It was a non-trivial amount of $13 and I traced it back to the 8/29 pre-order for $450 that I thought was reversed in-store. I was then even more shocked to see the 2nd $364 transaction on the card, so I had essentially PAID FOR TWO Playstation 4 consoles!
So I immediately gathered up all my documentation (CC statements, RZ print outs, pre-order and in-store pick up receipts) and headed back to Best Buy. It was a Saturday so things were busy, but the initial CS reps were responsive and tried to help with the situation. The problem is, no one knew how to fix it. Apparently, there is/was a *MASSIVE* glitch in BestBuy's point of sale system where you cannot apply both a preorder AND a RW Cert to a single transaction. The system applies/attaches the preorder to the transaction but does not reduce the balance by that amount, because it is overwritten by the Reward Zone cert transaction. It took at least 1 hour for 2 knowledgeable and extremely helpful tech managers (Alan and a woman I believe named Sheila) who almost immediately identified and acknowledged they had seen this problem before. They also said the sales reps should have known this.
The problem was they kept insisting they could not simply return/void out the in-store 9/9 transaction of ~$363 because it was over 1 month and closed. They also said they could not simply refund the $450 prepaid amount because the system was showing it was already applied to the in-store pickup transaction, even though the receipts, my CC statement all clearly show the in-store transaction was NOT reduced by the $450 prepaid amount.
Now here's where things get ugly, one manager, Nucleo, was called over and simply did not have any intent to help. One of the employees I would prefer not to name said they believed he just didn't know how to fix the problem and they would prefer to just go to their General Manager, Dave. Dave was busy on Saturday, I am sure, so it took him some time to come over, but he genuinely seemed interested in fixing the problem. Together with Sheila, they came up with the solution of voiding out the in-store transaction manually, and then scanning a return for a $15 accessory item to make me whole on the interest I was charged. They also said the prorated portion of the Reward Zone Certs of ~$87 would be refunded to my BB account within a few days.
I thought that would be the end of it....until I checked my BB account a few days later and was shocked to see I had a NEGATIVE balance in RZ points. Voiding the in-store transaction of $363 without refunding the $87 in RZ certs left me in a negative balance! Again, I made my way to the Rockville BB store with all documentation in hand and this time, I packed up the PS4, which I had seldom-used at this point because I simply did not feel the transaction was completed. I fully intended to just return the system and either wash my hands of this transaction, or return it and try to complete the transaction from scratch.
This time, unfortunately, the GM Dave was not on duty, it was only Nucleo. Sad to say, he actually provided better customer service when he tried to ignore the problem. This time, he tried to indicate it was MY FAULT that I allowed myself to be charged twice, asking "what I want to know is, if you paid for it why did you let us charge your card again?". I replied that it was a FLAW IN BB's SYSTEM and that I assumed HIS employees knew what they were doing because I simply do NOT PREORDER consoles on a weekly, monthly or even yearly cycle. At this point, both of our voices and tempers were escalated, it was one of my most unpleasant in-store experiences especially knowing I was being wronged and this person Nucleo had no intention of trying to fix the problem caused by BB's system. In all of this transaction, this dealing with Nucleo is the only reason I am writing this post now, I feel everyone else did their best to try and fix the problem, but this guy is just in the wrong business because his customer service skills are awful. Ultimately the visit ended with no resolution, the employees that had been helpful throughout (Alan, Amber, and one other tall younger man) insisted the certs of $87 would get credited back in a few days and the credits for the original $450 prepaid would also come but may take longer after they spoke with MyBB reps on the phone.
So I waited patiently for another 2-3 weeks and the points from both the prorated $87 rewards (original $95) and the estimated 2250 points ($45) from the 10% $450 prepaid amount had still not yet arrived. When they didn't, I took a different tack and contacted MyBB Elite. The rep was responsive and understanding, and it took a good 10 minutes for her to get her bearings while I explained the situation. I also provided all of my documentation and she was able to verify and document it in her notes. She immediately re-issued or pushed through the $87 in Reward Zone certs from the refunded in-store transaction while I was on the phone, and said the remainder $450 was also in process and should come through in 5-8 business days.
I had to call 2 more times, both times the reps insisted the $450 prepaid was still in process and approved, but it was most likely the same glitch that prevented the prepaid from being applied properly, it simply could not get points attached to it because it was counted as part of another transaction. The 3rd time I spoke with a supervisor/escalation rep and they said the transaction would be funded.
Finally, I called up again a few weeks ago and was at my wit's end because I still did not see a resolution. Somehow, this rep was able to push the amount through which was $45. It was unattached to the original transaction as just Customer Satisfaction. Throughout this experience, I do feel everyone was interested in trying to get this resolved for me except for Nucleo, who really tried to make me feel like this entire ordeal was MY FAULT. The BB rep on the phone apologized and said she hoped this had not impacted my willingness to shop at BB in the future, but I answered frankly, that it has impacted my willingness negatively, as there was numerous deals on various tech toys and gifts in the last few months that I simply did not feel good about making at BB due to this experience.
I wanted to post this so that you can use this feedback as it shows how quickly someone's opinion and preferences can change on a single bad shopping experience. And while I am not one who is going to take a faux-stand and say I will never shop at BB again, I will certainly look at more alternatives rather than going to BB for certain buying habits in the future. Oh, and someone should speak with Nucleo, he is absolutely in the wrong line of business.
Thanks for reading! I will be happy to provide any documentation or member # via PM for your verification if you are interested. Some of the dollar amounts are rough/estimated as this transaction is now so old it no longer appears on my recent 3 month history.
Regards,
Jerry

Dear Jerry,
Thank you for coming to us on the forums and sharing your recent tribulations around this purchase. I can fully empathize with your disappointment in the treatment you spoke of in your post as I have experienced this with other retailers in the past as well. Any frustration this lengthy experience may have caused you is completely understandable. For something that seems like it should be so simple from a customer standpoint like correcting rewards points, can sometimes not be so cut and dry on the other side of things.
I had the pleasure of being a manager in our stores for a couple years before I came to work at the corporate level. There were interactions that challenged my knowledge level and my patience in that time, but I was always working to educate the customer and leave them feeling heard and appreciated. This should be the goal of all of our managers to express through their words and actions with our customers. My apologies if you didn’t witness this in your exchanges with Nucleo. I can fully empathize with your disappointment with the treatment you spoke of in your post as I have experienced this with other retailers in the past as well. Using your email address you supplied here on the forums, I was able to verify your interactions with our phone support and that your points issue appears to have been corrected. This process should not have taken as much effort and follow up on your part as it did.
The information regarding the preorder points issue you described has been documented here for review by the appropriate business teams. Your feedback has also been passed along to the General Manager at the Rockville, MD (store 293) location to be used for coaching and training with his team. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any other questions or concerns. I am genuinely sorry that this occurrence has damaged your inclination to come to Best Buy for your technology needs, and I hope you will continue to visit our stores in the future. Your loyalty is much appreciated.
Warmest regards,
JD|Social Media Specialist | Best Buy® Corporate
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A few simple tips and questions. Neo2 system XP re-install, which audio drivers?

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