Under-powered SpamAssassin, razor misfires?
My system (with a very high-performing SpamAssassin configuration) bit the dust a couple months back, and when I rebuilt the thing I jumped up a couple revs of SpamAssassin (now I'm running 3.1.1).
The thing is, a ton of spam (mostly having to do with pharmaceuticals) is slipping through. The messages get high-ish scores, but less than my threshold of 5 (which used to work really well for me). Running sa-learn hasn't improved the situation.
My best guess is that something is wrong with Razor -- I don't see any evidence that it's doing anything (the log doesn't have entries since the installation -- but I'm not sure what that log normally carries anyway).
Frankly I'm stumped. Any advice or analysis will be appreciated. Here's the contents of some of my config files:
</etc/mail/spamassassin/init.pre>
loadplugin Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::RelayCountry
loadplugin Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::URIDNSBL
loadplugin Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::Hashcash
loadplugin Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::SPF
</etc/mail/spamassassin/local.cf>
use_bayes 1
bayesautolearn 1
use_razor2 1
rbl_timeout 4
razor_timeout 4
score RCVDIN_MAPSRBL 3
score RCVDIN_MAPSDUL 1
score RCVDIN_MAPSRSS 2
score RCVDIN_MAPSNML 2
</etc/mail/spamassassin/v310.pre>
loadplugin Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::DCC
loadplugin Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::Pyzor
loadplugin Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::Razor2
loadplugin Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::SpamCop
loadplugin Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::AntiVirus
loadplugin Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::AWL
loadplugin Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::AutoLearnThreshold
loadplugin Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::TextCat
loadplugin Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::WhiteListSubject
loadplugin Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::MIMEHeader
loadplugin Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::ReplaceTags
<~/.razor/razor-agent.conf>
debuglevel = 3
identity = identity
ignorelist = 0
listfile_catalogue = servers.catalogue.lst
listfile_discovery = servers.discovery.lst
listfile_nomination = servers.nomination.lst
logfile = razor-agent.log
logic_method = 4
min_cf = ac
razordiscovery = discovery.spamnet.com
rediscovery_wait = 172800
report_headers = 1
turnoffdiscovery = 0
use_engines = 4,8
whitelist = razor-whitelist
PowerMac G5 1.8x2, Mini Mac OS X (10.4.5)
PowerMac G5 1.8x2, Mini Mac OS X (10.4.5) Postfix, Procmail, SpamAssassin, Fetchmail
Jeff, thanks for checking in on this thread.
I had seen that first thread you pointed too, and I checked my configuration against his instructions and found no problems.
The second link and your general suggestion about the Server forum turn out not to help so much (though I appreciate the suggestion and I'll post things like this there in future). I am actually in the habit of looking in there, but it almost never helps me very much.
I'm running OS X client, and my configuration is very much bubble gum and scotch tape (and there are some lurkers in this forum with very similar set ups). Most of the threads I've seen about SpamAssassin in the Server forum have issues or instructions that assume the presence of Server's various GUI configuration tools or peculiar locations/versions/combinations of the tools that I use on my (lower case "s") server.
I never had the sa-learn problem that Server created for itself since SA's "make install" put everything where the default conf files expect everything to be.
But, you'll be either astounded or ambivalent to hear, the problem has gone away without any changes to my system (at least none that I made to SA, Razor, Procmail, or Postfix). Spam has been scoring much higher and getting caught in procmail's filter.
I'm not sure what could have happened -- as far as I know, none of the components update automatically (certainly not as part of OS X's system updates), and I haven't even run sa-learn since I created this thread. The only thing I can think of is that something changed on a blacklist or Razor server somewhere or a big spammer's gone out of business.
One of these days I'll try to do a more rigorous analysis of my logs and messages to see if any rules started firing, but in the meantime I'm happy in my ignorance. I haven't seen any false positives and I'm getting very few false negatives.
PowerMac G5 1.8x2, Mini Mac OS X (10.4.5)
Similar Messages
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SpamAssassin & Razor how-to:
When used in conjuction with Vipul's Razor, SpamAssassin's accuracy can really go to new levels, making junkmail filtering far more accurate. Here's how to set both of these up on a Tiger server system (note: be sure to backup your system, or at least make copies of any files you're modifying before starting!):
First, fix a problem with SpamAssassin's out of the box configuration, by re-creating a symlink. I've found it best to sudo to root, then su to clamav, to get the permissions correct, as follows (warning: this will remove the current database of 'learned junk' if it exists):
sudo -s
cd /var/amavis
mv .spamassassin .spamassassin.old
su clamav
ln -s /var/clamav/.spamassassin /var/amavis/.spamassassin
When you've done this, do 'ls -la' and you should see a line like this:
lrwxr-xr-x 1 clamav clamav 25 Feb 8 21:51 .spamassassin -> /var/clamav/.spamassassin
Next, check a few parameters in the '/etc/mail/spamassassin/local.cf' file. First run:
spamassassin --lint
If you're running 10.4.2 - 10.4.4, you might see output similar to:
config: SpamAssassin failed to parse line, skipping: auto_learn 1
config: SpamAssassin failed to parse line, skipping: safe_reporting 0
config: SpamAssassin failed to parse line, skipping: usetersereport 0
config: SpamAssassin failed to parse line, skipping: subject_tag * Warning: Junk Mail *
config: SpamAssassin failed to parse line, skipping: rewrite_subject 0
lint: 5 issues detected. please rerun with debug enabled for more information.
To fix this, first backup your '/etc/mail/spamassassin/local.cf' file, then open the file and change any of the above output, as follows:
change 'auto_learn' to 'bayesautolearn'
change 'safe_reporting' to 'safe_report'
comment out 'usetersereport 0'
comment out 'subject_tag' and 'rewrite_subject'
Now issuing 'spamassassin --lint' should just return you to your command prompt without any output. If so, you're all set.
Next, we need to check a bunch of things in the '/etc/amavisd.conf' file. First, backup your file, then make sure the following lines look as follows (don't forget the semi-colons at the end of each line!):
$salocal_testsonly = 0;
I like to set this to 0 (disable), in order to enable network tests by tools such as razor, which can dramatically improve SpamAssassin's accuracy. See below for more details on using Razor.
$satag_leveldeflt = -999;
This low threshold causes SpamAssassin to add X-Spam headers to all local messages scoring above -999, which should be all of them.
$satag2_leveldeflt = 5;
This is the SpamAssassin score at which to consider a message spam and tag it as such (by modifying the subject line), a good starting point is about 5
$sakill_leveldeflt = 10;
If a message's SpamAssassin score reaches this level, then the 'finalspamdestiny' action is taken. I like to set this to around 10, depending on what 'finalspamdestiny' is. Remember, if 'finalspamdestiny' is set to reject mail, this is the score at which the mail will be rejected. I like to start out with the 'D_PASS' setting for starters, which delivers the mail even if this score is reached (see below for more info on the 'finalspamdestiny' setting).
$saspam_subjecttag = '* Junk Mail *';
When a message's SpamAssassin score reaches the '$satag2_leveldeflt' score (above), then the text here is added to the beginning of the email subject line.
$finalspamdestiny = [DDISCARD,D_BOUNCE,DPASS];
This tells SpamAssassin what to do with a message that reaches the '$sakill_leveldeflt' score. It can be set to one of the three values above (so, for example, to deliver all mail, the line would be $finalspamdestiny = D_PASS;).
@localdomainsacl = [acl]
This line tells SpamAssassin which email domains are hosted by the local system, and thus which ones to take action on. Make sure all possible local domains that will be handled by your mail server are listed here. An example would be:
@localdomainsacl = ( '.myDomain1.com', '.myDomain2.com', '.myDomain3.com' );
OK: next, if you run virtual domains, make sure this line is uncommented (i.e. no '#' sign at the beginning of the line):
@localdomainsmaps = ( 1 );
If the line doesn't exist and you need it, add it after the '@localdomainsacl = ...' line.
If you want to use razor (see below), make sure to add the following lines, if they don't already exist:
use_razor2 1
razor_timeout 10
score RAZOR2CF_RANGE_51100 4.0
Whew! OK we're done with the '/etc/amavisd.conf' file. Next, you need to feed junkmail to your system, and lots of it. First, you'll need to set up two 'training' accounts on your system. One called 'junkmail' and one called 'notjunkmail.' This is explained in more detail on page 52 of the Mail Service Admin guide, available here: http://images.apple.com/server/pdfs/MailServicev10.4.pdf.
After you've set up these accounts, you need to redirect (be sure not to forward!!) around 200 junk and non-junk messages (around 400 total) to each mailbox. This is crucial, and if there aren't enough messages in there, SpamAssassin will be pretty inaccurate. One way to make it easier to feed the boxes is to setup the two IMAP accounts in your mail program. Then you can just drag and drop junk mail from your real account into the inbox for the 'junkmail' account (and likewise for the 'notjunkmail' account). This is a lot easier than the mass redirects. If appropriate, do the same for other users on your system.
One more thing that is sometimes broken out of the box with Tiger Server is the script that trains the junkmail filter each day (as described in the admin guide from step 4), using the contents of the 'junkmail' and 'notjunkmail' accounts. You'll need to fix this for automatic training of the filter, and an easy way to do this is to the use the great SpamTrainer for OS X, which is available here: http://osx.topicdesk.com/downloads/. Just download and follow the simple instructions, and your training scripts will be all set to run.
Improving SpamAssasin's accuracy with Razor:
There are many add-ons that can be enabled which really beef up SpamAssassin's accuracy, and one I like to use is Vipul's Razor. In order to install this, you'll need the Xcode 2.2 developer tools installed on your system. To get Xcode visit the Apple Developer's site, register for a free account, then download and install the tools. Once you've done that, download razor-agents the the razor-agents sdk here. Once downloaded, unpack them like so:
tar -xvjf razor-agents-2.77.tar.bz2
tar -xvjf razor-agents-sdk-2.07.tar.bz2
Then cd into the razor agents sdk dir and install, like so:
cd razor-agents-sdk-2.07
perl Makefile.PL
make
make test
make install
After you've done SDK, cd into the razor agents dir and do likewise, like so:
cd ../razor-agents-2.77
perl Makefile.PL
make
make test
make install
OK - now to set up Razor: if you're still in a root shell (i.e. you see a '#' sign at the end of your shell prompt), then type 'exit' and hit enter to return to your regular user shell (if you're not sure, just open a new terminal window, or ssh session if you're doing this over ssh). Then run:
razor-admin -create
which creates a config file in your user home directory. Then choose an email address with which to register razor, and do the registration:
razor-admin -register [email protected]
That should do it. Once you've completed these steps and trained SA, your filtering will be much more accurate.
iBook G4 Mac OS X (10.4.4)Checked my changes and found a mistake, however, I get the following error after I run spamassassin -lint
serv3:/etc/mail/spamassassin root# spamassassin --lint
config: SpamAssassin failed to parse line, skipping: safe_report 0
lint: 1 issues detected. please rerun with debug enabled for more information.
serv3:/etc/mail/spamassassin root#
I double checked the local.cf file change to 'safe_report' and it looks good.
When I run debug, this is what I get:
serv3:/etc/mail/spamassassin root# spamassassin --lint -D
debug: SpamAssassin version 3.0.1
debug: Score set 0 chosen.
debug: running in taint mode? yes
debug: Running in taint mode, removing unsafe env vars, and resetting PATH
debug: PATH included '/bin', keeping.
debug: PATH included '/sbin', keeping.
debug: PATH included '/usr/bin', keeping.
debug: PATH included '/usr/sbin', keeping.
debug: Final PATH set to: /bin:/sbin:/usr/bin:/usr/sbin
debug: diag: module not installed: DBI ('require' failed)
debug: diag: module installed: DB_File, version 1.810
debug: diag: module installed: Digest::SHA1, version 2.10
debug: diag: module installed: IO::Socket::UNIX, version 1.21
debug: diag: module installed: MIME::Base64, version 3.05
debug: diag: module not installed: Net::DNS ('require' failed)
debug: diag: module not installed: Net::LDAP ('require' failed)
debug: diag: module not installed: Razor2::Client::Agent ('require' failed)
debug: diag: module installed: Storable, version 2.13
debug: diag: module installed: URI, version 1.35
debug: ignore: using a test message to lint rules
debug: using "/etc/mail/spamassassin/init.pre" for site rules init.pre
debug: config: read file /etc/mail/spamassassin/init.pre
debug: using "//usr/share/spamassassin" for default rules dir
debug: config: read file //usr/share/spamassassin/10_misc.cf
debug: config: read file //usr/share/spamassassin/20antiratware.cf
debug: config: read file //usr/share/spamassassin/20bodytests.cf
debug: config: read file //usr/share/spamassassin/20_compensate.cf
debug: config: read file //usr/share/spamassassin/20dnsbltests.cf
debug: config: read file //usr/share/spamassassin/20_drugs.cf
debug: config: read file //usr/share/spamassassin/20fake_helotests.cf
debug: config: read file //usr/share/spamassassin/20headtests.cf
debug: config: read file //usr/share/spamassassin/20htmltests.cf
debug: config: read file //usr/share/spamassassin/20metatests.cf
debug: config: read file //usr/share/spamassassin/20_phrases.cf
debug: config: read file //usr/share/spamassassin/20_****.cf
debug: config: read file //usr/share/spamassassin/20_ratware.cf
debug: config: read file //usr/share/spamassassin/20uritests.cf
debug: config: read file //usr/share/spamassassin/23_bayes.cf
debug: config: read file //usr/share/spamassassin/25body_testses.cf
debug: config: read file //usr/share/spamassassin/25body_testspl.cf
debug: config: read file //usr/share/spamassassin/25_hashcash.cf
debug: config: read file //usr/share/spamassassin/25head_testses.cf
debug: config: read file //usr/share/spamassassin/25head_testspl.cf
debug: config: read file //usr/share/spamassassin/25_spf.cf
debug: config: read file //usr/share/spamassassin/25_uribl.cf
debug: config: read file //usr/share/spamassassin/30textde.cf
debug: config: read file //usr/share/spamassassin/30textes.cf
debug: config: read file //usr/share/spamassassin/30textfr.cf
debug: config: read file //usr/share/spamassassin/30textit.cf
debug: config: read file //usr/share/spamassassin/30textnl.cf
debug: config: read file //usr/share/spamassassin/30textpl.cf
debug: config: read file //usr/share/spamassassin/30textsk.cf
debug: config: read file //usr/share/spamassassin/50_scores.cf
debug: config: read file //usr/share/spamassassin/60_whitelist.cf
debug: using "//etc/mail/spamassassin" for site rules dir
debug: config: read file //etc/mail/spamassassin/local.cf
debug: using "/Users/admin/.spamassassin" for user state dir
debug: using "/Users/admin/.spamassassin/user_prefs" for user prefs file
debug: config: read file /Users/admin/.spamassassin/user_prefs
debug: plugin: loading Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::URIDNSBL from @INC
debug: failed to load Net::DNS::Resolver: Can't locate Net/DNS.pm in @INC (@INC contains: //lib/perl5/site_perl /System/Library/Perl/5.8.6/darwin-thread-multi-2level /System/Library/Perl/5.8.6 /Library/Perl/5.8.6/darwin-thread-multi-2level /Library/Perl/5.8.6 /Library/Perl /Network/Library/Perl/5.8.6/darwin-thread-multi-2level /Network/Library/Perl/5.8.6 /Network/Library/Perl /System/Library/Perl/Extras/5.8.6/darwin-thread-multi-2level /System/Library/Perl/Extras/5.8.6 /Library/Perl/5.8.1) at /System/Library/Perl/Extras/5.8.6/Mail/SpamAssassin/Plugin/URIDNSBL.pm line 113.
debug: plugin: registered Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::URIDNSBL=HASH(0x19242e4)
debug: plugin: loading Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::Hashcash from @INC
debug: plugin: registered Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::Hashcash=HASH(0x1ac973c)
debug: plugin: loading Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::SPF from @INC
debug: plugin: registered Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::SPF=HASH(0x1a419d8)
debug: plugin: Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::URIDNSBL=HASH(0x19242e4) implements 'parse_config'
debug: plugin: Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::Hashcash=HASH(0x1ac973c) implements 'parse_config'
debug: plugin: Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::URIDNSBL=HASH(0x19242e4) inhibited further callbacks
debug: plugin: Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::URIDNSBL=HASH(0x19242e4) inhibited further callbacks
debug: plugin: Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::URIDNSBL=HASH(0x19242e4) inhibited further callbacks
debug: plugin: Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::URIDNSBL=HASH(0x19242e4) inhibited further callbacks
debug: plugin: Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::URIDNSBL=HASH(0x19242e4) inhibited further callbacks
debug: plugin: Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::URIDNSBL=HASH(0x19242e4) inhibited further callbacks
debug: plugin: Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::URIDNSBL=HASH(0x19242e4) inhibited further callbacks
debug: plugin: Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::URIDNSBL=HASH(0x19242e4) inhibited further callbacks
debug: plugin: Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::URIDNSBL=HASH(0x19242e4) inhibited further callbacks
debug: plugin: Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::URIDNSBL=HASH(0x19242e4) inhibited further callbacks
debug: plugin: Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::URIDNSBL=HASH(0x19242e4) inhibited further callbacks
debug: plugin: Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::URIDNSBL=HASH(0x19242e4) inhibited further callbacks
debug: plugin: Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::URIDNSBL=HASH(0x19242e4) inhibited further callbacks
debug: plugin: Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::URIDNSBL=HASH(0x19242e4) inhibited further callbacks
debug: plugin: Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::URIDNSBL=HASH(0x19242e4) inhibited further callbacks
debug: plugin: Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::URIDNSBL=HASH(0x19242e4) inhibited further callbacks
debug: plugin: Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::URIDNSBL=HASH(0x19242e4) inhibited further callbacks
debug: plugin: Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::URIDNSBL=HASH(0x19242e4) inhibited further callbacks
debug: plugin: Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::URIDNSBL=HASH(0x19242e4) inhibited further callbacks
debug: plugin: Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::URIDNSBL=HASH(0x19242e4) inhibited further callbacks
debug: plugin: Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::URIDNSBL=HASH(0x19242e4) inhibited further callbacks
debug: plugin: Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::URIDNSBL=HASH(0x19242e4) inhibited further callbacks
debug: plugin: Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::URIDNSBL=HASH(0x19242e4) inhibited further callbacks
debug: plugin: Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::URIDNSBL=HASH(0x19242e4) inhibited further callbacks
debug: plugin: Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::URIDNSBL=HASH(0x19242e4) inhibited further callbacks
debug: plugin: Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::URIDNSBL=HASH(0x19242e4) inhibited further callbacks
debug: plugin: Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::URIDNSBL=HASH(0x19242e4) inhibited further callbacks
debug: plugin: Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::URIDNSBL=HASH(0x19242e4) inhibited further callbacks
debug: plugin: Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::URIDNSBL=HASH(0x19242e4) inhibited further callbacks
debug: plugin: Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::URIDNSBL=HASH(0x19242e4) inhibited further callbacks
debug: plugin: Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::URIDNSBL=HASH(0x19242e4) inhibited further callbacks
debug: plugin: Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::URIDNSBL=HASH(0x19242e4) inhibited further callbacks
config: SpamAssassin failed to parse line, skipping: safe_report 0
debug: using "/Users/admin/.spamassassin" for user state dir
debug: bayes: no dbs present, cannot tie DB R/O: /Users/admin/.spamassassin/bayes_toks
debug: Score set 1 chosen.
debug: ---- MIME PARSER START ----
debug: main message type: text/plain
debug: parsing normal part
debug: added part, type: text/plain
debug: ---- MIME PARSER END ----
debug: bayes: no dbs present, cannot tie DB R/O: /Users/admin/.spamassassin/bayes_toks
debug: metadata: X-Spam-Relays-Trusted:
debug: metadata: X-Spam-Relays-Untrusted:
debug: decoding: no encoding detected
debug: Loading languages file...
debug: Language possibly: en,sco
debug: metadata: X-Languages: en sco
debug: plugin: Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::URIDNSBL=HASH(0x19242e4) implements 'parsed_metadata'
debug: is Net::DNS::Resolver available? no
debug: is DNS available? 0
debug: Running tests for priority: 0
debug: running header regexp tests; score so far=0
debug: registering glue method for checkhashcash_doublespend (Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::Hashcash=HASH(0x1ac973c))
debug: registering glue method for checkfor_spf_helopass (Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::SPF=HASH(0x1a419d8))
debug: all '*From' addrs: [email protected]
debug: registering glue method for checkhashcashvalue (Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::Hashcash=HASH(0x1ac973c))
debug: all '*To' addrs:
debug: registering glue method for checkfor_spfsoftfail (Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::SPF=HASH(0x1a419d8))
debug: registering glue method for checkfor_spfpass (Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::SPF=HASH(0x1a419d8))
debug: registering glue method for checkfor_spf_helosoftfail (Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::SPF=HASH(0x1a419d8))
debug: registering glue method for checkfor_spf_helofail (Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::SPF=HASH(0x1a419d8))
debug: running body-text per-line regexp tests; score so far=-2.623
debug: running uri tests; score so far=-2.623
debug: registering glue method for check_uridnsbl (Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::URIDNSBL=HASH(0x19242e4))
debug: Razor2 is not available
debug: plugin: Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::URIDNSBL=HASH(0x19242e4) implements 'check_tick'
debug: running raw-body-text per-line regexp tests; score so far=-2.623
debug: running full-text regexp tests; score so far=-2.623
debug: Razor2 is not available
debug: Current PATH is: /bin:/sbin:/usr/bin:/usr/sbin
debug: Pyzor is not available: pyzor not found
debug: DCCifd is not available: no r/w dccifd socket found.
debug: DCC is not available: no executable dccproc found.
debug: Running tests for priority: 500
debug: plugin: Mail::SpamAssassin::Plugin::URIDNSBL=HASH(0x19242e4) implements 'checkpostdnsbl'
debug: running meta tests; score so far=-2.623
debug: running header regexp tests; score so far=-1.053
debug: running body-text per-line regexp tests; score so far=-1.053
debug: running uri tests; score so far=-1.053
debug: running raw-body-text per-line regexp tests; score so far=-1.053
debug: running full-text regexp tests; score so far=-1.053
debug: Running tests for priority: 1000
debug: running meta tests; score so far=-1.053
debug: running header regexp tests; score so far=-1.053
debug: using "/Users/admin/.spamassassin" for user state dir
debug: lock: 16898 created /Users/admin/.spamassassin/auto-whitelist.lock.serv3.aaaaaaaaaaaa.com.16898
debug: lock: 16898 trying to get lock on /Users/admin/.spamassassin/auto-whitelist with 0 retries
debug: lock: 16898 link to /Users/admin/.spamassassin/auto-whitelist.lock: link ok
debug: Tie-ing to DB file R/W in /Users/admin/.spamassassin/auto-whitelist
debug: auto-whitelist (db-based): [email protected]|ip=none scores 0/0
debug: AWL active, pre-score: -1.053, autolearn score: -1.053, mean: undef, IP: undef
debug: DB addr list: untie-ing and unlocking.
debug: DB addr list: file locked, breaking lock.
debug: unlock: 16898 unlink /Users/admin/.spamassassin/auto-whitelist.lock
debug: Post AWL score: -1.053
debug: running body-text per-line regexp tests; score so far=-1.053
debug: running uri tests; score so far=-1.053
debug: running raw-body-text per-line regexp tests; score so far=-1.053
debug: running full-text regexp tests; score so far=-1.053
debug: is spam? score=-1.053 required=8
debug: tests=ALLTRUSTED,MISSING_DATE,MISSING_SUBJECT,NO_REALNAME
debug: subtests=_HAS_MSGID,__MSGID_OK_DIGITS,__MSGID_OK_HOST,__SANE_MSGID,__UNUSABLEMSGID
lint: 1 issues detected. please rerun with debug enabled for more information.
serv3:/etc/mail/spamassassin root# -
Is my graphics card too under-powered to use the graphics settings in the 64bit CS 6
I cannot get certain filters to work in 64bit CS6 as it will not let me used the GPS settings because it seems to think my driver is not installed properly. I have reinstalled the latest driver to no avail. In 32 bit CS6 I have no problems at all.
I am using a Dell M4700 workstation with a AMD Firepro M4000 (FireGL V) on the Windows 7 operating system.
Is my graphics card too underpowered to use the graphics settings or are there other issues involved?I don't know AMD cards, but I just looked up the notebook, and that is a very capable little system, so I really think it should be OK. The bottom line, as you have already stated, is that it needs an up to date driver. Where did you find your 'latest' driver?
If you got it from Dell or Microsoft, then you could likely end up with an out of date driver, so you need to go to the AMD site.
http://www.amd.com/US/PRODUCTS/WORKSTATION/GRAPHICS/ATI-FIREPRO-MOBILITY/Pages/ati-firepro -mobility.aspx
AMD have an auto update tool here, but you will probably need Java installed
http://support.amd.com/en-us/download -
Do i need a powered usb hub to connect my external hard drive and printer to my airport extreeme
I tried a usb hub from Belkin that is not powered. Is this why I cannot get my hard drive to work on my Airport Extreme?
I am assuming that you are using the newer "square" version of the AirPort Extreme, not the older "round" version.
The USB port on the AirPort Extreme is under powered. I have had to use a powered USB hub with any type of hard drive that I've ever used on the Extreme, even if the drive had its own power supply.
You might want to also check to make sure that the drive is formatted in Mac OS Extended (Journaled) or MS-DOS FAT32. The normal Windows format of NTFS will not work at the AirPort Extreme. -
Help needed for exporting video under expert settings
I was exporting my 4+ minutes video that I had created under expert settings (Compression type: H.264, Frame rate: 29.95, Key frames: automatic with frame reordering checked, Compressor quality: Best, Encoding: Best(muti-pass) & Data rate: Automatic). After the process was finished, I found out that the video would play normally for the first 25 seconds and then the video will freeze but the audio continues to play as normal. I then tried using the CD-ROM option instead of the expert settings and the video exported was playing fine.
I was using iMovie 5.0.2 and I have Quicktime 7.1.3 and iTunes 7.0.1
Help is much appreciated!
Message was edited by: macmacloverOpen the poorly working file in QuickTime Player and then open the Movie Info window.
What is the data rate of the file? If it is too high your machine is probably too under powered to play it. -
Hello,
I have a PowerBook G4 hi-res.. Has anyone had any success in hooking up an external bus powered USB/Firewire based external drive without under power issues? I was told that even the Macbook and Macbook Pros still suffer from under powered USB ports, but surely since the PowerBook I have has 2 USB 2.0 high powered ports, surely this is the same as on the macbook and macbook pros?
Which hard drives through firewire/USB bus power work well with the PowerBooks which have 2.0 USB ports? Now that I can boot off a USB on my PowerBook G4 with ease, I wanted to take advantage of such a drive as I am in the process of determining if its better to not replace the internal hard drive which is only 100GB and to just get a 1TB or 500GB external hard drive(internal enclosure would be SATA-II).
Thanks.
And no, I am aware that the PowerBook won't take SATA, but since the sata drive would be in the external enclosure, the only thing hooking up to the powerbook would be USB or firewire.Look, I am not dismissing firewire at all... I just like the option of USB and using that OF boot code it does indeed work.. Its good that both options are available.. using the Y-cable adapter for both USB ports is fine... for my purposes.. but I am well aware that firewire is the way to go for ALL macs, INTEL AND PowerPC..
But sometimes you need another option in rare circumstances.. Plus, a friend of mine has a PowerPC mac and I am showing him next week that USB can indeed be bootable, provided one types in: boot ud:3,\\:tbxi or boot ud,\\:tbxi(if this is the only external device).
Sorry to ramble on about this.. I am just defending the proof that PowerPC macs can indeed boot from USB 2.0 drives.. whether PPC G4,G5 - I haven't tested it on a G3 though. -
4S battery drain - I've turned off everything - almost
So, to start off, I've turned all locations and most notifications OFF.
I have my emails on manual fetch, and I do not have an exchange account on my 4s.
The battery drains about 1% every minute when I'm at work, and it can become very warm when I have it on. I attributed these to the phone constantly searching for 3G in the area.
At home, I put the phone on wifi and charge it fully every night before i go to bed, but every morning i wake up with more than 12% battery drainage.
I called Apple Support, the advisor told me it might have been all the apps running in the background, so I retested with all apps closed. To be on the safe side, I also turned off wifi and 3G, so basically only the phone service was on overnight. But the next morning I wake up to find about 6-8% drainage.
This is not normal, as i have two other 4s in the household, and their battery life is way better than mine.
Just now, I put the phone on airplane mode and took a snap shot of the usage data, and locked the phone (all apps in background closed), 15 minutes later, I checked on it, it's 1% drain, standby time showed the difference in between, but the usage time increased by 5 minutes!!!! WTH??????
I've tried everything I've came across reading threads here and in Macrumors, but nothing helps. Did I miss something somewhere??
I really want to go to an Apple Store to exchange, but the last advisor I spoke with made it sound like there is no easy way just to go in and exchange, that they must do more test, blah blah blah....
And the big problem now is that I heard Apple stores already have refurbished ones. If I am able to exchange after all, any possibility that they will give me a new phone instead of a refurbished???
Thanks all!zioweb,
Well I am completely sympathetic with your disappointment in the batter life of your phone.
There are a couple of things you may be dealing with one is just the normal relatively short battery capabilities of the iPhone and second is many people have had phones that appear to have a malfunction that depletes the battery at an alarmingly fast rate.
You might want to take it to a service center and have it checked out.
Also - you are not the only person that has become disenchanted with smart phone battery life. I don't think it is coincidental that Motorola came out with the Razor MAXX that has a 3300 ma/hr battery and is advertising it as the only smart phone that will give you a couple of days use and the option to leave your charger at home on an overnight business trip. I personally would have one but they only make it for Verizon (I am ATT) and I don't like Verizon... but I am having second thoughts about my allegiance to ATT and the under powered iPhone. -
Can't playback on Blackmagic Decklink HD extreme 2
Hi all,
I am looking to crossgrade from FCP7 to Premiere CS6 so I have the Master Collection Demo installed on my work station along with FCP. It's on a 2008 Mac Pro with 2 Quad core 3.2G Intel Xeons, 16GB ram, ATi 2600 HD 250mb graphics and a Blackmagic Decklink HD Extreme 2. In the FCP set up this card fed a full HD JVC broadcast monitor via HD-SDI and I had no trouble with it at all and it played any type of sequence. My problem is that I can't for the life of me get a picture on the screen in Premiere. No combination of BM sequence settings or codecs, either BM or otherwise, seem to get it going. Output options seem extremely limited in the application set up with only one box to tick under the playback menu. This seems to have no effect whatsoever. The aplication can obviously see the card because the option to check it as a playback is there and the audio routes through without error. I have installed the latest Premiere updates and am running Desktop video 9.6. AE plays on the monitor fine but nothing in Premiere unless I switch the BM card to extended desktop and use the broadcast monitor as a second LCD and tick that option under the playback menu but then my GFX card seems to struggle and drops frames all over the place. I admit the ATI card is a bit of a slouch but options were limited for Mac unless you want the high end cards, which I am considering, could the fact the card is under powered have anything to do with video not getting to the BM card. I don't know much about the MPBE apart from the fact my card doesn't qualify.
Any ideas on how to proceed would be greatly appreciated.
Apart from no client monitor I'm loving Premiere, I'm finding th realtime stuff quite refreshing after FCP, which was a bit of a joke really in that area...but if I can't monitor, I can't make the switch.
Thanks in advance.Hello,
You don't need to use the blackmagic presets to play back through your card. What are your settings under preferences>general?playback? You might want to try uninstallig the blackmagic presets and installing the latest Deskstop from BM. The uninstall option will be available when you download BM Desktop from their support site. Having the latest version isn't what is important but uninstalling is.
Cheers,
Gerry -
Errors on my web site started with Flash Player Release a few days ago (Mar 28, 2012)
Hi,
I have a Flash based video player on my website. This was designed and implemented based on an article vy Lisa Larson-Kelley. It has run flawlessly for several years. But, when I installed the lastest release of Flash Player a fedw days ago (Mar 28, 2012), I am now getting really annoying issues with the Flash Video Player.
I expect that I will need to place insturctions for users on how to roll back their version of Flash Player, since this latest version is broken.
But, many of the people who visit my site are not tech oriented (they are mostly friends and family, so, I don't expect that they will really roll back their version of Flash player.
I am 100% certain the issue is the latest version of Flash, since these errors never occurred until I installed the latest version.
On my work laptop, I have an older version of Flas (10.x.x) and this probelm does not happen. On my desktop PC at home, I have an older version of Flash 11 installed, and this problem does not happen (in IE9). The version of Flash PLayer 11 where the issue does *not* occur is 11.1.102.63.
On that same desktop PC, if I use Chrome, (which automatically defaults to the latest version of Flash which is 11.2.202.228, I get the problems. So, there is no question that the issue is with the latest version of Flash and not my hardware or drivers. I get the same problems on three different computers.
My website has a username and password. If someone from Adobe wants to replicate the problem send me an e-mail and I will send you the username and password.
The videoplayer on my website is at this url: http://www.jjjhi.com/TryMakingFlashVidPlayer/VideoPlaylist.html (but, you will need the username and password).
The issue is that sometimes (not always) when you select a video to play, inistead of the video loading into the panel as it should (sized as 1025 x 578), instead, all you see is the control skin. The video begins to play, but all you get is the audio. It looks like this:
You can recover from this error by using the skin control to make the image full screen, but, the video looks poor at fulls screen, because it is created at 1024 x 578. You can then get the correct size by returning from full screen, but, I don't want the pepole who visit my cif\deo playet to have to go all through that. Especially since most won't even know enough to try making the video full screen.
This doesn't happen for every video on my web site, but, once it *does* happen once...it will happen for every video selection you make.
This is unacceptable, and it absolutely a function of Flash version 11.2.202.228.
Adobe: Please fix this bug as soon as possible.
I've implemented an HTML5 based video player and have begun populating it with mp4 versions of my video clips, but, quite honestly, the playback using HTML5 is much worse than with Flash. I encoded the clips in the HTML5 player with the same Variable Bit Rates as in the F4V clips, and, in the HTML5 player, there are missed frames, and the audio can get out of sync. So, I *want* to keep using my Flash Based video player, but...if Adobe doesn;t fix this, I will just dial down my VBR till I find one that is slow enough to play in HTML5 and ditch Flash.
My HTML5 video player is here:
http://www.jjjhi.com/TryMakingNewVideoPlayer/NewVidPlayer_option1_jth.html
(again you need the username and password to use it, send me an e-mail and I will give them to you, I just don't want to post them in an open forum).
Here is a bitmap of the page: It is quite snazzy looking and is based on an excellent class from Chris Converse at Lynda.com. But, even though it is 'snazzy looking' the HTML5 player performs poorly on an under-powered machine (like my work laptop). It uses 100% CPU and misses frames and the audio loses sync. The same videos encoded with the same VBR for Flash (F4V) play great, *except for the new issue described above!!!!)
I Adobe can fix this issue with Flash Player 11.2.202.228 ASAP, else, I will have to 'downgrade' to an HTML5 based video player, that, quite honestly does not perform as well as Flash.
If you want to reproduce the problem contact me at my e-mail address: [email protected] and I'll send you the username and password.
You can then prove that the problem does not exist with prior version of Flash player (before 11.2.202.228) but *does* exist with this latest buggy release.
Thanks,
JohnThanks.
I sent the username and PW to you and Chris.
Cheers,
John -
After ios 8 update has anyones ipad started randomly selecting everything? Even after ios 8.0.1 update it has still continued to do the same thing making it immpossible to use ipad anymore. Has anyone had the same problem and/or knows how to fix this?
Try a Reboot pess & hold power button & menu button hold both down until you see Apple Logo you will not lose any data This may help but the ipad 2 is a bit under powered for iOS 8 If you can a very good buy now is the iPad Air 32G Since they brought the new one out the price for this model Has come down by £120.00 That's the one I am using and it works great on iOS 8.1 Bsydd uk
-
How do I find my airport extreme connected hard drive?
I've connected a hard drive to my airport extreme...but it doesn't appear in my devices list in Finder or on my desktop...what am I doing wrong?
In addition to Kappy's comments, make sure that the drive is formatted as Mac OS Extended (Journaled) and that you are using a powered USB hub since the port on the AirPort Extreme is under powered.
You won't find the drive under Devices in the Finder.
Instead, look for your AirPort Extreme icon under the SHARED heading on the left of pane when you open the Finder and then click on the AirPort Extreme icon to display a folder representing your drive in the right hand side of the window.
Double click the folder to mount the drive on the desktop. -
[nForce]: Trouble Shooting Guide V1.6a
Hello.
Here is a guide to help solve some problems with K7N2 motherboards.
Problems arise in systems because some components do not work as they should.
Typical issues found with these boards consist of Non-nForce2 Approved RAM & a weak power supply. Other issues could be a cpu won't run at its rated fsb speed or an incorrectly mounted cpu cooler.
Sound problems - too many or incorrectly placed metal standoffs, bad drivers.
Windows won't install or you get a file read error - Incorrectly mounted CPU heat sink, RAM or power supply (PSU).
I've listed some instructions below to help those users that need a basic comprehensive guide to troubleshoot their systems with. Please read through the entire guide prior to posting for help on the forum.
Before you start doing anything, remove the power cord and make sure that you have touched the metal case of your system. This is called "Grounding yourself" and if you don't you could damage your system due to static discharge!
Thanks to Arioch and Dragon60 for comments on this.
1) BIOS/Startup POST reports wrong cpu or frequency
Check if jumper j10 and j11 are set to safemode and also check fsb settings in bios. If the jumpers are set to safe mode set them to normal, this is found in your motherboard manual. The jumpers vary with motherboards and manufacturers.
SafeMode sets cpu and memory to 100mhz.
Both memory and cpu are double pumped.
Data is clocked on the rise and fall of each clock cycle.
That means that 100mhz real frequency is 200mhz virtual frequency.
This is NOT without error and so your results may vary a little.
Non-Delta supports all cpu up to fsb 333
Delta supports all Socket A cpu
Duron upto 1300MHz = 100MHz (=200DDR)
Duron from 1400MHz = 133MHz (=266DDR)
Athlon B type = 100MHz (=200DDR)
Athlon C type = 133MHz (=266DDR)
Athlon XP - C type = 133MHz (=266DDR)
Athlon XP - D type = 166MHz (=333DDR)
Athlon XP - E type = 200MHz (=400DDR)
Support for new Duron 1400, 1600, 1800 with 266Mhz FSB (applebred)
The following boards support them:
(If a board is not on the list then it's not supported!)
-K7N2 6570 V1.0
-K7N2G-L 6570 V1.0
-K7N2G-ILSR 6570 V1.0
-K7N2 Delta 6570 V1.0
-K7N2GM-L 6777 V1.0
Thanks to DeathStalker
The best way to identify a processor is by using the OPN (Ordering Part Number) which can be found on the processor (E.g. AXDA 2700 D K V 3 D).
How to check which cpu you have:
http://www.amd.com/us-en/assets/content_type/DownloadableAssets/Electrical_Specification_Rev04_ENG.pdf
2) Over temp CPU
Is the Heat Sink and Fan rated for the CPU?
The CPU Heat Sink could be mounted wrong! Carefully remove it and check it. It can and will fit 2 ways but ther is only 1 right way. Examine the installation very carefully!
The Heat Sink has a recessed edge that has to be installed over the ridge (higher part or bump) of the socket. If installed backwards then it won't cool the entire area of the processor 'die' and could cause it to burn, thus killing it, or give you trouble as outlined in this guide.
Make sure that you use a QUALITY Thermal Compound/Paste and DO NOT reuse old compound! Note that some Heat Sinks are shipped with Thermal Pads, these are ok for some but will not give you the best heat transfer that a quality paste will.
Below are three images, the first two are incorrect, the last is correct.
Again..It is important to match the notch or step in the heatsink to the socket or it will not seat properly, causing immediate shutdowns, and ultimately damage your CPU.
If you use too much Silver based Thermal Compund you risk shorting the bridges on the CPU. This could cause damage to the CPU itself so use sparingly! If you feel that you've used too much then clean the die and substrate (the brown or green fiberglass material that the die is mounted on) and re-apply. Orange Clean TM is excellent for cleaning any type of thermal compound from a processor. Isopropyl Alchohol is ok but may leave traces of silver on the substrate. Using a 10X eye loupe will ensure that no traces of silver are shorting any bridges together after cleaning. DO NOT clean your processor while it rests in its socket on the motherboard. You run the risk of cleaner mixed with compound and dirt settling into your socket and that will cause further problems.
Last but not least. DO NOT use acetone to clean anything inside your PC. (or outside for that matter) It MAY not do any damage BUT it may dissolve some parts. Especially the coating on capacitors and resistors.
Silverbased compounds are not recommended by most manufacturers and if any traces are detected by them from an RMA'd processor they will usually void the warranty!
The latest AMD XP CPU's (XP-2000 and above) require a copperbased heatsink because their die are smaller and generate far more heat per square centimeter than the "old" CPU's did.
a)How to check the Heat Sink before taking it off:
There is a simple way to check the Heat Sink without taking it off. You do this by first checking your idle temp with SpeedFan or MBM, it should be below 50-55C.
Download Prime95 and run torture test for about 10 minutes while monitoring the temps, after about 1 minute or so it should stabilize and your temp should have gone up about 10-15C (max).
If it still goes up or the system crashes, there is a chance that you've mounted the heat sink incorrectly.
If your system can't run this check, (i.e. freezes or crashes) try setting your FSB to 100. Try to run the test again. If it still fails to run it could well be that the heat sink is mounted wrong or your power supply doesn't have enough power.
You cant check if the heatsink only has partial contact with the CPU die by looking on temperature monitor programs. The heatsink needs to be removed to see that.
If, after reading the guide regarding CPU Heat Sinks, you don't understand what we are talking about, then refer this link: AMD CPU & Cooling guide
http://www.amd.com/us-en/assets/content_type/white_papers_and_tech_docs/23986.pdf
3) Power Supplies
Most common cheap 300-350W power supply units (PSU for short) can't handle an XP-1700 or above, try a better one to be sure.
Make sure your PSU has 200W combined on the +3.3v & +5V rails and that the +3.3V rail is rated for 20A (A = Amps or Amperage) or above. This should be enough for most systems.
On the latest boards the +12V rail has become very important too, expecially with AMD ThunderBird & above CPU's. Make sure your PSU can supply 16A or more.
Alway's make sure you have a decent PSU, it never fails to spend a bit more on that part!
Borrow a bigger one from a friend if you are not sure.
Here's a good post on choosing the right power supply:
Choosing The Right Power Supply
This is the bare minimum that you should see on a PSU running an AMD processor. Intel is a bit more forgiving in some cases but with the amount of devices we use these days this minimum is a good guidline:
+3.3V - 28A or better
+5V - 35A or better
+12V - 16A or better
Watch out!! Cheap PSU's like Q-Tec come nowhere near these figures!! Do NOT trust the 300W or 400W rating on them!!! Q-Tec is about the worst of them all!!
4) Metal Stand-offs
Sometimes we are all a bit careless when it comes to changing a motherboard and forget to look at the layout of the stand-offs (those little silver or brass pieces that the screws screw into to hold the motherboard in the case) that are left from the old motherboard. Some motherboards use more than others thus some overlook the 'extra' one and mount that new board and never know the difference. Until they try to start their new baby up!
Remove the board and check for to see if you have too many of them by counting the holes or screws that you took out and then count the number of stand-offs you have in the case. Remove any uneeded stand-offs then remount your motherboard. Having 'extra's' can short out circuitry and cause all sorts of problems most of which are audio related.
Here are what typical stand-offs look like:
5) Sound
Two types of audio chipsets are used in these boards:
a) The -ILSR version uses Soundstorm and has drivers supplied from MSI or nVidia.
b) The -L version uses RealTek sound and has drivers supplied by MSI and Realtek.
There have been a lot of issues regarding the -L board and its drivers supplied by MSI. Realtek drivers seem to repair these issues and can be found here:
www.realtek.com.tw
Follow the ALC650 link.
6) RAM
Most of the issues involving these boards have been memory related. For various reasons cheaper generic memory doesn't run with nForce2 chipsets well and you should get nForce2 Approved RAM. Here is a link to nVidia's compatibility list as well as a list of what has worked for some:
Good Memory Choices for ALL K7N2 nF2 released boards
It's not a good idea to try to run DDR266 RAM when you have a 333FSB CPU, get DDR333 ram of decent quality.
If you think that you're having RAM issues then replace the ram with another brand to see if it fixes it or borrow some from a friend to check. Make sure it isn't cheap quality RAM or what you borrow isn't cheap quality. You can run to the local CompUSA (if you live in the USA that is) and buy some better quality RAM and return it later if you find that it isn't the problem.
DDR ram speeds:
Duron up to 1300/Athlon-B = 100FSB = PC-1600 = DDR200
Duron from 1400 = 133FSB = PC-2100 = DDR266
Athlon-C/XP up to 2600 = 133FSB = PC-2100 = DDR266
Athlon XP D-type and above = 166FSB = PC-2700 = DDR333
Athlon XP E-type and above = 200FSB = PC-3200 = DDR400
Set Fsb / Dram Ratio to 1:1 that means that the memory is working at the same speed as the fsb does.
Higher DDR speeds are only a must if you try to overclock. You can use faster RAM on a slower system and the motherboard bus will switch down in speed accordingly. The speeds given above are what should be used as a minimum, otherwise you're creating a serious bottleneck of data from the RAM.
Use a decent RAM testing utility such as Memtest86 if you suspect RAM is faulty. Typical failures of RAM include but are not limited to:
a) BSOD (Blue Screen of Death!)
b) Data Corruption
c) Machine won't cold boot
Try your system always with 1 RAM module at a time to see if you have a bad module. Swap modules if you have more than 1 to see if one or the other is bad. When upgrading remeber that adding more modules can give you trouble too. Especially if you mix manufacturers. Some sticks just won't work in pairs and some fail when you put 3 or more in the system. When you want to use 3 sticks, make very sure you use the nVidia tested and approved modules, they are your best chance that they will work without problems.
If still nothing try to seat the ram in another slot, sometimes they work better in another slot.
Thanks boost
Or raise the RAM voltage a little but be careful doing this! Sometimes this works when you have a lot of ram in the system.
7) BIOS
Sometimes when we play with our BIOS settings and set something wrong in it or set something incompatible with our hardware this causes the motherboard to not boot up. Sometimes they come from the factory that way as well. If so then clear the CMOS and start with the default settings. If it works try setting ONLY A FEW SETTINGS at a time and nothing more! If it works then go further from there a couple of settings at a time.
There are issues when changing VCORE and it gets stuck.
There are 3 ways to work around this issue.
1. Updating to the latest bios seems to fix it most of the time.
2. Clear CMOS, change VCORE in the BIOS, save changes then reboot and it should be changed.
3. Change VCORE in BIOS, save changes, turn off pc then disconnect PSU from wall outlet by either disconnecting the power cord or use the switch on the backside of the psu if there is one. Reconnect the power cord or turn the switch on again. Boot up the system, go into the BIOS and check under pc health to see if it has changed.
For RAID boards only!!
If you recieve a message at boot saying:
No Hard disk/drive present...BIOS will not be installed...
or something comparable, it means that there are no drives connected to the raid controllers and it's not installing the drivers needed to support the function of that particular device FROM BIOS ONLY! This is nothing to worry about and all of the other functions of your machine should work properly.
Modded bios to fix problems when using multiplier 10 and 10.5 and also to be able to use a higher FSB than with the MSI bios.
http://www.nforcershq.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=46052
8) Clearing the CMOS chip
Disconnect the system power cord and push the case power button to drain all remaining power in the psu for approximately 15 seconds
Then move jumper jbat1 and wait 10 seconds and move it back to the original position. You should ensure that the jumper has metal inside of it when removed, sometimes (rarely) they don't. This process resets or clears the CMOS chip and is shown in most motherboard manuals.Now connect the power cord and restart your system.
Some motherboards require that the battery must be removed for 20 minutes before putting the battery and jbat1 back for the CMOS chip to be cleared.
***Starting your K7N2 Delta2 at default settings***
By "labtech1"
As some of you will be aware there is no safe mode jumper J10 on the K7N2 Delta2 series of boards. This has been replaced by the "insert" key method as used by Abit and Epox. To start your board at its default settings following an unsuccessful overclocking attempt you need to do the following using a ps2 keyboard. Turn off your machine and disconnect from the mains or turn off the switch on the back of the power supply. Press the front panel power switch several times to discharge any charge remaining in the power supply capacitors. Reconnect the power by plugging into wall socket or turning on psu power switch. Press and hold down "insert" on the keyboard and press the case front panel power switch. If you are successful it should start the cpu and memory at 100Mhz FSB. If it does press "delete" to reenter the bios to change your settings to known safe settings. Good luck.
9) Harddisks
If your hard drive is giving you problems:
Western Digital (WD) drive's are jumpered somewhat strange compared to others:
No jumper = Stand-Alone drive with no other drive attached to the cable.
Jumper master = Use this setting on your main drive if you have a slave drive installed in your system.
Jumper slave = Use this setting if you have a second hard drive installed in your system.
Cable Select - the preferred jumper setting
If your Hard Drive is doing weird things:
Make sure you have connected the color-coded connectors to the color-coded connectors on the motherboard and connect the other END of the cable to the hard drive. The middle connector can be left unattached without problems if not needed.
Not all motherboards have color-coded connectors.
IBM harddisks seem to fail a lot, try Drive-Fitness-Test on it, see if it has problems.
Run drive fitness test (DFT)
Maxtor also has its own version of hard drive check for their drives and is available from their website.
Any brand of hard drive can have problems so check the manufacturer website to see if there is a testing utility to use to make sure they are ok. Hard drive failures can cause some of the strangest problems with computers and should be checked via the Event Viewer of your Operating System or using the mfg's utility. Sometimes the Event Viewer will give you clues that you have bad sectors leading you to a potential hard drive failure. You could also find IDE/SCSI controllers that are suspect by looking there as well. Win9x and ME DO NOT have Event Viewers.
Alway's be sure your harddisk is in tip-top shape! If you suspect that it's not, replace it to verify.
IDE devices and hard drive guide (Written by Assaf & Bas)
IDE devices and hard drive guide(Written by Assaf & Bas)
To enable a hard drive over 137GB in Win2000 edit this registry key:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Atapi\Parameters]
"EnableBigLba"=dword:00000001
The K7N2G & Delta -ILSR boards support 2 IDE Devices on IDE 1 & 2, 1 IDE hard drive on IDE3 and 2 SATA drive's on the SATA Ports.
There is a modded bios that allows 2 drives on IDE3. USE THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK!!! Here is a link to it:
http://www.nforcershq.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=27626&highlight=
Harddisk/power LED not functioning:
If your Hard Drive or Power LED doesn't work try turning the plug around on the motherboard connector. Some manufacturers don't mark or wire the LED cables properly and the LEDs will only work when + and - is correct.
Hard drive LEDs do not work with SATA drives but O&O Drive LED opens a little window and there you can see when a harddrive or cd is accessed. Works on both ide and sata drives.
10) Floppy Drives
If your floppy drive doesn't work or the LED stays on all of the time make sure the floppy is set correctly in the BIOS because the BIOS doesn't autodetect a floppy drive.
Check the cable making sure that the twist in the cable is at the floppy-drive side and flip the connector at the around. If it stays on after that or you still can't read a floppy disk try another drive or a different manufaturer type drive.
11) USB Ports
USB 2.0 ports are supported ONLY in Win2000 w/SP3 and XP w/SP1. Update your OS from Windows Update and let the OS install the ports after reboot and they should work.
If your USB ports aren't working:
Check in the BIOS if the ports are enabled. If you're using the front USB ports of your case check to see if all of the wires are connected properly.
There are 4 wires for each USB channel.
In some manufaturer's cases they are supplied with a wire called USBOC. Don't connect this as it can cause problems.
Also different mfg's mark the wires with different names so the basic nomenclature would be something like this:
+5v = +VCC
-D = -USB
+D = +USB
Note: Normally the cables are marked as +USB1 or -USB1, +USB2 or -USB2 and so on...please ensure that all of the 1's are together and all of the 2's are together.
12) Replacing parts and the system won't boot after
It's never a good idea to replace stuff like CPU and ram without taking the board out of the case. But if you do so please support the board because if you don't you might bend the board a little and cause trace breakage or component connections to the board to crack or break causing a bad contact. Always support the board when you replace components no matter what!
Also make sure your system is compatible with any replacement component. For example your PSU may not be able to handle a video card upgrade from a GeForce2 440MX to a GeForce4 Ti-4600 because the +12v rail is too low or the motherboard isn't rated to output the proper voltage to the AGP port.
If you have parts that work in another computer with a different chipset this DOES NOT mean they will work with the nforce2 chipset.
13) Graphics Card
If there is stability problem and/or can't use agp 8x then update to the latest bios and it should work. Also try to disable the 8x feature of the motherboard in the BIOS. If neither of these work then you may have a PSU that is under-powered and needs to be replaced. You could also have a faulty video card, AGP port on the motherboard among other things. If you have to disable the 8x feature in the BIOS then there is still a problem even if the card starts working. That may mean the motherboard is bad. Also use the latest drivers available from the respective manufacturer and don't forget to uninstall the old drivers first!! There is a sticky post in the VGA forum that details this process.
14) Checking the power supply
Don't do this if you don't know what you are doing!
a) Disconnect the power supply.
b) Orient the 20-pin power connector with the clip up.
c) Locate pin 4 and pin 8 top row, mostly green and black wire. (Usually the PSU manufacturer will have a drawing labeling the pins on their website)
d) Use a wire to short them (or better a 12V test lamp).
e) Now connect the power cord and the fan inside the power supply should start spinning. If it doesn't your power supply might be dead.
15) Windows
a) If you find that Windows2000/XP won't run stable:
Try to disable APIC and install again. Not all drivers/devices like the APIC.
b) Windows2000/XP won't install USB 2.0:
Install the latest service pack using Windows Update (SP3 Win2000 or SP1 WinXP). Windows should detect the USB ports on reboot and install the drivers for them. They should work now but if not you could have a faulty motherboard.
If you use a current or slipstreamed copy of Win2K or XP with the latest service pack they include these new drivers. This download will no longer be available on Windows Update.
USE THESE AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!
Slipstreaming Win2K with Service Packs and Creating a Bootable CD:
http://old.bink.nu/bootcd/
Slipstreaming Windows XP Service Packs and Creating a Bootable CD
http://www.windows-help.net/WindowsXP/winxp-sp1-bootcd.html
16) Raid
Configure a raid array:
After you have connected 1 or 2 hard drives to your Raid IDE port(s) press CTRL + F during boot and create a raid array.
It is possible to have 2 raid arrays working at the same time.
To boot from a raid array set SCSI as the first boot device.
To install windows on a raid array you have to press F6 to load raid drivers during the initial install of windows. This will be repeated during Windows desktop installation of drivers because the initial drivers are only loaded to memory during this initial install allowing the Windows installation program to access the raid drives. A default driver is loaded at bootup so that the drives can be accessed until the real drivers are loaded from the MB disk.
Raid 0 sets up striping which gives more performance for applications. Raid 1 sets up mirroring which gives drive security by duplicating the primary drive to the secondary drive.
When using two different sized drives in a raid array, the larger drive is forced to only use the amount of disk space that the smaller drive provides.
nForce 2 raid FAQ
(Mostly by Wonkanoby)
The third IDE only works with harddrives not optical drives such as CD,DVD. It only supports one drive.
You must create an array first, weather you are using 2 drives or just one
or nothing will happen .
You must also have a 3.5 floppy with the appropriate drivers handy.
INSTALLATION
To install raid as a boot drive.
Control + F and make the array.
Set SCSI second to cdrom in boot order.
Boot to xp cd and hit F6 as it prompts you to do right at the beginning and then insert the floppy.
This will be repeated during Windows desktop installation of drivers because the initial drivers are only loaded to memory during this initial install allowing the Windows installation program to access the raid drives.
The rest of the format/install is all as normal.
Drivers for the raid can be found here.
http://us-download.msi.com.tw/support/dvr_exe/sata48N.exe
Promise PDC20376 Serial-ATA RAID Utility
http://us-download.msi.com.tw/support/dvr_exe/37653.exe
If you make a new floppy, unrar them.
Then copy every thing including the text files to the floppy.
(no text files, nothing happens)
MODDED BIOS
such as
http://www.nforcershq.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=27626
There are several offering full RAID.
They add ability to have 2x drives on ide 3.
I'm skeptical running raid 0 with both on the same ide myself.
Now these you must get the bios and the drivers.
The drivers are not the same as those for the RAID MSI includes.
The drivers are linked on that BIOS page I have provided.
RAID 0, sets up striping, which gives more performance for applications.
RAID 1, sets up mirroring which gives drive security by duplicating the primary drive to the secondary drive.
When using two different sized drives in a RAID array, the larger drive is forced to only use the amount of disk space that the smaller drive provides.
17) Good Links
J*A*G'S *Updated* nForce Cooling Guide (written by JAG)
Suggestions on posting and getting better answers (written by GlennVidia)
Good Memory Choices for K7N2G- IL and ILSR Board (written by Bonz)
ati problem ,post vga card model and bios (written by Wonkanoby)
Powersupplies(Written by Bas)
Moan Guide (Written by Wonkanoby)
A few good websites to have around!!
The Freeware Thread
NFORCE 2 OVERCLOCKING AND MODDING GUIDES
Use these guides, including the content of this entire guide, at your own risk!
This forum and it's members, including MSI, assume no liability whatsoever!
Part One
Part Two
I am not an expert on computers so I have most likely forgotten a lot of things. Please send me a private message or email me and I will add it if it's applicable. If you feel that something here is in error then please contact me via the above as well.
I also want to thank everyone that helped put this guide together.
All Star Lineup!
Arioch
DeathStalker
maesus
ClarkKent57
boost
Assaf
Bas
Tweetyoost
Stygge
HansH
GlennVidia
RoganJosh
Bonz
Wonkanoby
Dragon60
[T-A]_Super_10
labtech1Hello.
Here is a guide to help solve some problems with K7N2 motherboards.
Problems arise in systems because some components do not work as they should.
Typical issues found with these boards consist of Non-nForce2 Approved RAM & a weak power supply. Other issues could be a cpu won't run at its rated fsb speed or an incorrectly mounted cpu cooler.
Sound problems - too many or incorrectly placed metal standoffs, bad drivers.
Windows won't install or you get a file read error - Incorrectly mounted CPU heat sink, RAM or power supply (PSU).
I've listed some instructions below to help those users that need a basic comprehensive guide to troubleshoot their systems with. Please read through the entire guide prior to posting for help on the forum.
Before you start doing anything, remove the power cord and make sure that you have touched the metal case of your system. This is called "Grounding yourself" and if you don't you could damage your system due to static discharge!
Thanks to Arioch and Dragon60 for comments on this.
1) BIOS/Startup POST reports wrong cpu or frequency
Check if jumper j10 and j11 are set to safemode and also check fsb settings in bios. If the jumpers are set to safe mode set them to normal, this is found in your motherboard manual. The jumpers vary with motherboards and manufacturers.
SafeMode sets cpu and memory to 100mhz.
Both memory and cpu are double pumped.
Data is clocked on the rise and fall of each clock cycle.
That means that 100mhz real frequency is 200mhz virtual frequency.
This is NOT without error and so your results may vary a little.
Non-Delta supports all cpu up to fsb 333
Delta supports all Socket A cpu
Duron upto 1300MHz = 100MHz (=200DDR)
Duron from 1400MHz = 133MHz (=266DDR)
Athlon B type = 100MHz (=200DDR)
Athlon C type = 133MHz (=266DDR)
Athlon XP - C type = 133MHz (=266DDR)
Athlon XP - D type = 166MHz (=333DDR)
Athlon XP - E type = 200MHz (=400DDR)
Support for new Duron 1400, 1600, 1800 with 266Mhz FSB (applebred)
The following boards support them:
(If a board is not on the list then it's not supported!)
-K7N2 6570 V1.0
-K7N2G-L 6570 V1.0
-K7N2G-ILSR 6570 V1.0
-K7N2 Delta 6570 V1.0
-K7N2GM-L 6777 V1.0
Thanks to DeathStalker
The best way to identify a processor is by using the OPN (Ordering Part Number) which can be found on the processor (E.g. AXDA 2700 D K V 3 D).
How to check which cpu you have:
http://www.amd.com/us-en/assets/content_type/DownloadableAssets/Electrical_Specification_Rev04_ENG.pdf
2) Over temp CPU
Is the Heat Sink and Fan rated for the CPU?
The CPU Heat Sink could be mounted wrong! Carefully remove it and check it. It can and will fit 2 ways but ther is only 1 right way. Examine the installation very carefully!
The Heat Sink has a recessed edge that has to be installed over the ridge (higher part or bump) of the socket. If installed backwards then it won't cool the entire area of the processor 'die' and could cause it to burn, thus killing it, or give you trouble as outlined in this guide.
Make sure that you use a QUALITY Thermal Compound/Paste and DO NOT reuse old compound! Note that some Heat Sinks are shipped with Thermal Pads, these are ok for some but will not give you the best heat transfer that a quality paste will.
Below are three images, the first two are incorrect, the last is correct.
Again..It is important to match the notch or step in the heatsink to the socket or it will not seat properly, causing immediate shutdowns, and ultimately damage your CPU.
If you use too much Silver based Thermal Compund you risk shorting the bridges on the CPU. This could cause damage to the CPU itself so use sparingly! If you feel that you've used too much then clean the die and substrate (the brown or green fiberglass material that the die is mounted on) and re-apply. Orange Clean TM is excellent for cleaning any type of thermal compound from a processor. Isopropyl Alchohol is ok but may leave traces of silver on the substrate. Using a 10X eye loupe will ensure that no traces of silver are shorting any bridges together after cleaning. DO NOT clean your processor while it rests in its socket on the motherboard. You run the risk of cleaner mixed with compound and dirt settling into your socket and that will cause further problems.
Last but not least. DO NOT use acetone to clean anything inside your PC. (or outside for that matter) It MAY not do any damage BUT it may dissolve some parts. Especially the coating on capacitors and resistors.
Silverbased compounds are not recommended by most manufacturers and if any traces are detected by them from an RMA'd processor they will usually void the warranty!
The latest AMD XP CPU's (XP-2000 and above) require a copperbased heatsink because their die are smaller and generate far more heat per square centimeter than the "old" CPU's did.
a)How to check the Heat Sink before taking it off:
There is a simple way to check the Heat Sink without taking it off. You do this by first checking your idle temp with SpeedFan or MBM, it should be below 50-55C.
Download Prime95 and run torture test for about 10 minutes while monitoring the temps, after about 1 minute or so it should stabilize and your temp should have gone up about 10-15C (max).
If it still goes up or the system crashes, there is a chance that you've mounted the heat sink incorrectly.
If your system can't run this check, (i.e. freezes or crashes) try setting your FSB to 100. Try to run the test again. If it still fails to run it could well be that the heat sink is mounted wrong or your power supply doesn't have enough power.
You cant check if the heatsink only has partial contact with the CPU die by looking on temperature monitor programs. The heatsink needs to be removed to see that.
If, after reading the guide regarding CPU Heat Sinks, you don't understand what we are talking about, then refer this link: AMD CPU & Cooling guide
http://www.amd.com/us-en/assets/content_type/white_papers_and_tech_docs/23986.pdf
3) Power Supplies
Most common cheap 300-350W power supply units (PSU for short) can't handle an XP-1700 or above, try a better one to be sure.
Make sure your PSU has 200W combined on the +3.3v & +5V rails and that the +3.3V rail is rated for 20A (A = Amps or Amperage) or above. This should be enough for most systems.
On the latest boards the +12V rail has become very important too, expecially with AMD ThunderBird & above CPU's. Make sure your PSU can supply 16A or more.
Alway's make sure you have a decent PSU, it never fails to spend a bit more on that part!
Borrow a bigger one from a friend if you are not sure.
Here's a good post on choosing the right power supply:
Choosing The Right Power Supply
This is the bare minimum that you should see on a PSU running an AMD processor. Intel is a bit more forgiving in some cases but with the amount of devices we use these days this minimum is a good guidline:
+3.3V - 28A or better
+5V - 35A or better
+12V - 16A or better
Watch out!! Cheap PSU's like Q-Tec come nowhere near these figures!! Do NOT trust the 300W or 400W rating on them!!! Q-Tec is about the worst of them all!!
4) Metal Stand-offs
Sometimes we are all a bit careless when it comes to changing a motherboard and forget to look at the layout of the stand-offs (those little silver or brass pieces that the screws screw into to hold the motherboard in the case) that are left from the old motherboard. Some motherboards use more than others thus some overlook the 'extra' one and mount that new board and never know the difference. Until they try to start their new baby up!
Remove the board and check for to see if you have too many of them by counting the holes or screws that you took out and then count the number of stand-offs you have in the case. Remove any uneeded stand-offs then remount your motherboard. Having 'extra's' can short out circuitry and cause all sorts of problems most of which are audio related.
Here are what typical stand-offs look like:
5) Sound
Two types of audio chipsets are used in these boards:
a) The -ILSR version uses Soundstorm and has drivers supplied from MSI or nVidia.
b) The -L version uses RealTek sound and has drivers supplied by MSI and Realtek.
There have been a lot of issues regarding the -L board and its drivers supplied by MSI. Realtek drivers seem to repair these issues and can be found here:
www.realtek.com.tw
Follow the ALC650 link.
6) RAM
Most of the issues involving these boards have been memory related. For various reasons cheaper generic memory doesn't run with nForce2 chipsets well and you should get nForce2 Approved RAM. Here is a link to nVidia's compatibility list as well as a list of what has worked for some:
Good Memory Choices for ALL K7N2 nF2 released boards
It's not a good idea to try to run DDR266 RAM when you have a 333FSB CPU, get DDR333 ram of decent quality.
If you think that you're having RAM issues then replace the ram with another brand to see if it fixes it or borrow some from a friend to check. Make sure it isn't cheap quality RAM or what you borrow isn't cheap quality. You can run to the local CompUSA (if you live in the USA that is) and buy some better quality RAM and return it later if you find that it isn't the problem.
DDR ram speeds:
Duron up to 1300/Athlon-B = 100FSB = PC-1600 = DDR200
Duron from 1400 = 133FSB = PC-2100 = DDR266
Athlon-C/XP up to 2600 = 133FSB = PC-2100 = DDR266
Athlon XP D-type and above = 166FSB = PC-2700 = DDR333
Athlon XP E-type and above = 200FSB = PC-3200 = DDR400
Set Fsb / Dram Ratio to 1:1 that means that the memory is working at the same speed as the fsb does.
Higher DDR speeds are only a must if you try to overclock. You can use faster RAM on a slower system and the motherboard bus will switch down in speed accordingly. The speeds given above are what should be used as a minimum, otherwise you're creating a serious bottleneck of data from the RAM.
Use a decent RAM testing utility such as Memtest86 if you suspect RAM is faulty. Typical failures of RAM include but are not limited to:
a) BSOD (Blue Screen of Death!)
b) Data Corruption
c) Machine won't cold boot
Try your system always with 1 RAM module at a time to see if you have a bad module. Swap modules if you have more than 1 to see if one or the other is bad. When upgrading remeber that adding more modules can give you trouble too. Especially if you mix manufacturers. Some sticks just won't work in pairs and some fail when you put 3 or more in the system. When you want to use 3 sticks, make very sure you use the nVidia tested and approved modules, they are your best chance that they will work without problems.
If still nothing try to seat the ram in another slot, sometimes they work better in another slot.
Thanks boost
Or raise the RAM voltage a little but be careful doing this! Sometimes this works when you have a lot of ram in the system.
7) BIOS
Sometimes when we play with our BIOS settings and set something wrong in it or set something incompatible with our hardware this causes the motherboard to not boot up. Sometimes they come from the factory that way as well. If so then clear the CMOS and start with the default settings. If it works try setting ONLY A FEW SETTINGS at a time and nothing more! If it works then go further from there a couple of settings at a time.
There are issues when changing VCORE and it gets stuck.
There are 3 ways to work around this issue.
1. Updating to the latest bios seems to fix it most of the time.
2. Clear CMOS, change VCORE in the BIOS, save changes then reboot and it should be changed.
3. Change VCORE in BIOS, save changes, turn off pc then disconnect PSU from wall outlet by either disconnecting the power cord or use the switch on the backside of the psu if there is one. Reconnect the power cord or turn the switch on again. Boot up the system, go into the BIOS and check under pc health to see if it has changed.
For RAID boards only!!
If you recieve a message at boot saying:
No Hard disk/drive present...BIOS will not be installed...
or something comparable, it means that there are no drives connected to the raid controllers and it's not installing the drivers needed to support the function of that particular device FROM BIOS ONLY! This is nothing to worry about and all of the other functions of your machine should work properly.
Modded bios to fix problems when using multiplier 10 and 10.5 and also to be able to use a higher FSB than with the MSI bios.
http://www.nforcershq.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=46052
8) Clearing the CMOS chip
Disconnect the system power cord and push the case power button to drain all remaining power in the psu for approximately 15 seconds
Then move jumper jbat1 and wait 10 seconds and move it back to the original position. You should ensure that the jumper has metal inside of it when removed, sometimes (rarely) they don't. This process resets or clears the CMOS chip and is shown in most motherboard manuals.Now connect the power cord and restart your system.
Some motherboards require that the battery must be removed for 20 minutes before putting the battery and jbat1 back for the CMOS chip to be cleared.
***Starting your K7N2 Delta2 at default settings***
By "labtech1"
As some of you will be aware there is no safe mode jumper J10 on the K7N2 Delta2 series of boards. This has been replaced by the "insert" key method as used by Abit and Epox. To start your board at its default settings following an unsuccessful overclocking attempt you need to do the following using a ps2 keyboard. Turn off your machine and disconnect from the mains or turn off the switch on the back of the power supply. Press the front panel power switch several times to discharge any charge remaining in the power supply capacitors. Reconnect the power by plugging into wall socket or turning on psu power switch. Press and hold down "insert" on the keyboard and press the case front panel power switch. If you are successful it should start the cpu and memory at 100Mhz FSB. If it does press "delete" to reenter the bios to change your settings to known safe settings. Good luck.
9) Harddisks
If your hard drive is giving you problems:
Western Digital (WD) drive's are jumpered somewhat strange compared to others:
No jumper = Stand-Alone drive with no other drive attached to the cable.
Jumper master = Use this setting on your main drive if you have a slave drive installed in your system.
Jumper slave = Use this setting if you have a second hard drive installed in your system.
Cable Select - the preferred jumper setting
If your Hard Drive is doing weird things:
Make sure you have connected the color-coded connectors to the color-coded connectors on the motherboard and connect the other END of the cable to the hard drive. The middle connector can be left unattached without problems if not needed.
Not all motherboards have color-coded connectors.
IBM harddisks seem to fail a lot, try Drive-Fitness-Test on it, see if it has problems.
Run drive fitness test (DFT)
Maxtor also has its own version of hard drive check for their drives and is available from their website.
Any brand of hard drive can have problems so check the manufacturer website to see if there is a testing utility to use to make sure they are ok. Hard drive failures can cause some of the strangest problems with computers and should be checked via the Event Viewer of your Operating System or using the mfg's utility. Sometimes the Event Viewer will give you clues that you have bad sectors leading you to a potential hard drive failure. You could also find IDE/SCSI controllers that are suspect by looking there as well. Win9x and ME DO NOT have Event Viewers.
Alway's be sure your harddisk is in tip-top shape! If you suspect that it's not, replace it to verify.
IDE devices and hard drive guide (Written by Assaf & Bas)
IDE devices and hard drive guide(Written by Assaf & Bas)
To enable a hard drive over 137GB in Win2000 edit this registry key:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Atapi\Parameters]
"EnableBigLba"=dword:00000001
The K7N2G & Delta -ILSR boards support 2 IDE Devices on IDE 1 & 2, 1 IDE hard drive on IDE3 and 2 SATA drive's on the SATA Ports.
There is a modded bios that allows 2 drives on IDE3. USE THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK!!! Here is a link to it:
http://www.nforcershq.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=27626&highlight=
Harddisk/power LED not functioning:
If your Hard Drive or Power LED doesn't work try turning the plug around on the motherboard connector. Some manufacturers don't mark or wire the LED cables properly and the LEDs will only work when + and - is correct.
Hard drive LEDs do not work with SATA drives but O&O Drive LED opens a little window and there you can see when a harddrive or cd is accessed. Works on both ide and sata drives.
10) Floppy Drives
If your floppy drive doesn't work or the LED stays on all of the time make sure the floppy is set correctly in the BIOS because the BIOS doesn't autodetect a floppy drive.
Check the cable making sure that the twist in the cable is at the floppy-drive side and flip the connector at the around. If it stays on after that or you still can't read a floppy disk try another drive or a different manufaturer type drive.
11) USB Ports
USB 2.0 ports are supported ONLY in Win2000 w/SP3 and XP w/SP1. Update your OS from Windows Update and let the OS install the ports after reboot and they should work.
If your USB ports aren't working:
Check in the BIOS if the ports are enabled. If you're using the front USB ports of your case check to see if all of the wires are connected properly.
There are 4 wires for each USB channel.
In some manufaturer's cases they are supplied with a wire called USBOC. Don't connect this as it can cause problems.
Also different mfg's mark the wires with different names so the basic nomenclature would be something like this:
+5v = +VCC
-D = -USB
+D = +USB
Note: Normally the cables are marked as +USB1 or -USB1, +USB2 or -USB2 and so on...please ensure that all of the 1's are together and all of the 2's are together.
12) Replacing parts and the system won't boot after
It's never a good idea to replace stuff like CPU and ram without taking the board out of the case. But if you do so please support the board because if you don't you might bend the board a little and cause trace breakage or component connections to the board to crack or break causing a bad contact. Always support the board when you replace components no matter what!
Also make sure your system is compatible with any replacement component. For example your PSU may not be able to handle a video card upgrade from a GeForce2 440MX to a GeForce4 Ti-4600 because the +12v rail is too low or the motherboard isn't rated to output the proper voltage to the AGP port.
If you have parts that work in another computer with a different chipset this DOES NOT mean they will work with the nforce2 chipset.
13) Graphics Card
If there is stability problem and/or can't use agp 8x then update to the latest bios and it should work. Also try to disable the 8x feature of the motherboard in the BIOS. If neither of these work then you may have a PSU that is under-powered and needs to be replaced. You could also have a faulty video card, AGP port on the motherboard among other things. If you have to disable the 8x feature in the BIOS then there is still a problem even if the card starts working. That may mean the motherboard is bad. Also use the latest drivers available from the respective manufacturer and don't forget to uninstall the old drivers first!! There is a sticky post in the VGA forum that details this process.
14) Checking the power supply
Don't do this if you don't know what you are doing!
a) Disconnect the power supply.
b) Orient the 20-pin power connector with the clip up.
c) Locate pin 4 and pin 8 top row, mostly green and black wire. (Usually the PSU manufacturer will have a drawing labeling the pins on their website)
d) Use a wire to short them (or better a 12V test lamp).
e) Now connect the power cord and the fan inside the power supply should start spinning. If it doesn't your power supply might be dead.
15) Windows
a) If you find that Windows2000/XP won't run stable:
Try to disable APIC and install again. Not all drivers/devices like the APIC.
b) Windows2000/XP won't install USB 2.0:
Install the latest service pack using Windows Update (SP3 Win2000 or SP1 WinXP). Windows should detect the USB ports on reboot and install the drivers for them. They should work now but if not you could have a faulty motherboard.
If you use a current or slipstreamed copy of Win2K or XP with the latest service pack they include these new drivers. This download will no longer be available on Windows Update.
USE THESE AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!
Slipstreaming Win2K with Service Packs and Creating a Bootable CD:
http://old.bink.nu/bootcd/
Slipstreaming Windows XP Service Packs and Creating a Bootable CD
http://www.windows-help.net/WindowsXP/winxp-sp1-bootcd.html
16) Raid
Configure a raid array:
After you have connected 1 or 2 hard drives to your Raid IDE port(s) press CTRL + F during boot and create a raid array.
It is possible to have 2 raid arrays working at the same time.
To boot from a raid array set SCSI as the first boot device.
To install windows on a raid array you have to press F6 to load raid drivers during the initial install of windows. This will be repeated during Windows desktop installation of drivers because the initial drivers are only loaded to memory during this initial install allowing the Windows installation program to access the raid drives. A default driver is loaded at bootup so that the drives can be accessed until the real drivers are loaded from the MB disk.
Raid 0 sets up striping which gives more performance for applications. Raid 1 sets up mirroring which gives drive security by duplicating the primary drive to the secondary drive.
When using two different sized drives in a raid array, the larger drive is forced to only use the amount of disk space that the smaller drive provides.
nForce 2 raid FAQ
(Mostly by Wonkanoby)
The third IDE only works with harddrives not optical drives such as CD,DVD. It only supports one drive.
You must create an array first, weather you are using 2 drives or just one
or nothing will happen .
You must also have a 3.5 floppy with the appropriate drivers handy.
INSTALLATION
To install raid as a boot drive.
Control + F and make the array.
Set SCSI second to cdrom in boot order.
Boot to xp cd and hit F6 as it prompts you to do right at the beginning and then insert the floppy.
This will be repeated during Windows desktop installation of drivers because the initial drivers are only loaded to memory during this initial install allowing the Windows installation program to access the raid drives.
The rest of the format/install is all as normal.
Drivers for the raid can be found here.
http://us-download.msi.com.tw/support/dvr_exe/sata48N.exe
Promise PDC20376 Serial-ATA RAID Utility
http://us-download.msi.com.tw/support/dvr_exe/37653.exe
If you make a new floppy, unrar them.
Then copy every thing including the text files to the floppy.
(no text files, nothing happens)
MODDED BIOS
such as
http://www.nforcershq.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=27626
There are several offering full RAID.
They add ability to have 2x drives on ide 3.
I'm skeptical running raid 0 with both on the same ide myself.
Now these you must get the bios and the drivers.
The drivers are not the same as those for the RAID MSI includes.
The drivers are linked on that BIOS page I have provided.
RAID 0, sets up striping, which gives more performance for applications.
RAID 1, sets up mirroring which gives drive security by duplicating the primary drive to the secondary drive.
When using two different sized drives in a RAID array, the larger drive is forced to only use the amount of disk space that the smaller drive provides.
17) Good Links
J*A*G'S *Updated* nForce Cooling Guide (written by JAG)
Suggestions on posting and getting better answers (written by GlennVidia)
Good Memory Choices for K7N2G- IL and ILSR Board (written by Bonz)
ati problem ,post vga card model and bios (written by Wonkanoby)
Powersupplies(Written by Bas)
Moan Guide (Written by Wonkanoby)
A few good websites to have around!!
The Freeware Thread
NFORCE 2 OVERCLOCKING AND MODDING GUIDES
Use these guides, including the content of this entire guide, at your own risk!
This forum and it's members, including MSI, assume no liability whatsoever!
Part One
Part Two
I am not an expert on computers so I have most likely forgotten a lot of things. Please send me a private message or email me and I will add it if it's applicable. If you feel that something here is in error then please contact me via the above as well.
I also want to thank everyone that helped put this guide together.
All Star Lineup!
Arioch
DeathStalker
maesus
ClarkKent57
boost
Assaf
Bas
Tweetyoost
Stygge
HansH
GlennVidia
RoganJosh
Bonz
Wonkanoby
Dragon60
[T-A]_Super_10
labtech1 -
Massive memory hemorrhage; heap size to go from about 64mb, to 1.3gb usage
**[SOLVED]**
Note: I posted this on stackoverflow as well, but a solution was not found.
Here's the problem:
[1] http://i.stack.imgur.com/sqqtS.png
As you can see, the memory usage balloons out of control! I've had to add arguments to the JVM to increase the heapsize just to avoid out of memory errors while I figure out what's going on. Not good!
##Basic Application Summary (for context)
This application is (eventually) going to be used for basic on screen CV and template matching type things for automation purposes. I want to achieve as high of a frame rate as possible for watching the screen, and handle all of the processing via a series of separate consumer threads.
I quickly found out that the stock Robot class is really terrible speed wise, so I opened up the source, took out all of the duplicated effort and wasted overhead, and rebuilt it as my own class called FastRobot.
##The Class' Code:
public class FastRobot {
private Rectangle screenRect;
private GraphicsDevice screen;
private final Toolkit toolkit;
private final Robot elRoboto;
private final RobotPeer peer;
private final Point gdloc;
private final DirectColorModel screenCapCM;
private final int[] bandmasks;
public FastRobot() throws HeadlessException, AWTException {
this.screenRect = new Rectangle(Toolkit.getDefaultToolkit().getScreenSize());
this.screen = GraphicsEnvironment.getLocalGraphicsEnvironment().getDefaultScreenDevice();
toolkit = Toolkit.getDefaultToolkit();
elRoboto = new Robot();
peer = ((ComponentFactory)toolkit).createRobot(elRoboto, screen);
gdloc = screen.getDefaultConfiguration().getBounds().getLocation();
this.screenRect.translate(gdloc.x, gdloc.y);
screenCapCM = new DirectColorModel(24,
/* red mask */ 0x00FF0000,
/* green mask */ 0x0000FF00,
/* blue mask */ 0x000000FF);
bandmasks = new int[3];
bandmasks[0] = screenCapCM.getRedMask();
bandmasks[1] = screenCapCM.getGreenMask();
bandmasks[2] = screenCapCM.getBlueMask();
Toolkit.getDefaultToolkit().sync();
public void autoResetGraphicsEnv() {
this.screenRect = new Rectangle(Toolkit.getDefaultToolkit().getScreenSize());
this.screen = GraphicsEnvironment.getLocalGraphicsEnvironment().getDefaultScreenDevice();
public void manuallySetGraphicsEnv(Rectangle screenRect, GraphicsDevice screen) {
this.screenRect = screenRect;
this.screen = screen;
public BufferedImage createBufferedScreenCapture(int pixels[]) throws HeadlessException, AWTException {
// BufferedImage image;
DataBufferInt buffer;
WritableRaster raster;
pixels = peer.getRGBPixels(screenRect);
buffer = new DataBufferInt(pixels, pixels.length);
raster = Raster.createPackedRaster(buffer, screenRect.width, screenRect.height, screenRect.width, bandmasks, null);
return new BufferedImage(screenCapCM, raster, false, null);
public int[] createArrayScreenCapture() throws HeadlessException, AWTException {
return peer.getRGBPixels(screenRect);
public WritableRaster createRasterScreenCapture(int pixels[]) throws HeadlessException, AWTException {
// BufferedImage image;
DataBufferInt buffer;
WritableRaster raster;
pixels = peer.getRGBPixels(screenRect);
buffer = new DataBufferInt(pixels, pixels.length);
raster = Raster.createPackedRaster(buffer, screenRect.width, screenRect.height, screenRect.width, bandmasks, null);
// SunWritableRaster.makeTrackable(buffer);
return raster;
}In essence, all I've changed from the original is moving many of the allocations from function bodies, and set them as attributes of the class so they're not called every time. Doing this actually had a significant affect on frame rate. Even on my severely under powered laptop, it went from ~4 fps with the stock Robot class, to ~30fps with my FastRobot class.
##First Test:
When I started outofmemory errors in my main program, I set up this very simple test to keep an eye on the FastRobot. Note: this is the code which produced the heap profile above.
public class TestFBot {
public static void main(String[] args) {
try {
FastRobot fbot = new FastRobot();
double startTime = System.currentTimeMillis();
for (int i=0; i < 1000; i++)
fbot.createArrayScreenCapture();
System.out.println("Time taken: " + (System.currentTimeMillis() - startTime)/1000.);
} catch (AWTException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}##Examined:
It doesn't do this every time, which is really strange (and frustrating!). In fact, it rarely does it at all with the above code. However, the memory issue becomes easily reproducible if I have multiple for loops back to back.
#Test 2
public class TestFBot {
public static void main(String[] args) {
try {
FastRobot fbot = new FastRobot();
double startTime = System.currentTimeMillis();
for (int i=0; i < 1000; i++)
fbot.createArrayScreenCapture();
System.out.println("Time taken: " + (System.currentTimeMillis() - startTime)/1000.);
startTime = System.currentTimeMillis();
for (int i=0; i < 500; i++)
fbot.createArrayScreenCapture();
System.out.println("Time taken: " + (System.currentTimeMillis() - startTime)/1000.);
startTime = System.currentTimeMillis();
for (int i=0; i < 200; i++)
fbot.createArrayScreenCapture();
System.out.println("Time taken: " + (System.currentTimeMillis() - startTime)/1000.);
startTime = System.currentTimeMillis();
for (int i=0; i < 1500; i++)
fbot.createArrayScreenCapture();
System.out.println("Time taken: " + (System.currentTimeMillis() - startTime)/1000.);
} catch (AWTException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}##Examined
The out of control heap is now reproducible I'd say about 80% of the time. I've looked all though the profiler, and the thing of most note (I think) is that the garbage collector seemingly stops right as the fourth and final loop begins.
The output form the above code gave the following times:
Time taken: 24.282 //Loop1
Time taken: 11.294 //Loop2
Time taken: 7.1 //Loop3
Time taken: 70.739 //Loop4
Now, if you sum the first three loops, it adds up to 42.676, which suspiciously corresponds to the exact time that the garbage collector stops, and the memory spikes.
[2] http://i.stack.imgur.com/fSTOs.png
Now, this is my first rodeo with profiling, not to mention the first time I've ever even thought about garbage collection -- it was always something that just kind of worked magically in the background -- so, I'm unsure what, if anything, I've found out.
##Additional Profile Information
[3] http://i.stack.imgur.com/ENocy.png
Augusto suggested looking at the memory profile. There are 1500+ `int[]` that are listed as "unreachable, but not yet collected." These are surely the `int[]` arrays that the `peer.getRGBPixels()` creates, but for some reason they're not being destroyed. This additional info, unfortunately, only adds to my confusion, as I'm not sure why the GC wouldn't be collecting them
##Profile using small heap argument -Xmx256m:
At irreputable and Hot Licks suggestion I set the max heap size to something significantly smaller. While this does prevent it from making the 1gb jump in memory usage, it still doesn't explain why the program is ballooning to its max heap size upon entering the 4th iteration.
[4] http://i.stack.imgur.com/bR3NP.png
As you can see, the exact issue still exists, it's just been made smaller. ;) The issue with this solution is that the program, for some reason, is still eating through all of the memory it can -- there is also a marked change in fps performance from the first the iterations, which consume very little memory, and the final iteration, which consumes as much memory as it can.
The question remains why is it ballooning at all?
##Results after hitting "Force Garbage Collection" button:
At jtahlborn's suggestion, I hit the Force Garbage Collection button. It worked beautifully. It goes from 1gb of memory usage, down to the basline of 60mb or so.
[5] http://i.stack.imgur.com/x4282.png
So, this seems to be the cure. The question now is, how do I pro grammatically force the GC to do this?
##Results after adding local Peer to function's scope:
At David Waters suggestion, I modified the `createArrayCapture()` function so that it holds a local `Peer` object.
Unfortunately no change in the memory usage pattern.
[6] http://i.stack.imgur.com/Ky5vb.png
Still gets huge on the 3rd or 4th iteration.
#Memory Pool Analysis:
###ScreenShots from the different memory pools
##All pools:
[7] http://i.stack.imgur.com/nXXeo.png
##Eden Pool:
[8] http://i.stack.imgur.com/R4ZHG.png
##Old Gen:
[9] http://i.stack.imgur.com/gmfe2.png
Just about all of the memory usage seems to fall in this pool.
Note: PS Survivor Space had (apparently) 0 usage
##I'm left with several questions:
(a) does the Garbage Profiler graph mean what I think it means? Or am I confusing correlation with causation? As I said, I'm in an unknown area with these issues.
(b) If it is the garbage collector... what do I do about it..? Why is it stopping altogether, and then running at a reduced rate for the remainder of the program?
(c) How do I fix this?
Does anyone have any idea what's going on here?
[1]: http://i.stack.imgur.com/sqqtS.png
[2]: http://i.stack.imgur.com/fSTOs.png
[3]: http://i.stack.imgur.com/ENocy.png
[4]: http://i.stack.imgur.com/bR3NP.png
[5]: http://i.stack.imgur.com/x4282.png
[6]: http://i.stack.imgur.com/Ky5vb.png
[7]: http://i.stack.imgur.com/nXXeo.png
[8]: http://i.stack.imgur.com/R4ZHG.png
[9]: http://i.stack.imgur.com/gmfe2.png
Edited by: 991051 on Feb 28, 2013 11:30 AM
Edited by: 991051 on Feb 28, 2013 11:35 AM
Edited by: 991051 on Feb 28, 2013 11:36 AM
Edited by: 991051 on Mar 1, 2013 9:44 AMSO came through.
Turns out this issue was directly related to the garbage collector. The default one, for whatever reason, would get behind on its collection at points, and thus the memory would balloon out of control, which then, once allocated, became the new normal for the GC to operate at.
Manually setting the GC to ConcurrentMarkSweep solved this issue completely. After numerous tests, I have been unable to reproduce the memory issue. The garbage collector does an excellent job of keeping on top of these minor collections. -
Firewire Issues Caused By Apple Isight!
For months, I've been having an intermittent Firewire audio problem, which I initially thought was A) Quad G5 or B) RME Fireface 800!
Testing the RME on another Quad G5 resulted in no errors, though for piece of mind a replacement RME was given! Back home the same intermittent problems occurred, it had to be the Quad G5???
Livid, this time I persisted on Google searching for FW issues, (a few hours later) to my amazement I came across an article on MacFixIt, that pointed the finger to Apple's own iSight FW camera, which I had connected!
The transcript below explains how to resolve this problem, it worked for me!
Mini-Tutorial: Dealing with FireWire problems (drives not mounting, devices unrecognized, etc.)
As an Apple-invented technology, FireWire (IEEE 1394a and IEEE 1394b) should be (and usually is) one of the most solid and efficient means for interfacing with external peripherals. Indeed Apple's "i"-branded devices -- the iPod and iSight -- have, in large part, been made possible by the quick transfer rates, power sourcing, and hot pluggability offered by FireWire.
Occasionally, however, conflicts between FireWire-connected devices arise and can result in a variety of issues including DV cameras dropping frames, FireWire drives not mounting, and erratic behavior from the iPod (disappearing from iTunes, etc.). In the midst of these issues, you might also experience "buffer underrun" errors when trying to burn CDs or DVDs with FireWire-connected recorders.
The iSight is especially notorious for causing issues of this nature, and exhibiting symptoms.
There exist a number of methods for dealing with FireWire device interference, a few of which are explored here.
Switching Ports The first procedure you should try when experiencing a problem that you believe to be caused by device interference is to simply reconfigure the arrangement in which your FireWire peripherals are connected.
Try switching each device to a different port, or temporarily disconnecting one or more of the devices. In particular, if you are a PowerMac G5 owner, trying switching devices from the front to back ports or vice versa.
Adding an external hub In some cases, it appears that FireWire devices are not drawing enough power from the computer. This can cause a sundry of strange issues, including apparent conflicts between devices and unexpected power-offs during device operation. In these instances, adding an externally powered FireWire hub can clear things up.
One of the reasons an "under-powered" situation can occur is that different Mac models have varying power capacities available through their FireWire ports.
PowerBooks and iBooks have the least, generating around 7 watts. The iMac G5 also generates a relatively low amount of FireWire power, sharing 8 watts between its two FireWire 400 ports.
The Power Mac G5 shares 15 watts between its one FireWire 800 port and two FireWire 400 ports.
Place devices on different FireWire busses/Isolate the iSight Similar to the above procedure, adding another FireWire bridge -- via an extra PCI-based FireWire adapter or another means -- can eliminate conflicts from devices that reside on the same bridge.
Power cycling the system Simply cycling the power on your system may be enough to temporarily eliminate a few FireWire conflict issues.
Shut down your Mac, and disconnect all FireWire devices as well as the computer's power cord. Leave the system off for about 10 minutes, then plug it back in. First turn your Mac back on, then re-attach the FireWire devices one at a time and check for the conflict to resurface.
Disconnect the iSight As noted above, the most common cause of interference is Apple's own iSight. In case after case, simply disconnecting this single device has eliminated problems with other FireWire devices.
Disconnecting the iSight has proved particularly successful for an issue where the iPod disappears from the Desktop and from the iTunes playlist, while the iPod status screen cycles from the Apple logo to a "Do not Disconnect" message over and over.
The exact reasons why the iSight causes more than its fair share conflicts with other FireWire devices are many, and sometimes unclear. One potential source of conflict, however, could be the unit's high bandwidth usage.
The iSight captures video at a 640 x 480 pixel resolution, at 30 frames per second in millions of colors. Such throughput uses a significant chunk of the standard FireWire port's 400 Mbps bandwidth. As such, when other devices are connected, the bandwidth requirements for satisfactory performance may not be met.
Apply the latest updates Make sure that your FireWire drives are using the latest firmware (check the manufacturers' Web site) and the most recent iPod update has also been applied.
Of higher importance, if you have an iSight, is the iSight 1.0.2 updater. In a large number of cases it has resolved conflicts caused by the camera.
Re-apply the most recent Mac OS X combo updater In some cases, re-applying the most recent combo updater can resurrect seemingly defunct FireWire ports and allow devices -- drives included -- to be recognized again.
The most recent combo updater is available from Apple's download page.
Clear caches Try using a tool like Tiger Cache Cleaner or Cocktail to remove potentially corrupt system caches. Restart, then check if your FireWire devices are recognized.
Ps. There was no iSight connected when testing the RME on another Quad!
Power Mac G5 Quad 2.5 GHz Mac OS X (10.4.4) 2x 2.5 GB HD, 2.5 GB RAM, iSight, iPod, RME Fireface 800 Audio InterfaceTA
-
Can I connect a 4 TB USB drive to the airport extreme and use it as a network drive for Time Machine
Can I connect a 4 TB USB drive to the airport extreme and use it as a network drive for Time Machine
Yes, if the drive is formatted in Mac OS Extended (Journaled).
The USB port on the Time Capsule is under powered, so you may need use a powered USB hub with the 4 TB drive...even if it has its own power supply.
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