I’ve picked up a Lenovo Yoga 370 because (amongst other features) it has a removable / upgradable RAM slot (yes, two slots would have been even better :)). You can find various sources (including ChatGPT) claiming it to be 16GB, however, if we look up the processor for this particular model on the Intel website, we’ll see that it supports up to 32GB. And indeed, here is the laptop, happily passing memtest86+ with a 32GB module (specifically this one):

In the same vein, Asus claims a maximum of 2x16GB for their Q170T, however the Intel website says 64GB should work with the i5 processor that’s in the machine, and indeed, here is a machine with 64GB happily passing memtest86+:

The lesson is: processor specs are more relevant than (in)official documentation when determining the maximum supported RAM size.

1. Get a second computer with the same operating system version which didn’t have a 3G modem installed (for example if your target system is running Windows 7 64 bit you need a second system with Windows 7 64 bit – different skews like Home vs Ultimate are ok, but the version and "bitness" must coincide – you could also try using a virtual machine for the second machine which supports USB forwarding like VirtualBox or VMWare)
2. Plug in the modem in the second machine. First it will recognize it as an USB stick / CD-ROM. Copy all the files from it to a separate folder (you should see files like "setup.exe").
3. Let the setup complete. Now copy the installed drivers to the same place you’ve saved setup file. Under Windows 7 you would find them in the location C:WindowsSystem32DriverStoreFileRepository in several folders starting with "gth" (like gthsubus_64.inf_amd64_neutral_4810563f34b37ef5), but here is the generic way to identify the folder:
   1. Start Device Manager
   2. Look for one of the devices associated with the modem (you will find actually several, like GlobeTrotter GI515M – Modem Interface, Network Interface and so on)
   3. Properties -> Driver -> Driver Details. Note the name of the driver for which the provider is Option (for example gtuhsser.sys)
   4. Now search your Windows folder for files ending in .inf which contain the name of driver from the previous step. This will point you to the right folders
4. On the first computer (the one you actually want to install the modem on) remove all previous versions of the software using the Add-Remove Programs facility (you will see two-three entries but they can be easily identified by the same orange icon). Restart the computer for good measure.
5. Copy over the setup program and the drivers from the second computer. Plug in the modem to the first computer, install the application (using the setup file captured on the second computer). Go into the device manager and look for "Unknown device"s (you should see four of them). Use the drivers captured on the second computer to resolve these issues.
6. Unplug and replug the modem – it now should work!

A couple more talking points:

• don’t use "driver manager" type software – they very rarely (read: never) seem to work
• a symptom that you’ve hit this problem is when the management interface (dialer / "Internet Everywhere") for the modem starts but it gets stuck in the "Initializing" phase when you connect the modem and consumes CPU (from what I’ve seen with a debugger it seems to be looking for the installed device in a loop)
• the modem seems to be prone to overheating if the signal-strength is low (around two bars) and in this case it shuts down after ~10 minutes (I assume that this is some kind of thermal protection). You can check if this is the case by putting your hand on the bottom side of the modem. I couldn’t find and solution for this, other than looking for a spot which has better signal. Using the modem in EDGE rather than 3G mode also seems to do the trick, but it has lower speeds and I don’t know of any reliable method to make the modem use EDGE if 3G is also available.

The tricky part was to find a source which could deliver 2.5A at 5V (most of the ones I found peaked at 1.5A). Finally I found this one locally and it worked like a charm! (It seems the trick is to search for “switch power source”). Also, for extra safety, look carefully at the adapter when you get it to make sure that it conforms to the specification (5V DC / 2.5A) and if possible, use a multimeter to ensure that the polarization is correct (in my case it was + on the inside, – on the outside).

PS. I didn’t get to disassemble my old source yet, but I will post photos whenever I do so.

You can see a high resolution of the images below by clicking on them.

Step 0: what tools you need – a long Philips (“cross”) screwdirever, preferably one with magnetic tip (but you can manage without it).

Step 1: disconnect the antenna from the wireless card. This is important, since it is connected to the LCD panel, which we need to remove. Do this by pulling carefully upwards on the connectors (not the wire). Don’t worry about knowing which wire goes where when reassembling, since it is clearly marked (with small white / black arrows).

Step 2: tilt the screen all the way backwards (so that it is parallel with the bottom part) and remove the upper part of the cover. There is a small opening where the marking is on the image, you can start there. Carefully remove the whole cover. It has a couple of plastic “ears” which you have to be careful not to break.

Step 3: remove the battery, hard drive, optical drive and bluetooth adapter. You eject the battery by sliding the middle lever. Remove the hard-disk by removing the two screws marked at the right. You can also remove the bluetooth adapter, which is near the harddisk. Sidenote: except the screws from the harddrive, you can distinguish the screws from the lower part and the upper part by their length. The rule is: lower part – long screws, upper part – short screws. To remove the optical drive, first remove the screw marked by a lock, and then push on he metal part with the screwdriver. This should pop it out just enough that you can pull on it.

Step 4: remove the screws holding the screen and the two screws holding the keyboard.

Step 5: disconnect the CMOS battery (this will result in you loosing your BIOS settings, which you will have to reset at the first boot after assembly). Also, disconnect the keyboard. This is a tricky connector: you have to flip the upper part open to remove the cable. Also, when putting it back, you first have to make sure that you’ve properly aligned the cable with the connector, and then push down on it. If it doesn’t go easy, don’t force it, rather take it out and try again, making sure that the alignment is correct (straight).

Step 6: disconnect the LCD panel and remove it. Unscrew the upper part, in the locations marked with “P”. Disconnect the two cables linking it to the mainboard (the ones towards the middle). Flip the base over and remove the bottom screws also. At this point you can separate the upper and lower part of the base.

Step 7: You can remove the PCMCIA adapter.

Step 8: The laptop is almost completely unassembled at this point. You can continue removing parts if you need to, however take care when working around the coolers: tightening them too much can result in the CPU/GPU cracking. Make them too loose however, and your cooling will suffer.

Happy hacking!

Via run-virtual.com.

• It wipes all sectors (including sectors marked as bad by the internal tables)
• It is faster

You can get the program which initiates such a wipe at the CMRR (Center for Magnetic Recording Research) website.

Picture taken from steven m’s photostream with permission.

Image taken from Bludgeoner86’s photostream with permission.

To do this, go to your network connections folder, right click on your connection and select properties. Press the “Configure” button. Go to the power management tab and uncheck the box. Warning! Changing this setting will temporarily interrupt your network connection just like when you disable TCP checksum offloading. Also, probably this option is available on other network cards too, not just Intel ones.

The idea of the post was to take your unused PS/2 ports and use them as a power source to charge your mobile phone, which would otherwise support charging through USB. The idea is cool, however there is a possibility for you to fry your motherboard (or part thereof).

From the source of all wisdom Wikipedia: USB can supply 500mA or 100mA of power, however PS/2 can supply only 100mA. If your try to power a device which needs more power, there is the possibility that you will fry your motherboard! Also, 100mA is the upper limit for PS/2 and I really don’t like pushing equipment to its limits, but maybe that’s just me.

Update: it is a GX260, and the proposed solutions don’t seem to work. Tried to put the keyboard in the marked slot, to remove the monitor, both to no avail…

Update: it seems that it was a problem with the PSU (power supply). It finally gave up its spirit and wouldn’t start at all. Replacing it with a functioning PSU solved all the problems.