Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2008 December 7

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December 7

Xbox

I have two original Xboxes (one is modded). I am wondering if there is a way to hook them up together to make a regular desktop computer. On one of them, the processor is fried, but everything else is ok. The other one works perfectly. Even if I can't hook them up, though, can I still put a desktop linux distro for the PowerPC processor on the one that works? 74.194.198.190 (talk) 00:00, 7 December 2008 (UTC)

I don't know anything specific about this, but I can say that you'd better have steady hands, a couple extra copper wires, and have ready access to a solder. And be aware that this will definitely void your warranty, and you'll never ever be able to use them as regular old XBOX's again. flaminglawyer^cneverforget 00:05, 7 December 2008 (UTC)

The original Xbox has an Intel processor, not a PowerPC processor, so keep that in mind when you choose an OS. -- JSBillings 00:16, 7 December 2008 (UTC)

(OP here) I have already voided the warranty. I modded it. It only cost me 15 dollars anyway. I should have done my research about the processor, I thought I had read somewhere that it was PowerPC; however, it appears that it is a Coppermine processor. Is there is linux distro that will run on this type of processor? I found several that are Ζρς ι'β' ^¡hábleme! 03:53, 7 December 2008 (UTC) I can't seem to find out what instruction set it uses. Also, what would I do with the copper wire. I have the solder and a gun, so what do I need to do? Ζρς ι'β' ^¡hábleme! 03:45, 7 December 2008 (UTC)

1. Hooking a dead Xbox to a good one: The short answer is "No". You'd need to know a heck of a lot about the functions of the specific pins of every chip - and be prepared to rewrite every line of software in the machine...if you have the skills and knowledge necessary to even consider doing that then you would definitely not be asking the question here - so I deduce that you don't - hence the answer is "No".
2. Linux: There is a Linux port for the Xbox360 (which DOES have a 3.2GHz 3-core PowerPC processor) - you can find out all about it here. If you are talking about the old (not-360) Xbox (which DOESN'T have a PowerPC - it's a 733MHz Intel CopperMine processor) then you need this page instead.

SteveBaker (talk) 03:47, 7 December 2008 (UTC)

The only thing wrong with the dead Xbox is the processor. Ζρς ι'β' ^¡hábleme! 03:53, 7 December 2008 (UTC)

Well...(a) How can you be sure of that? and (b) it really doesn't help because there is no remotely simple way to add the hardware from one Xbox onto the other and have it actually DO anything - and even if you could, you'd have to rewrite large tracts of the boot code, the operating system and the applications...and I'm sure you don't know how to do that. This would be a HUGE project - and a fairly useless one too. If you had the skills to do it (I've been in the business for 30 years and I doubt I could do it) - it would still be a ridiculous waste of effort - for the time involved, you'd be better off by far just buying a new computer.

The processor that the Xbox uses is custom hardware for that machine - you can't just buy a coppermine chip from Intel and plug it in. So repairing your older Xbox would require that you send it back to Microsoft to get it fixed...and that would cost more than a previous-generation Xbox is worth. Game consoles are simply not designed to be repaired, modified or otherwise tinkered around with.

SteveBaker (talk) 05:03, 7 December 2008 (UTC)

Well, I guess I won't put them together then. However, it seems that you were correct. The hard drive from the old Xbox also has a problem. I am getting Xebian right now, but the Xbox won't boot from CD (?) and since something is not right on the hard drive it won't boot into the normal Xbox OS, so is there any way to get Xebian installed? Ζρς ι'β' ^¡hábleme! 05:17, 7 December 2008 (UTC)

Hold on - you can't just boot an Xbox from a regular CD. You need to look back at the links I gave you earlier - there is a complicated dance you have to go through to boot Linux on your Xbox. I have not actually tried it myself - so you need to check out the site links I gave you and ask your questions there. However, running Linux on an Xbox with a dead hard drive isn't going to work either. SteveBaker (talk) 05:20, 8 December 2008 (UTC)

Word: Tracking changes though I toggled it off

I'm working in a Word document. In some version, I and another person used "track changes", and there are still a couple of comments marked as "changes." At the moment, however, I just want to work normally in the document, so I switched off "track changes." Or so I thought...

The document includes an automatic enumeration. When I move items in that list (so that, e.g., # 13 is moved above # 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12), all numbers get updated... but those changes get marked as changes. Strangely, they are marked in the color that is usually used to mark changes of the other person who worked on the document (not of me).

I've tried to switch "track changes" back on and back off, but to no avail. What on earth is going on, and how can I get rid of it?! --Ibn Battuta (talk) 06:07, 7 December 2008 (UTC)

TI 89 Titanium

I have recently removed and replaced all 5 batteries of my TI 89 Titanium graphing calculator, and, ever since, I have been unable to transfer files from my computer to it. Both devices will recognize that they are connected, and the computer will even recognize that the calculator is a TI 89 Titanium, but when I try to send a file to the calculator, a message pops up that says that the file could not be transmitted, and that I should "Please try again." What should I do? Lucas Brown (talk) 19:21, 7 December 2008 (UTC)

Remove all batteries (including a possible backup battery - disassemble it if needed), and wait 4 hours, then re-insert the battery. Mighta be something got corrupt in the memory. Or you might try a factory reset.HardDisk (talk) 23:07, 8 December 2008 (UTC)

Is it remotely possible that you put one of the batteries in backwards? With 5 batteries - it's possible that one or more of them are only there to support communications with the PC. This is actually pretty likely because batteries generally produce between 1.2 and 1.5 volts each - so five of them produces 6 to 7.5 volts. Since hardly any electronics needs more than the 4.8 to 6 volts you get from four batteries, that seems like a really strong possibility. SteveBaker (talk) 03:31, 9 December 2008 (UTC)

Text messages onto computer

Hi, I have a motorola W375 with some text messages I'd like to copy verbatim (+ metadata, eg date received) onto my computer. When I hook the computer and phone up over usb, I can only access the pictures and music stored on the phone. How do I get at the text messages, short of emailing them to myself (at cost) or typing them out? 79.78.66.177 (talk) 21:45, 7 December 2008 (UTC)

It is standard practice to store the text messages on the telephone company's server, not on your phone. So, you could rip your phone apart and copy every little spec of info stored on it and you won't find a single text message. -- kainaw™ 22:31, 7 December 2008 (UTC)

In which case, I'd like to have a way of archiving them. My fundamental problem is the same: getting the text messages from wherever they are, onto my computer. 79.78.66.177 (talk) 22:39, 7 December 2008 (UTC)

Really? Every phone I've ever owned (admittedly not many) stored SMS messages on the internal memory/SIM. — Matt Eason ^{(Talk • Contribs)} 23:20, 7 December 2008 (UTC)

It may be network dependent. I've used Sprint, Nextel, and Verizon - all in the United States. All of them stored SMS messages on the network's server, not on the phone. -- kainaw™ 23:37, 7 December 2008 (UTC)

I don't know whether it's operator/location-dependent, but (here in the UK) I hook my mobile up to the computer using Samsung PC Studio and can use that to transfer messages, backups/synching etc - I can even type the messages in the program and send it that way. I'm sure it's the same with the Nokia PC Suite. [cycle~] (talk) · 01:40, 8 December 2008 (UTC)

You could always forward the messages to an email account. They would remain accessible to your in box and/or you could then cut and paste. Time consuming and possibly expensive (depending on your plan) but effective. cheers, 10draftsdeep (talk) 14:35, 8 December 2008 (UTC) oops, sorry, I just read your last sentence. cheers, 10draftsdeep (talk) 14:37, 8 December 2008 (UTC)

From your IP address, it seems you are in fact in the UK, so yes, the messages are probably on either a) your phone's internal memory or b) the SIM card, as will the phone numbers in your address book. (Try putting the SIM into another phone, and you'll soon discover which.) The idea of storing them on the network's server seems weird to me, but then I gather SMS doesn't have quite the same reach in the US.

I believe Orange offer a service, or used to, where they make a backup copy of all the data on your SIM for you. Alternatively, it's worth looking around for software or hardware for your phone that allows access to the extra data, since it's quite common to want to "sync" this kind of info. - IMSoP (talk) 19:16, 8 December 2008 (UTC)

All GSM phones stores SMS in SIM card and/or phone memory. (According to Motorola W375 page, this is a GSM phone) GSM network stores only sent, undelivered messages. (If messages were stored in network, it would mean network access every time you eant to access them (and they would be inaccesiible while out of coverage)). If you have data cable (and phone can be recognized as modem), messages can be read using AT commends by terminal application. I do not have expierence with motorola phones, but this (AT+CMGL and AT+CMGR) works for siemens a65 (but does not works for nokia n70). There might be some application, which might allow access to messages using some obscure protocol (as in case with nokia's pc suite). -Yyy (talk) 08:15, 9 December 2008 (UTC)