David L. Farquhar

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Lenovo Ideapad 100 laptop won’t turn on? Fix it

Dave Farquhar Hardware December 21, 2016April 8, 2017hp, lenovo, Lenovo Ideapad, power button

If your Lenovo Ideapad 100 won’t turn on, you’re in good company. I have a friend who has that problem with his Ideapad 100 laptop a lot. Incredibly, nobody I know of documented this fix before. Here’s the secret.

Dave Farquhar

David Farquhar is a computer security professional, entrepreneur, and author. He has written professionally about computers since 1991, so he was writing about retro computers when they were still new. He has been working in IT professionally since 1994 and has specialized in vulnerability management since 2013. He holds Security+ and CISSP certifications. Today he blogs five times a week, mostly about retro computers and retro gaming covering the time period from 1975 to 2000.

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Buying used computer parts

Dave Farquhar Hardware December 20, 2016July 14, 2017amd, asus, intel, micron, Western Digital

Someone asked me the other day about buying used computer parts. I recommend it actually, although I more frequently buy the whole computer. But you can save a lot of money and get higher quality by buying used computer parts.

Dave Farquhar

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LOAD “$”,8,1 – what it means

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing December 19, 2016August 2, 2023

I’ve been seeing some references to LOAD “$”,8,1 lately. I think this is due to Commodore 64s making appearances in pop culture. If you’re wondering what this curious command means, I’ll explain it.

Dave Farquhar

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Asuswrt-Merlin vs Cisco

Dave Farquhar security, Servers and Networking December 16, 2016December 13, 2021asus, best buy, cisco, linksys, vulnerability

I recently saw advice to buy a Cisco RV130W instead of buying an Asus router such as an RT-AC66U and souping it up with Asuswrt-Merlin. I can see both sides of the argument but in the end I favor the Asus solution when I consider Asuswrt-Merlin vs Cisco. Here’s why.

Now, if you’re arguing business vs personal use, there’s no contest. In a business setting, buy the Cisco.

Dave Farquhar

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Bathroom lighting ideas: bar vs fixture

Dave Farquhar DIY, Saving money December 15, 2016March 13, 2021led bulbs, lumen

When you’re looking for bathroom lighting ideas, there’s more to consider when looking at bar lights vs fixtures than just the up front cost. A fixture may look nicer, and it’s likely it can save you money in the long run. New light fixtures can solve flickering issues too.

Dave Farquhar

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How to clean viruses off your computer for free

Dave Farquhar security December 14, 2016March 13, 2021antivirus, bitdefender, compaq, computer security, hp, malwarebytes, thumb drive, toshiba, Windows 10, windows 7

Whether you’ve gotten a tech support scam phone call or not, it can be helpful to know how to clean viruses off your computer for free. And yes, I do mean free.

A lot of people get ripped off due to virus scares and it makes me mad. I’m a computer security professional. I advise large companies on computer security for a living. Today I’ll take a few minutes to advise you.

Dave Farquhar

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Fasten Lionel tubular track to foam board

Dave Farquhar model railroading, Toy trains December 13, 2016October 22, 2022lionel

Foam board is nice for building train layouts, since it’s lightweight and versatile. It’s easy to cut and shape into mountains and valleys and rivers. It’s also inexpensive. The problem is that screws won’t stick in it. So it’s tricky to fasten Lionel tubular track to foam board. It’s difficult to fasten any other kind of track too.

Here are two ways to do it.

Dave Farquhar

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Asuswrt-Merlin vs DD-WRT

Dave Farquhar DD-WRT December 12, 2016February 18, 2018asus, FCC, firewall, TL

I’ve been using DD-WRT for years, but a friend convinced me to try Asuswrt-Merlin and now I’m a convert. DD-WRT is still my second favorite solution, but here’s why I favor Asuswrt-Merlin vs DD-WRT.

Dave Farquhar

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How to quiet Lionel Fastrack

Dave Farquhar Toy trains December 9, 2016August 30, 2017lionel, Lionel Fastrack, o gauge

The biggest problem with Lionel Fastrack is that it is much louder than tubular and other types of O gauge track. So people frequently ask how to quiet Lionel Fastrack. There are a few things you can do to make Fastrack quieter.

Dave Farquhar

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How to fix a computer that won’t turn on

Dave Farquhar Hardware December 8, 2016August 6, 2018atx power supply, hp, power button

When a computer won’t turn on, it’s usually a simple repair you can do yourself. Frequently it doesn’t cost anything and doesn’t require any parts. If you do need parts, you can expect it to cost $70 or less and get it done in less than an hour. Here’s how to fix a computer that won’t turn on.

Dave Farquhar

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The Silicon Underground

Author: Dave Farquhar

Lenovo Ideapad 100 laptop won’t turn on? Fix it

Buying used computer parts

LOAD “$”,8,1 – what it means

Asuswrt-Merlin vs Cisco

Bathroom lighting ideas: bar vs fixture

How to clean viruses off your computer for free

Fasten Lionel tubular track to foam board

Asuswrt-Merlin vs DD-WRT

How to quiet Lionel Fastrack

How to fix a computer that won’t turn on

Read more