Author: Dave Farquhar

Error 0x8007025d installing Windows 10

Dave Farquhar Windows
Error 0x8007025d installing Windows 10

I was installing Windows 10 on an HP Z210 workstation and kept getting error 0x8007025. There’s not a lot of information about that error, so here’s how I fixed it.

Read more

Marx presidential figures

Dave Farquhar Model Building
Marx presidential figures

In the 1960s, the once-great Louis Marx toy company produced a line of plastic figurines of U.S. presidents. These Marx presidential figures garnered a bit of a cult following, and they retain one today.

Read more

Is collecting retro games worth it?

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing
Is collecting retro games worth it?

I saw an interesting perspective this week on the hobby of collecting retro games, from another retro enthusiast. Prices on retro games, he observes, are increasing. That’s making him ask a tough question: Is collecting retro games worth it?

Any hobby seems like a waste of time to the right (or wrong) person. If a hobby, such as collecting retro games, helps you to unwind and get focused, and you can get some of your money back out of it as you lose interest or approach end of life, then I have to argue that hobby is worth it.

Read more

Super glue vs epoxy

Dave Farquhar DIY
Super glue vs epoxy

Super glue and epoxy are two specialty glues that certainly have their uses. But each of them have some pros and cons that will affect your opinion of them. Is epoxy stronger than super glue? Let’s take a look at super glue vs epoxy and when to use each, so you can get the best results possible from each.

Read more

Compaq Presario 425 and 433

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing
Compaq Presario 425 and 433

The Compaq Presario 425 and 433 are popular machines with retro enthusiasts. They are Compaq 486s from 1993, and they look like exactly what they are. They’re well built, have recognizable branding, and don’t take up a lot of space. In some ways they’re the ideal 486 today. Let’s look at why they weren’t necessarily the ideal 486 for 1993, but they, along with the rest of the Presario line, helped transform Compaq anyway.

Read more

What size nut driver for computers?

Dave Farquhar Hardware, Retro Computing
What size nut driver for computers?

Many modern computers don’t require any tools to work on. But that’s not always the case, especially with vintage computers, or less-expensive DIY cases. A nut driver, also known as a hex driver or hex nut driver, makes things easier. So what is the right size nut driver for computers? Or do you need more than one?

Read more

Cyrix processor chips: In memoriam

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing
Cyrix processor chips: In memoriam

Cyrix was a scrappy, up and coming CPU manufacturer in the 1990s. They never had Intel’s name recognition, but for a few years they made life more difficult for its larger rivals, Intel and AMD. For a while, Cyrix processor chips were a popular choice for value-conscious PC buyers.

Cyrix contributed a lot of confusing alphabet soup to the 1990s CPU market, and their chips usually weren’t the highest-performing chips available. But they usually did provide good value for the money, even though Cyrix never was a premium brand.

Read more

Is Bittorrent safe? A security pro’s take

Dave Farquhar security
Is Bittorrent safe? A security pro’s take

While the legality of Bittorrent, or at least what people typically use Bittorrent for, is questionable, there’s another question. Is Bittorrent safe? Let’s dig into that question, with something more than unsubstantiated claims.

Read more

CIA triad of security

Dave Farquhar security
CIA triad of security

The CIA triad of security has become controversial. I think this is due to a lack of understanding of what it means. The CIA triad remains a good fundamental model of why security exists and what it protects. Here’s what the CIA triad is all about, and what’s wrong with the trendy model some say should replace it.

The CIA triad refers to three things: the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of computer systems and data. Although it is an old model, it is also enduring.

Read more

Is Bittorrent legal?

Dave Farquhar Copyright
Is Bittorrent legal?

I tell my kids if they have to ask if something is legal, that’s a good sign it isn’t. But when it comes to computer matters, sometimes it’s a bit grayer. Bittorrent is a good example. Is Bittorrent legal?

Bittorrent itself isn’t inherently legal or illegal, as it’s just a protocol. What you’re using Bittorrent for is what’s legal or illegal.

Read more