Have you ever broken your computer?
@owlwings (43910)
Cambridge, England
December 28, 2008 11:34pm CST
We all do stupid things from time to time. Most of the things that happen to computers are 'just things that happen' ... like the hard disk just won't wake up one morning (for no apparent reason) or the screen insists on staying black. Or are they? Could we have done anything to prevent it ... or at least to prepare for it?
I have a lot of time for Bob Rankin. He has been sending me emails with lots of very useful tips since long before Noah launched the ark into the 21st century. I wish I had kept a lot of them because they have always had very good advice (and a good deal of humour as well).
Here are 10 of his top tips on how to mess up your computer (or rather how NOT to!)
http://askbobrankin.com/how_to_mess_up_your_computer.html
Apart from the fact that I believe everyone should know more about their computer, it makes no difference to me whether you subscribe or not ... but please do (for your own sake!)
What was your most embarrassing/dire moment with your computer? You need have no fear of being laughed at ... Owlwings has seen it all (and done a lot of it) in his time!
4 people like this
18 responses
@kapil_poundarik (960)
• India
29 Dec 08
ya my computer has broken many a times but most problems were regarding viruses.i don't no where these virus come into my pc.once in a virus attack my pc broke down and i had to re format it so that it works properly.
oh i remember once my motherboard broke up due to lightning.it was a costly repair so after it i have installed a ups with my pc so that i can prevent more voltage so that my pc doesn't get affected
3 people like this
@sophia1984 (278)
• China
29 Dec 08
Yes, from my first day to this company, I began to "fight" with my computer, since I first used it, when I turn it off, it must be bluescreen, in that period, I really hate the colour blue. I tried everything that can stop the thing happen, but all are no use. For that, my colleagues all call me "computer killer" :( At that time, I really didn't know what should I do to prevent that stupid thing happen. Until about one month ago, I found why, that is because the printer which link by my computer, if that machine was not turn off, my computerf will be bluescreen. It is used my about one year time to find that, that is ok, because I got the finally win.
3 people like this
@owlwings (43910)
• Cambridge, England
29 Dec 08
I'm glad you won! SOPHIA .... YEAH!!!
I'm afraid I can't explain why the printer had to be turned off for you to run your PC. If I had been your 'IT Support Person' I would have re-installed the printer driver. Unfortunately, many workplaces do NOT have proper IT support!
1 person likes this
@checapricorn (16061)
• United States
29 Dec 08
[i]Hi owlwings,
In the past, I used to download whatever thing that will pop up in my screen and that makes my PC crazy! LOL!
AFter learning a few tips from friends and fiance now husband, I learned not to do it anymore...this time, my hubby is a computer wizz so, I am learning from him but I am cautious also![/i]
2 people like this
@derek_a (10874)
•
29 Dec 08
Well, I haven't exactly broken my computer, but a friend of mine did. He wanted to look at it and I left him alone for a while. Big mistake! He started dragging all sorts of windows into different windows on the C drive just to see what they would look like. The next thing is that the machine crashed and I couldn't re-boot it. I had to reinstall windows and lose all the work I have on there. We are still friends, but there's no way does he touch my stuff again! :-) Derek
2 people like this
@sivanj (1263)
• India
29 Dec 08
first i thought you should be a bit silly to ask this. but then i realized i had my own experience. actually when the virus enter the PC, we get into lots of pressure to save the files and remove OS and reinstall. this is a lot of work. i have done it several times. these are times i feel like breaking my PC but then the love for it prevents me from doing so.
@owlwings (43910)
• Cambridge, England
29 Dec 08
I am known for asking silly questions that actually make a LOT of sense when people think about it!
Have you now installed a proper and regularly updated anti-virus program? If you had to reinstall the OS several times, it sounds as if you didn't take proper precautions after the first attack!
1 person likes this
@raik02 (78)
• Philippines
29 Dec 08
yes i also had broken alot of computers before the first computer i had was so ruined that it had to be replaced totally!! hehe i was still 12 yo then.. until now i still experience fights with my computer specially if it crashes in the middle of a very important activity!!
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
7 Oct 15
Over the years I have encountered many novel issues with my computer, both hardware and software. These vary from the PSU becoming overheated and throwing the system into a rapid reboot cycle to fans clogging and slowing down. As a rule it is easy enough to replace the part in question, so it is rarely much of a problem.
Of course back in the early days I did some stupid things that caused me problems. One time I bought a sound card and fitted it into the computer and ran the CD to install the drivers. Everything was fine until I checked the Device Manager and saw that one component was inoperable due to no available IRQ. I chose to assign an IRQ manually and shared it with the one that controlled the PS2 ports.
As soon as I assigned it the PS2 ports went offline because the sound card took over, which meant since I had PS2 mouse and keyboard neither would work. Fortunately computers still had serial ports in those days, so I attached a serial mouse so that I could undo what I had done.
1 person likes this
@owlwings (43910)
• Cambridge, England
7 Oct 15
My goodness, you are digging deep! Did you find this while you were searching tags or through browsing my profile?
I've had to clean fans because the CPU was overheating and I've also had issues where the mouse stopped working, too. I had to learn keyboard alternatives in double quick time.
Currently I have an external hard drive which suddenly stopped functioning (whilst I was running a backup). I'm fairly certain that the disk itself is OK and that it's the controlling hardware which is the problem, so I shall have to take a saw to the case, find the appropriate cable and power lead and attach the disk internally so that I can recover all my digital photos going back to 2000!
@AJ1952Chats (2332)
• Anderson, Indiana
6 Jan 09
I have my own computer guru in my "adopted" kid brother, Mark, but I've copied the url to the site and mailed it to myself so I can have it handy. I'll share it with Mark. He might or might not learn anything new from it. However, it will be handy for me to have around.
I've just gotten back online after not having Internet access for over four months. Long story. Will spare you for now!
@ronaldinu (12422)
• Malta
1 Jan 09
Thanks for sending the information. I try to experiment a lot with computers so I used to mess up a lot when I started using the computer way back in 1997. My friend who is a computer technician used to come weekly at home. Thank god he did not charge me any money otherwise I would have ended up bankrupt
1 person likes this
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
29 Dec 08
Thanks for sharing. I did sign up as I found some very interesting information on Bob Rankin's site.
My most embarrassing computer moment was when I kept trying to delete a printer which I did not use. I had followed the uninstall instructions (or so I thought). After repeating them about five time and restarting/rebooting my computer after each attempt the darned printer was still there. I was so frustrated I unplugged everything and took the computer to the Geek Squad at Best Buy explained my problem but when they opened it up the offending printer was gone!! I could not understand why ...turned out after uninstalling certain programs you must completely shut down the computer to remove the program NOT just restart/reboot it!! Boy did I feel like an idiot.
2 people like this
@spike12_ph (254)
• Philippines
4 Jan 09
Well, Ive messed up with my computer many times, especially when I was still in college. everything that my instructors taught us in class, i tried doing them on my computer. I installed Linux on my PC which was running on Windows. My father got angry at me because they can't use the PC because they are not familiar with Linux. Then, I also tried changing the registry of my XP and my PC went crazy. I also made the mistake of formatting the wrong drive, all my brother's files were on that drive. I was just lucky that he made a backup of all his files. But I've learned from all that and the most important thing before you try to format your PC is, backup your files. Have a great day!
@savak03 (6684)
• United States
29 Dec 08
That is one newsletter I have been needing for a long time. Maybe I can finally find out why I suddenly can't install my windows updates. I signed up now I have to go ask the questions. Thanks owlwings.
Oh and just to add to your story base, when my daughter was three she got on my computer one day when I wasn't looking. When I found her I didn't recognize anything she had on the screen. I tried to close it out so it would reboot but it kept coming back to crazy stuff that looked like machine code. I had to shut it down and reboot in safe mode and try to trouble shoot from there. I must have done that about a dozen times before I finally got it straightened out. I never did figure out what she had done.
2 people like this
@jheiem (142)
• Philippines
4 Jan 09
It also happens to my computer. I just opened and it just turn into black screen full of korean text. Its just weird but i didnt do anything ab0ut it to react like that. But when i open it the next day. It opens properly..its just my Pc have a time to use it. Too bad.
@oadgmd (102)
• Philippines
29 Dec 08
The first time i messed up a computer was when i learned how to use the wildcard commands in DOS. I accidentally wiped out my friends hard drive when i was showing him how to use wildcards! had to hide from him for a few days, but then i learned a lot
@littleowl (7157)
•
30 Dec 08
Hi owlwings...will have a look at the link, I am forever doing things to my laptop so it will be nice to get some advice...the one thing that really annoys me is when the screen decides to go black..and sometimes for no reason at all!!...littleowl
1 person likes this
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
29 Dec 08
Thanks you for this posting. I don't think that anyone is more dumber than me with a computer. I'm always doing things with mine both at work and at home. I look forward to rading the tips and will eep them next to me at all times when at work. Do I wish to reveal some of the dumb tings that i have done with my computer. A big 'no'. It is really just too embarrassing. Blessings
1 person likes this
@atledanilo (5)
• Norway
29 Dec 08
Someone spelt water on my laptop's touchpad, the inbuilt speakers havent worked since.
