I don't think that's covered...

[RichS]

Around 10 this morning, a lady calls me with a problem with one of our older custom-built systems – last night, it locked up on her daughter, then on the reboot shown the “Please Insert Boot Device” message.

Dead hard drive, I guessed. I told her to bring it over and I’d look at it.

2:40 this afternoon, she brings it in – missing the top cover. To draw a better picture, we use these cases for our custom systems. She immediately states that she has to run the system like that because it keeps overheating and shutting down. I pull off the side cover and see:

1.) Why it’s overheating – the Intel CPU heatsink’s fins are clogged solid with dust – and that’s not the only thing. There were a bunch of dust bunnies in there. Probably the fan’s failed also, because I see this and she says that she was hearing a screeching noise when the computer’s been on, brought it to us, claiming that we didn’t find any noise (probably because we cleaned it out), and soon after the noise came back, lasted awhile, then stopped.

2.) Why it’s not detecting the hard drive – because the molex power connection on the drive’s been bent at a 45 degree angle! I unhooked the molex plug, and the 4 power pins were cracked through, each hanging by a thread of metal.

So, I tell her the bad news – the data on the hard drive probably couldn’t be retrieved, hard drive manufacturer’s warranty is not going to cover that damage, replacement of the drive’s going to be $80, and the 1 year labor warranty’s up also – another $50, $130 plus tax total.

She decided not to fix it, complaining in a tone blaming me for the damage, about all the trouble she’s had with it, and if the machine wouldn’t overheat and lock up, the covers would’ve been in place, and the damage to the drive wouldn’t have happened.

I put the sidecover on as best I can, she takes it and leaves.

Now I get to clean the counter from the dust she left behind…

[Broomjockey]

I should really clean my case out. I might get into a similar situation otherwise. A week or so ago, a mini-outage caused my computer to reboot, and the fan kicked into super-high speed. All of a sudden smoke started pouring out, I panic, sniff, and figure out it's actually DUST!

[JustADude]

That reminds me, I should really blow my case out with some canned air soon. I've only ever done it once in all the years I've owned my system.

To give credit wher credit's due, the Thermaltake case with the extra-large fans pulls enough air through I only have dust settling on the in- and out-flow air holes.

[Acolyte]

It's amazing how much dirt and cooling goes un-noticed in computers, and yet they're the #1 killers of computer parts (Followed closely by carelessness). The worst are stock-type computers (The kind that you get from some big chain, started life as a Dimension or a Presario or whatever) that get put into nice cases-those cases are so full of unoccupied vents that they pull in dust like nobody's business.

That's excluding any computer owned by anybody who lives in the northern Yukon. So much crud...*shudders*

[Dreamstalker]

Why it’s not detecting the hard drive – because the molex power connection on the drive’s been bent at a 45 degree angle! I unhooked the molex plug, and the 4 power pins were cracked through, each hanging by a thread of metal.

How does one manage to do that...?

Nevermind, I probably don't want to know. Where's CSS (Computer Social Services) when we need them?

[cpux]

Ow. Ow ow ow ow ow owie owie owie ow ow ow OW.

You know, once I think I've seen it all with hardware abuse, along comes something even more grotesque. It never gets easier.

[that_chick_in_I.T.]

Okay, I'm actually trying to visualize that power supply, and I'm just not quite able to wrap my brain around that.

That reminds me though - I need to pick up some canned air on the way home. Given the recurring theme in this thread of "oh yeah, I need to clean out my old box too", I believe you have just begun a new wave of computer hygeine.

[Jayn_Newell]

How does one manage to do that...?

No guesses here, but this thread reminds me of my ex-roommates computer. I offered to set it up for her since she didn't really enjoy doing it and I actually like messing around with wires. So one day I go to set up her computer, and realise I'm probably not going to be able to get the monitor plugged in without screwing something up. All the pins were still intact, but the rest of the plug (the bit around the pins) was gone (she still had it actually, I'd been wondering what that blue thing floating around the livingroom was).

Turns out her uncle had 'helped' her disconnect her computer when she moved, and he was the one who pulled out the monitor cord. While it was still screwed into the plug. Fortunately, my cousin (one of the true techies in the family, which I'm not) was able to repair her video card by cannibalising the port off an older one.

[repsac]

that reminds me. I need to clean out my case and maybe get some new water for the cooling system. I love the silence of no fans; though I'm seriously considering putting in one or two, just to keep the dust to a minimum.

A friend of mine, suggested two fans in the case. One to draw air in, and the other to push it out. Wonder if I'm technically savy enough to try that. Or at least willing to get off my lazy butt and do it.