Topic: HOW UNLUCKY OR LUCKY ARE YOU? (Read 4281 times)

John W E · « **on:** January 23, 2008, 06:23:56 pm »

try this one.... if you can remember a while back me old computer spat its dummy out and I lost all or most of my records / files. I managed to retrieve some of them, enough to keep going. Last Friday morning - came to switch the computer on.....this time it spat its dummy out BIG STYLE no lights nothing, did the norm, checked the fuses etc. all the bits and pieces but absolutely nothing - so I opened the computer up and where the power pack was supposed to be was just a melted block/char funny how I couldnt smell it when the casing was on, but when the casing was off POO I could smell burning.

so......out with my son's old back up computer (which I am using now) plugged it in - it didnt want to know

spent all day Friday & a bit of Saturday reinstalling windows etc., files etc., came to download and instal the wireless hub CD - what a palarva. Eventually got it to accept that there was an aerial connected to it - instead of a landline, but, when I came to install the programme for it to recognise the hub - it wouldnt recognise the hub address so the way I got round it was typing all the codes for the landline; which it accepted OFF AND ON

ONE minute on line NEXT MINUTE off line - couldnt find the hub.

So, mysteriously we are on here - wing and a prayer

- and guess what has just happened my wife sitting at the computer and she asked me a question about the difference between electronically generated sound units and the ones they go on about on the Forum - I turned around wiped a cup of tea out of her hand - and it went all over the keyboard....no flash....but I was like Jack Flash hit the panic button, luckily enough got the original keyboard that goes with this PC while the other one is drying out.

aye
its a grand life if you dont weaken
and by God computers are very trying
John E
bluebird

sheerline · « **Reply #1 on:** January 23, 2008, 07:32:58 pm »

Hi Bluebird, your tea soaked keyboard... wash the tea out with pure distilled water to remove any residues and let it thouroughly dry out. It would be best if you can totally immerse it and let it soak for a bit, then swish it around it the water, lift it out and give it a good shake out. Leave it in a warm dry place for days until you are sure it could be dry and give it a go.. you've got nothing to lose and it could save it from going in the bin.
I do this kind of thing with all sorts of electronics which have suffered immersion in something nasty. It works with RXs as well and the drill I adopt is again, into distilled water, total wash through and then into meths. The alchohol in the meths will take up the water and when shaken out, will dry out rapidly in the airing cupboard... works a treat! The real secret is to keep it wet until you get it into the distilled water so it's best not to let the thing dry out first.

John W E · « **Reply #2 on:** January 23, 2008, 07:41:05 pm »

ooops I best put it back together, thanks Sheerline I was just about to prize it apart with a screwdriver see if there was any usable material inside for the modelling ..... diamonds are forever Riggers

Tug-Kenny RIP · « **Reply #3 on:** January 23, 2008, 07:59:54 pm »

The easy way, Bluebird, is to remove the Hard drive and re-fit it in the differrent computer.

I'm always having bother with these new fangled gadgets, so I keep four hard drives as spare (loaded) ones for swap around.. Keyboards are so cheap these days it's really not worth the effort of cleaning them.

Best of luck

Ken

John W E · « **Reply #4 on:** January 23, 2008, 08:07:01 pm »

Hi there Tug Kenny

I thought about swapping the hard-drives over, but, my old computer was an Emachines biggest pile of rubbish ever bought supposed to have a super duper processor on it, it wouldnt allow you to do more than view the screen then type

and sometimes it didnt like both of those......

the computer I am using now, is a computer a friend made up for my son, and even this has a mind of its own - the mother board on it looks like to be the size of an owld 30 inch television screen and I am sure there are some valves on it somewhere - HONEST

Seriously though, when I came to check, the hard disc drive plug on the Emachines had 5 pins - this one has 2 separate sockets which come out of the hard-drive one going to one side of the board and one seems to be plugged into the loo or somewhere

Well, as they say, if its not broke dont fix it :) :) :)

hey if I disappear off line - I will try and email you from the moon or somewhere :)

Got to laugh eh.

John

Tug-Kenny RIP · « **Reply #5 on:** January 23, 2008, 08:23:43 pm »

My Hard drives are standard configuration. ie. 38 pin ribbon cable and standard four pin power supply. Here's two of them for you to see.

I had heard these E machines were specials

Never mind. Just glad you're able to communicate. Even if it's semaphore.

Ken

john strapp · « **Reply #6 on:** January 23, 2008, 11:41:40 pm »

Bluebird
Try a 6pack of MacEwans and watch the sparks that follows, if you know what I mean!

Shipmate60 · « **Reply #7 on:** January 24, 2008, 09:40:00 pm »

John,
How about a really radical approach.
Buy a new base unit!!
As in up to date and new, oh yes ,and without Vista!!

Bob

DickyD · « **Reply #8 on:** January 24, 2008, 09:46:59 pm »

Come on Bob, you know we are all waiting for John to post a topic on how to scratch build an up to date computer, along with the photographs of one he made earlier.

Stavros · « **Reply #9 on:** January 24, 2008, 09:52:44 pm »

DickyD got to give you 11/10 for that last posting absoloutly brill

Stavros

oh I suppose I should not encourage him

Shipmate60 · « **Reply #10 on:** January 24, 2008, 09:56:27 pm »

Well it did take Dicky nearly 7 minutes and with all his posting his typing must be quick :angel:

Bob

DickyD · « **Reply #11 on:** January 24, 2008, 10:05:52 pm »

All my posting, bl**dy cheek, I'll have you know I've been in my shed all day.

Are you taking the

Shipmate60 · « **Reply #12 on:** January 24, 2008, 10:16:36 pm »

Erm 3339 posts, almost double mine!!

Bob

DickyD · « **Reply #13 on:** January 24, 2008, 10:18:20 pm »

Mine are only half the length of yours.

Colin Bishop · « **Reply #14 on:** January 24, 2008, 10:32:03 pm »

Quote

along with the photographs of one he made earlier.

You mean one like this?

DickyD · « **Reply #15 on:** January 24, 2008, 10:34:39 pm »

Not really Colin, I dont think he's quite as old as ~~you.~~ that.

:'(

Colin Bishop · « **Reply #16 on:** January 24, 2008, 10:42:29 pm »

Richard, you are only as old as you feel and.... oh God! :(

bigford · « **Reply #17 on:** January 24, 2008, 10:54:30 pm »

i feel for you blue

John W E · « **Reply #18 on:** January 24, 2008, 10:58:31 pm »

GEORDIE GUIDE TO MAKING YER ARN
COMPUTER THAT IS

Hi there one and all, I have just been busy scribbling a few bits and pieces out for the new build – yes a new computer :-0 its been quite a day at the drawing board; here is my sketch so far; and I am going to take some advice Microsoft and me are not compatible

:) :)

John W E · « **Reply #19 on:** January 24, 2008, 11:06:09 pm »

Hi Colin just saw the abacus

I am afraid I have one of them somewhere mmmmmm I think its along with Colossus Mk II from Bletchley Park in me workshop - have to go and dig it out and see if it still works

::) ::)

Colin Bishop · « **Reply #20 on:** January 24, 2008, 11:16:37 pm »

I've never really been convinced about the abacus. Always seemed to be a load of spherical objects....

Marks Model Bits · « **Reply #21 on:** January 25, 2008, 12:34:52 am »

Here is Bluebirds final design................
Mark.

Marks Model Bits · « **Reply #22 on:** January 25, 2008, 12:37:53 am »

And I can't leave DickyD out!!!

DickyD · « **Reply #23 on:** January 25, 2008, 10:13:56 am »

Addicted to what ? :-\

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Author Topic: HOW UNLUCKY OR LUCKY ARE YOU? (Read 4281 times)

john strapp

Stavros

bigford