Topic: Ever have one of those days, where everything just works out.

[Sirgod]

One of my PC's older model one, Kept shutting off after a very short time. Would look at the log, and couldn't figure it out to save my life.

I had decided that my install partition was going bad, and since I had a spare 160 hd, I'd throw that in and re-install.

So I'm testing the configurations in BIOS, and I happen to look down, and notice, I have no fans going on my Power supply.

Now I have only taken apart a PS once, and that was to change a fuse like 20 years ago.

So I sat down, looked at my spare fans, and saw they where 120mm. Good. Let's see how this thing works.

Cover off, and I see it has a different type of connector, but a lot of wire there. Snip, strip , and a splice, and it works like a charm.

Even my win 7 install is going off without a hitch, just so many updates GRRR.

Never done something like that before, but it leaves you with a good feeling at the end of the day.

Stephen

[Nemesis]

On my old job when someone would be complaining about things I'd often say "No problem".  When they would complain it WAS a problem I'd point out that it wasn't TO ME as I wasn't involved.  On a number of occasions I then had to fulfill the "bluff" and solve the problem fast when it was handed to me.   I always seemed to be able to do so much to their disgust.

As an example:  Two plant people were complaining about me to each other within my easy sight but not hearing.  Unfortunately for them they didn't know that sometimes I can read lips.  Among the things they called me was a "Mr Knowitall" and that was because they didn't think that people should be coming to me for help instead of one of them all the time.  (Note: they admitted that I didn't tell people to come to me that they chose to.)  I didn't let on that I knew what they were talking about, I just ignored it.

Later that day . . .

They had a machine that folded boxes then filled them and glued them shut.  It wasn't pulling the boxes into the machine and if they were manually fed in it didn't fold them.  If put in place folded the filling and gluing worked but the machine couldn't run that way.  My reaction when the operator who was among the earlier complainers told me about it was "No Problem".  My bluff was called and they gave me the problem. 

After getting a full description I asked two questions, 1/ Was preventative maintenance run since the last time the machine was used (yes) 2/ Who did it? (the incompetent twit).  The operator then went to start the machine that fed into the box filler leaving me to start the box filler so I could see the problem in action.  I reached in and felt the shaft of the pressure regulator and sure enough it had been turned down, so I turned it back up to the lock nut I then started the machine.  The Operator came over just in time to see the first box pull down, fold and so forth.  When the 3rd one in a row worked he turned to me and said "You #$%hole".  My response to him was to blow on my nails, buff them on my shirt and say "Sometimes you NEED a Mr. Knowitall" and walk away smirking.

Until I had the information on the problem and the answer to the questions I had no clue what was wrong.  When I had the information it was clear to me it was the pressure regulator (which was NEVER in need of adjustment).  It had to either have failed or been adjusted.  Only one person there was likely to adjust it to "see what happens" then when nothing happened due to the machine not running leave it adjusted and he was a maintenance man, so once I knew he had "worked" on the machine the solution was simple. 

My "Mr. Knowitall" reputation was intact and I had let the Operator know that I knew about his earlier conversation and that HE also was among those who would come to me for aid when he had a problem.  All based on a bluff that I was able to make work out. 

Among my family and friends I have a reputation for not bluffing but the truth is that I do bluff but rarely get called on it and then usually make the bluff the reality.  It is always fun getting away with a bluff by either method.

[Sirgod]

Haha, now that is a good story. Kinda similar at home, where the remarks are always, "Stephen was right".

Puts a lot of pressure on you though at times, to be right all the time.

Anyways, Now I am playing with the old 10-2 legacy vista drivers , to get them to work on an on board ATI X300 card with windows 7. All I can do is thank god some one already put the tools up to tweak drivers.

Stephen

[Fedman NCC-3758]

One of my PC's older model one, Kept shutting off after a very short time. Would look at the log, and couldn't figure it out to save my life.

I had decided that my install partition was going bad, and since I had a spare 160 hd, I'd throw that in and re-install.

So I'm testing the configurations in BIOS, and I happen to look down, and notice, I have no fans going on my Power supply.

Now I have only taken apart a PS once, and that was to change a fuse like 20 years ago.

So I sat down, looked at my spare fans, and saw they where 120mm. Good. Let's see how this thing works.

Cover off, and I see it has a different type of connector, but a lot of wire there. Snip, strip , and a splice, and it works like a charm.

Even my win 7 install is going off without a hitch, just so many updates GRRR.

Never done something like that before, but it leaves you with a good feeling at the end of the day.

Stephen

The man is a genius!      I'd have just bought a new system.   

[Sirgod]

LOL, Well that would have been the smart thing to do, But I was in a hurry, and didn't want to wait Brother Fed.

Stephen

[Nemesis]

One of my PC's older model one, Kept shutting off after a very short time. Would look at the log, and couldn't figure it out to save my life.

A few years ago I "loaned" a computer to a friend who was having hard times and after a couple of years he brought it back "overheating" with the same symptoms you had.  I checked and the temperatures he was reporting in ^oC were actually ^oF and were quite all right.  I booted into safe mode and it worked so I ran a defrag - 4 hours to defrag the 2 gb C: (Win98SE).  He hadn't run the defrag the whole time he had the computer.  I then put SETI on it and it ran stably for weeks.  I did give him the computer back (with a few upgrades) and haven't heard of any troubles since.

[Sirgod]

Way back when, I used to work at a store called 2nd hand software. we traded mostly old PC games. I think the newest game we went out and bought was Borg: the interactive movie.

But I was stuck in the back, with splinters under my nails, soldering Video chips on C-64s most of my days.

I can recall 30 MB HD's being all the rage, and MFM drives going the way of the DoDo. Using 18 disks to install win 95.

Many times, we ran into problems like what you mentioned. I think the next big one was Com port shifting on Telephone modems. everyone had AOL back then. Come to think of it, I believe I built my first Pentium 120mhz system at that place, then later sold it to the newspaper in Seiling Oklahoma, as they had some ancient 286 that they was using to set up the papers with.

LOL, I lasted about three months there as an editor, as all the news was what Mrs. Rhoades had for dinner when people came to her home last Saturday. It's sad when the best you have to look forward to, is setting up the local store adds. But I guess I can always claim, I was the Editor of a newspaper once LOL, for what that's worth.

Stephen