techrecovery | May. 15th, 2009

*Hey! Hunter! Got a real computer problem for you today!*

Oh, how I hate those words. I'm a gardener! I do gardening. That is what you pay me (very little) for. If you've got a computer problem then it's going to be your own computer isn't it? You've fscked it up, and you're too tight to get it mended, so you're going to let me do it because you know I won't say no, because you're my boss and you pay me (not enough).

*Sure, tell me what the problem is!* I smiled, grinning fit to drop.

*It's my dad's computer. It stopped working. Oh, and my laptop. The screen goes blue. Oh, and if you've got a couple of minutes, my daughter's laptop isn't charging*

So...where in the above does 'a computer problem' come in? I may be a gardener, but I can fscking count to three...

Laptop one. Switch on, first message is *SMART Failure. Replace hard disk* And sure enough, you press F1 to continue, BSOD happens, Boot disk failure. Easy peasy. Get a new hard disk, boss. Then just reload it with your backups. What backups? All your pictures and stuff...no backups? All on the dead hard drive? Oh dear :)

Laptop 2. Oldish Fujitsu. PSU works intermittently...not a PSU problem, a socket problem...intermittent contact, you have to hold the plug *just so* to get power in. To get to the power socket you have to take the back off. To take the back off you have to get to two screws behind the keyboard. To get the keyboard off you have to remove the trim between the keyboard and the monitor. To get the trim off you have to remove the monitor/lid. To remove the lid you have to...take the back off...

Finally got the socket exposed enough to see a dry solder joint, and a quick blip with a soldering gun got it working, kinda...

Computer 3. Packard Bell desktop. It would be wrong to say it smelt. It absolutely *stank* of cigarettes. Now, I'm really not anti-smoking, I had a 30 a day habit until they diagnosed cancer last year...very good incentive to stop, trust me on this...but honestly....this machine had a 60 a day Capstan Full Strength habit...I opened it up...

( Avert your gaze if you are squeamish )