What's in your "PC repair" toolkit?

[Konrad]

lol, fair enough, I can't endure the relentless blinding sun and stagnant oppressive heat of southern california. Although many people flock towards it, swearing it's the finest climate in the world
 
@ch_123 - so do you get lots of ESD?  doorknob shocks, crackling carpet, clingy clothing, that sorta thing?
 
[Edit]
Maybe different humans have different farad values when used as capacitors?

[microsoft windows]

lol, fair enough, I can't endure the relentless blinding sun and stagnant oppressive heat of southern california. Although many people flock towards it, swearing it's the finest climate in the world
 
@ch_123 - so do you get lots of ESD?  doorknob shocks, crackling carpet, clingy clothing, that sorta thing?
 
[Edit]
Maybe different humans have different farad values when used as capacitors?

I'd never live in California. I don't mind the heat, but I do mind the people.

[Konrad]

You have an allergy problem with the people, mw?

[mike]

I've often wondered exactly what half of my Leatherman gizmos are called or are designed to do.  The Really Useful Pointy Thing is, uh, really useful ... and pointy.

I have it on good authority from a former army farrier that the Really Useful Pointy Thing is in fact, a tool for removing stones from horses hooves, or possibly (when my grandfather was feeling whimsical) for removing boy scouts from horses hooves.

Of course strictly speaking I'm speaking of the RUPT that the swiss army knife is equipped with, as the Leatherman (in this country) and my grandfather don't live in the same time period.

[Konrad]

Hmmm, I'd been informed that it is for splicing ropes.
 
I wonder why archaic and obsolete things like an Horse Hoof Pick or Rope Splicing Fid would be included when things currently absent like a Bottle Opener, Phillips #1 Screwdriver, Molex Pin Extractor, Laser Pointer, Lockpick, or Brass Knuckles would probably be far more useful pocket tools for the average man in the modern age. Then again, it's still a Really Useful Pointy Thing. And a special tool for removing those offensively smarmy little boy scouts from horses (or really anyplace else you don't want them to be) can certainly be handy at times.  With proper skill, it could even be used to remove girl scouts, jehovah's witnesses, and other vermin who dare to sully your property.

[Konrad]

And if you think keyboard geeks are geeky....

I already know all about that. I'm a member of the MultiTool.org forums. :mod:

... I never (well, hardly ever) am caught without my (modified) Leatherman multitool ...

(I like your u-vid, btw. Basic stuff, but a decent product review.)
 
And we don't mean the Awl. Everyone knows what an Awl looks like (though it's not like I ever use it to Awl stuff). We're talking about the Really Useful Pointy Thing.

[mike]

Hmmm, I'd been informed that it is for splicing ropes.

Which probably shows it's really a Really Useful Pointy Thing - one man's rope splicer is another woman's hoof pick.

As for obsolete, as it happens one of my work colleagues regularly extracts stones from horses hooves. There's probably a significant number of people around here splicing ropes too.

[ch_123]

lol, fair enough, I can't endure the relentless blinding sun and stagnant oppressive heat of southern california. Although many people flock towards it, swearing it's the finest climate in the world
 
@ch_123 - so do you get lots of ESD?  doorknob shocks, crackling carpet, clingy clothing, that sorta thing?
 
[Edit]
Maybe different humans have different farad values when used as capacitors?

Not really. In fact, I generally forget to ground myself before picking up electronics.

[wellington1869]

Not really. In fact, I generally forget to ground myself before picking up electronics.

i used to diligently touch unpainted metal before grabbing memory sticks but i confess i've stopped doing it too. Havent yet had a problem (and I handle chips daily as part of my job).  Thats not to say ESD is a myth - i think its a valid precaution, its just isnt worth the trouble to ground myself for my particular present job, is all.

(p.s., my job has nothing to do with air compressors, but hey, I felt it worth my time to chime in anyway

[wellington1869]

I already know all about that. I'm a member of the MultiTool.org forums. :mod:

 if that site doesnt exist, it ought to.

[microsoft windows]

You have an allergy problem with the people, mw?

I guess I'm allergic to hippies and dumb celebrities and crackpot liberals.

[wellington1869]

I guess I'm allergic to hippies and dumb celebrities and crackpot liberals.

i dont mind the pot-liberals. they're usually pretty harmless.

[WhiteRice]

What software is that beside the lense cleaner?

Memtest and bootn'nuke

[Konrad]

if that site doesnt exist, it ought to.

Oh, it exists.  A very elitist bunch of snickety tool geeks.  You'd like 'em, they argue about politics a lot.

[wellington1869]

Oh, it exists.  A very elitist bunch of snickety tool geeks.  You'd like 'em, they argue about politics a lot.

i'm thinking of making the big jump to a 'real' dedicated politics-only forum.  I think i'm ready... (as ready as i'm going to be i guess).  

Got opinions - check
Able to mock others opinions mercilessly - check

GH "keyboard" discussions have been excellent practice

[Konrad]

I'm much more of a lurker than participant at multitools.org.
 
I really only joined because I wanted to mod my leatherman (to reconfigure it with only tool bits that are useful to me) and their forum has a lot of guys who constantly buy/sell/trade (or will custom make) any multitool part imaginable.  I even made a small profit, since my "useless" parts are apparently more valuable than the ones I wanted.  Having accomplished my goal I promptly abandoned the site.

[JBert]

Smart move.

Oh, and not to worry you, but you do know that this forum is not that much better? :bolt:

[microsoft windows]

i dont mind the pot-liberals. they're usually pretty harmless.

Show Image

Yeah, but they cause pollution. And they smell bad.

[ch_123]

Memtest and bootn'nuke

Get a copy of SystemRescueCD, it incorporates both of those, some other stuff, and a nice live Linux environment. Works on computers with little RAM too.

[TexasFlood]

Get a copy of SystemRescueCD, it incorporates both of those, some other stuff, and a nice live Linux environment. Works on computers with little RAM too.

And/or Hiren's Boot CD.

[ch_123]

Isn't that thing Windows based?

Linux gives you a lot more flexibility to play with your food, even if you're fixing Windows systems.

[TexasFlood]

Isn't that thing Windows based?

Linux gives you a lot more flexibility to play with your food, even if you're fixing Windows systems.

DOS based but does include a "Mini Windows 98" and a "Mini Windows Xp" you can boot into if you'd like.  Hey, why not have SystemRescueCD and Hiren's Boot CD?  There are a number of cool live CDs out there, including a number of Rescue and repair live CDs, why limit yourself to one? :wink:.  I've seen live CDs with client software used in Enterprises very effectively, so there is some very cool potential there.

[Konrad]

The mini.cab (in WinNT/9x at least) is actually a 16-bit Win3.x system ... you can use it to play solitaire while the rest of Windows is installing.