Frustrated with computers? You're not alone.....

Frustrated with computers? You\'re not alone.....

Other users aren't happy either..

Instead of making life easier -- the essential promise of technologies since the steam engine -- the home PC of late has made some users feel stupid, endangered or just hassled beyond reason.

Man, I long for the good ole days when 'computer security' wasn't an issue at all.

Re: Frustrated with computers? You\'re not alone...

[ QUOTE ]
KevinL said:

Man, I long for the good ole days when 'computer security' wasn't an issue at all.

[/ QUOTE ]

Easy.. Unhook your internet connection and you'd be perfectly safe. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Re: Frustrated with computers? You\'re not alone...

Computers have always have been easy for me. I don't find it difficult at all to keep my systems secure. Don't go to questionable sites or download questionable material. Keep your av up to date and do spyware scans regularly. Oh, and windows users keep their systems up to date with windows update. It seems to be difficult for alot of people, but I don't see what the big deal is.

Re: Frustrated with computers? You\'re not alone...

Hehe, Negeltu, that's a lot to do to be safe electronically. The problem with security is that if the hacker is good, you don't even know you are hacked!. This possibility of "false sense security" scares people too.

Also, you didn't mention backing up information (preferrably with encryption). My boss just had to recover a failed HD for nearly $2000.

Happy computing. I am in CS so for better or worse, I am in all the way.

Re: Frustrated with computers? You\'re not alone...

[ QUOTE ]
gregw said:
[ QUOTE ]
KevinL said:

Man, I long for the good ole days when 'computer security' wasn't an issue at all.

[/ QUOTE ]

Easy.. Unhook your internet connection and you'd be perfectly safe. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

*posts "I'm leaving cpf" thread in cafe*

Re: Frustrated with computers? You\'re not alone...

I do think computer users have to educate themselves at least a little for a hassle-free experience. Can you drive a car without learning how first? Didn't think so. If people expect to have a "comfortable" experience on the web, they need to learn some basics.

I haven't had a virus in my computers in **years**, for example. No highjacks, no mal-ware, no -fill in the blank- either. And by no means I avoid installing new software, downloading ad-ons, tweakik\ng the registry, etc. Choosing to avoid the Web so you don't have computer problems is like killing your dog to get rid of the flees. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jpshakehead.gif

Wow, that came across as a rant. rant mode off, then /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Re: Frustrated with computers? You\'re not alone...

ledy,

Of course regular backups are good. I prefer incremental backups myself. As far as hackers go...I think a hardware firewall and a software firewall are some of the best protection you can have next to common sense.

Re: Frustrated with computers? You\'re not alone...

I've just lost my main system's hard drive. At first I thought it was bad bearings on the drive, but when I looked at the system closely and saw the damage on the electrolytic caps on the board I thought ^@$&*!. Shoulda seen that coming. I lost another machine last year with the exact same symptoms and the exact same model of MoBo. Apparently there's a bad run of cheap electrolytic caps, even rumors of a "stolen electrolyte formula" for the caps. Agh. So I've gotta recap or replace the mobo, then try to recover the HD.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rant.gif

Re: Frustrated with computers? You\'re not alone...

A computer isn't supposed to be for any person to just walk down and know what's going on. It's a tool, and you have to learn how to use it. But most people think you just use one for looking at websites and they don't do anything else... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif

PhotonWrangler, wow, I thought the bad capicitors were long done with.. I have an MSI board.. I think their in the clear... Happy with it...

Re: Frustrated with computers? You\'re not alone...

IsaacHayes, thanks for the tip on MSIs.

Both of my failed mobos were ECS K7's, and they failed in exactly the same way. In both cases the 'lytics had puffed-out tops. One of the mobos failed with the caps open-circuit while the other developed shorted caps. Very frustrating since electrolytic cap manufacturing is not rocket science.

I think this is going to make me more selective about my power supplies also, since a supply with good regulation will place less stress on the caps on the mobo.

BTW, I don't mean to hijack this thread.

Re: Frustrated with computers? You\'re not alone...

Funny this thread on frustration should crop up the day after I got my laptop back from the shop... after only 2 1/2 months in the shop!

The dreaded blue screen of death (it really is "the virus you pay for") and the CD/DVD drive crashed and burned. Plus it's a proprietory drive for the laptop from the manufacturer, and they quoted it at a ton of money, and they sent the wrong drive to the repair shop at least 3 times.

The folks who worked on it finally got the right drive, but at apparently the wrong price... only 1/3 of the quoted price. Plus they only charged me for the drive since they felt bad about having it for so long.

So, sometimes a dive into the deep poop lets you come up with really nice roses. But never, ever think that even the folks at the manufacturer know what they're doing. I think I maybe in love with the techs at the repair shop though. They did nice work at a great price and put up with the crap from the suppliers way after I gave up. Cool! But I don't want to do that ever again.

Re: Frustrated with computers? You\'re not alone...

BTW, extracted the mobo and took a closer look. The brand name on those crapacitors is G*Luxon.

Re: Frustrated with computers? You\'re not alone...

I'm actually quite satisfied with my computer.

Re: Frustrated with computers? You\'re not alone...

Here is the guy who first brought the issue to public attention:
http://www.careyholzman.com/

See Leaking Capacitors on the side bar.

He has links to subsequent articles also, leaky caps article


I have 16 computers here at home, I've seen five motherboards with capacitors that have gone south. Two were MSI, and three were Intel made, labeled right on the board. Two of these were used in Gateways, and one was a Dell. I've got four more of the same boards still going fine. The ones that went south, I replaced the capacitors and everything was okay.

Re: Frustrated with computers? You\'re not alone...

"You know, I really don't understand this computer thingy.... I'm a computer idiot"...

I'd love to say that, but I've put up with that from my users since time immemorial....... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif (guess who is the sysadmin on the receiving end of that? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hahaha.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/au.gif(me)) as for being in, I'm in deep, it's become more than a job already!

There are times though, when even I wish they would just work. That's why I love lights, because of their awesome simplicity and the fact that they 'just work' /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Re: Frustrated with computers? You\'re not alone...

Oh yeah, by the way...

Lost at least 2 motherboards to leaky caps. I think 1 was SOYO and one was ABIT?

Re: Frustrated with computers? You\'re not alone...

[ QUOTE ]
NewBie said:
Here is the guy who first brought the issue to public attention:
http://www.careyholzman.com/

See Leaking Capacitors on the side bar.

He has links to subsequent articles also, leaky caps article


[/ QUOTE ]

EXCELLENT article - many thanks!

Something that is puzzling me though - the article correctly mentioned that many of the bad caps are 8mm in diameter, while the typical off the shelf replacements are 10mm. I'm wondering whether the newer polymer caps (scroll down to 2nd article) can provide a solution to the problem, especially the heat issue.

**Edit a little bit later - **
Just did some more reading on this and it looks like a pretty widespread problem that seemed to start around 2002 and affected many mobo manufacturers including the top of the line companies. The trail of the stolen electrolyte formula reads like a mystery novel! Gads.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif

Re: Frustrated with computers? You\'re not alone...

I use to be a computer freak. Used the apple series, 2, 2+, 2c 2 gs, then got a tandy 1000rl. In the mean time had a timex sinclear. I then got a 386 sx in the 90s and then a 486 dx2 with faulty cache.

As things went on, I started to loose interest. After y2k my hp scanner quit. Went to staples and bought a 400 dollar unit, it was DOA, went back and got a umax one, which was all they had left. It worked out of the box, but it was painfully slow. I have had many problems with software not working, games, both free stuff and stuff i pay for. I changed my major in college from computer science to business.

I just wished they had the same standards on software and hardware they do on other products. Something doesnt work, I wanta refund or exchange it for another unit. I dont want to have to eat it and spend the afternoon flopping swapplies to reload my os and software cause somethings screwed everything up.

Re: Frustrated with computers? You\'re not alone...

I completely agree with you, Cobb. I consider myself somewhat technical, and if I wind up struggling with this stuff so often, I can't imagine how helpless and frustrated the average consumer must feel when they're faced with some arcane error message when their brand new peripheral or software refuses to work, or worse yet, trashes something else upon install!
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif

Re: Frustrated with computers? You\'re not alone...

[ QUOTE ]
PhotonWrangler said:
[ QUOTE ]
NewBie said:
Here is the guy who first brought the issue to public attention:
http://www.careyholzman.com/

See Leaking Capacitors on the side bar.

He has links to subsequent articles also, leaky caps article


[/ QUOTE ]

EXCELLENT article - many thanks!

Something that is puzzling me though - the article correctly mentioned that many of the bad caps are 8mm in diameter, while the typical off the shelf replacements are 10mm. I'm wondering whether the newer polymer caps (scroll down to 2nd article) can provide a solution to the problem, especially the heat issue.

**Edit a little bit later - **
Just did some more reading on this and it looks like a pretty widespread problem that seemed to start around 2002 and affected many mobo manufacturers including the top of the line companies. The trail of the stolen electrolyte formula reads like a mystery novel! Gads.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Just check the list..... let's hear it for Asus! No problems, which is good considering I have sold hundreds in the last years.