first time i did it was to fit an isdn card no problems there but the drivers that went with it were a ba$%^£d to install and took me nearly an hour

LOL I still dont know anything bout the inside of a computer cept what i learn in computer studies

The more I learn , the more I get to know, the more I get to know, the more I forget, so why should I learn?

lol - i must just have good luck.

First thing i did was install a soundcard on our 386sx25Mgz - it worked fine, and still works (no - I don't use the comp anymore).

Then i added 2meg of memory to that same computer without any hitches.

My next foray into my computers insides were last year, where without instruction manuals, help manuals or anything else (except the motherboard booklet which DID tell you where to put things ) i constructed my very own 1.7ghz, 80gig HDD, 512mb, with a graphics card, sound card and 1DVD drive, 1 CDRW and 1 CD drive, 3.5inch floppy and USB ports. I just looked between an old PC i had and my pieces of a new one. The biggest mistake was trying to fit the motherboard to the new case, cause i didn't see the mount screws - so i was trying to screw it to the casing without the screws that keep it a centermeter off of metal. Would have been good fun if i hadn't found the package 3 mins later (just before i was putting all the other stuff in). must admit - i checked, double checked and TRIPLE checked before pushing ANYTHING home, right down to counting pins and stuff - so i guess that just being under confident meant that I didn't make mistakes. Nowadays though - i know more about what i am doing, and it takes seconds to do stuff...........althouth i still am a technical moron when it comes to what parts do what and why

I never made it inside, my first Real computer was 1000 HX. I was trying to learn the DOS commands, one of which was Format. Well it said to insert a disk. Well I did, got it formated and then it said to reinsert the Dos disk. Could not find it. ejected the disk I had just formated, guess whta, That was the Dos disk. Had to do back to the store to get another made

Michael "Finalday"
In Memory Of WLB



Edited by - Finalday on 3/13/2004 12:36:03 PM

My entry into tinkering actually was forced on me by a friend who said my computer wasn't efficient. He changed some stats on autoexec.bat & config.sys which hindered something on my 386. Then I had to go in and figure out what he had done to fix it. From there I learned all sorts of neat ways to tweak the system to get all those horrible loading DOS games I used to have to actually start up.

I actually researched and bought all the components of a computer to put it together one time, but I knew I wasn't able to do it myself. So I took it into a service shop and worked along with them to build it. Good thing too, because the techy put the power connection wires on backwards to a the power switch. Chunks of spark flew out and burned my vIdeo card. But as he was covered by company police, they replaced it free of charge.

So all my problems with computers are usually wrought by others, so that is why I don't ever let anyone use them unless I am there seeing what they are doing.

Oh, I did learn one thing else. I never want to put together another system again. I'll order custom computers where the company will do it for me.

Sir S

Edited by - Sir Spectre on 3/13/2004 12:39:41 PM

I know very little about building machines, but I have built 3 or 4 in my time. So far, touch wood, I haven't broken anything....but I am always extreeeemely careful and take my time - I see it like defusing a bomb - if I make one mistake my wallet will blow up

So in answer to your question, extremely incompetent, however its amazing how far a little patience and a lot of research will get ya

i don't know jack about the inside of computers, but i could easilly dissect an electric guitar

Kyp

The other day, in study hall, i farted really loud, you know...so the guys would laugh...and i swear it was so hanus that Susie Johnson almost ralphed up her salsbury steak.
it was freakin sweet...

hehe there aren't nearly as many parts in a guitar....I have both I know :p, what kind of guitar do you have?

My father used to be a partner in a business that built computers and wrote software for various companies. It was common-place to see a computer strewn accross the living room carpet in various pieces as he tried to build a dozen of them for the next day. I just picked it up as I saw it, like speaking and stuff. First time I opened up a computer by myself I already knew what everything was and what it did etc.

_____________________________
"If it aint on fire, you haven't shot it up bad enough yet" - my old teacher on Planet Housten.

The Bounty Hunter Intelligence and Tactical Computer System

First time I popped the case was merely out of interest, I was a complete novice, hell I think everyone was. You can't know much about a computers hardware if you've never looked inside it. But I spend 70% of my waking hours with computers and 30% of that time tinkering with them, so I would like to think that I'm reasonably adept now. However I still get a little nervous working on my own machine, mainly because if I do fry a component I don't have the money to replace it. So my baby always get's treated with the utmost respect everytime I go inside. The PC's at work however, are treated like the cheap whore's they are. Grounding?!?! Pfft! Let's crack this tart open and give her one!

I just popped my first one open about nine months ago. That was just to replace RAM, but it gave me a real deep insight. I realised how simple they actually are. I always pictured either a huge mess of chips and wires, or a huge filing cabinet and a little mouse with a leather jacket and a slide projector.

@mustang LOL! I just choked on my cornflakes reading that post

Tricks for noobs with no experiance in cases and fear of static electricity

If you pull the audio cable partialy out and have the speakers on it makes a staticnoise very funny hehehehe

Good thread, Indy. I was actually given a hand when playing around with computers back in the old 286 (and earlier) days. The first time I built a computer myself however, the damn thing would not store BIOS data, and kept resetting itself and doing other strange things. I returned the MB, thinking that it was the MB battery, and picked up a new one. Same problem. I assumed that I an idiot, and had my cousin set it up. The damn thing still didn't work, and I picked up a third board. This one worked. Why? Because the computer shop had finally given me a new board with a new battery instead of putting the old battery in each new MB! Bastards .