Your stupidest computer moment...

[iMc]

last month i put a mates comp together, being really carefull as it did cost him 700 hard earned quid. anyway after spending 1 hour with the utmost care and attention i dropped the ****er on the floor and snapped his case door off. FFS!

[Swafe]

running a pc without a heatsink on thinking it would be 'ok'

using a knife to install a heatsink...slipping and taking a chunk out the PCB

dropping my sisters 20gb hard drive on the floor, and not it only shows 6gb...and she still hasnt noticed !

[Moonshade]

Hm, I was going to change my graphic card on one of our old computers, since I'm the only one that is really into computers in my family. Well at that time being I didn't have the same knowledge that I've now though...but well. I was going to change it, so I started to unscrewing the comupter shell, and then started to unscrew in it, so that I could take the old card away. During that I was kinda tired so I sort of leaned against the radiator..when I suddenly felt a shock (not such a strong one though). I didn't understand why I got that, just beacuse I was leaning agains the radiator..and after awhile, and some more shokes I realized that I hadn't turn of the energi on the computer.

Of course I knew that before, I just was tired..so I kinda missed that part

[Dorza]

1.) Connecting my L speaker to the Right out port on my digibox and vice versa, then wondering why i had sound coming out of the right speaker when it should have been the left and vice versa again dopey me.

2.) When i was connecting a heat sink to the CPU i used a screw driver to try and force the clip down cos i found it awkward with to do with my fingers.........i slipped and knocked a capaciter off the mobo, which i might add was new again .

3.) I used to plug and unplug molex connectors when the power was still on. i know shameful and stupid. Somthing must have shorted and the PC went off. I think it was some sort of fail safe in the PSU because it wouldnt turn back on for 5mins.

Ive done losts of stupid things in the past but i cant remember any more to list.

[Shogun]

Bah i plug in things to my psu all the time with the power on. Fans,ccfls etc

[Lexeus]

With the first computer I ever built; I was fitting the mobo into the case and started screwing the mobo in when I noticed the ports didn't allign with the back plate, and were about 1cm off. So I phoned up the shop and they told me to take the case in so theycould look at it; I was bit annoyed at this point as this was apparently the only type of case they had. Anyway, so I take it in and they have a look, and rather concerned they ask me if I have actually tried powering on the computer. I hadn't. They then tell me thats lucky because I hadn't put the standoffs in and I probably would have had a bit of an accident
Never again , although these days with the cheap ebuyer cases its rare that the backplates to line up

[Rave]

Installed a new motherboard motherboard and just could not get it to do anything other than spin the fans up- I even went to the extent of buying a new PSU to try and get it to post. I only noticed the extra standoff shorting the bios pins when I was removing the board to RMA it.

That computer still runs 24/7 a year and a half later.

Rich :¬)

[Nemeliza]

Not making sure the heatsink was clipped on correctly, only to watch it pop off & my 850 T-bird fry. Most upsetting at the time

My 1.4 tbird met the same fate...i was rather angry to say the least.

[Nemeliza]

Oh and i 4got this one.
One say i was feeling curious(STUPID) so i thaught to myself...i wonder how quiet my comp would be with my new zalman if the psu wasnt making so much noise. So me goes and thinks "if i stop the psu fan from spinning for a few mins ill be able to find out", and what better way to stop a fan spinning but to stick...yes thats right a SCREWDRIVER in the psu and yes again..WHILE ITS RUNNING!!!!!!

There was a quick flash followed by about 20 sparks again followed my the silence i was looking for..as my computer was now off :| (argh nuts)

Surprisingly all i had to do was change the plug fuse and my powerman was back in business. And i didnt even get a shock from it (other than s**ting myself wen i saw sparks), lucky me

[Defiant]

I was installing and testing a brand new Hp scanner. I had it all set-up and ready to go, so I started testing the functions out.
So I tested the scanner bed, ok then I started testing the brand new feed tray. But I couldn't seen to get it to work. So I took the shield off it and start moving the parts about to get a idea of how it took the paper in. But the whole pick-up arm broke of in my hand instead. oops!!!

So the hardware contract guy was out after 0 days of use. lol

[daniel_owen_uk]

Was trying to set jumpers on a hdd with no markings, had hdd sat on top of case, switched on pc, saw smoke, realised the power points on drives board were touching case, kicked cat, shouted alot, cryed.

Fortunately it was only a 10gb drive so not really that much of a disaster but it made me mad.

[Timmy!!!]

Lol there are some great posts here, it looks like everyone has been a muppet at least once in their life!

[Efaill]

Ah just remembered another one

Was fiddling about with the cold cathode in my pc one day. Thinking it would be ok as long as I turned the swith for the cathode if I proceded to unplug it. This point one of my fingers touched the inverter circuitry got a nice like shock through my finger and the computer locked up.

Live and learn

[Grey M@a]

messing round in the PC, whacked the nice new 80mm delta screamer on, wasn't paying attention, saying to my mate hehe watch your fingers this thing will take em off, 2 seconds later thumb in the delta and a canny gash on the side of it lol blade was stuck in my thumb my first and only encounter with the 80mm delta's now I make sure my fingers are well away from it

[RoGuE|SaBeR]

Older PC of mine wouldn't start everytime. Was something to do with the power becuase sometimes it would start just depending on HOW you pressed the power button - twas a spring loaded one.

Proceed to look inside. Was weird because the actual power button was connected to the PSU what everway that worked. Unphased I worked on and took off some rubber insulation from the switch.

I wonder why rubber insulation would be on a POWER SWITCH?!?!?

Fiddled a bit then hit the on button...

Dammit my arm has never been so sore in my entire life. Loud CRACK then shuddering apendages for 10 minutes.

[steve threlfall]

I have had a heatsink fan the wrong way up for quite a while extracting instead of blowing