!Broken! iBorked!

Okay, here's a geeky story. So, I was called to try and figure out why this person's computer would not start up sometimes. And when it did start up, it would only run for a little while before it shutdown. Normally, when you get something like this the steps for checking stuff out would be:
1. Loose connection on the power cord
2. Loose connections on the inside of the computer case
3. Very dusty (dust causes lots of problems)
4. Bad power supply, test it or test the motherboard with a different power supply
5. ... Start guessing.

Well, I got to step 2 and 3. I noticed a lot of dust while I was searching for loose connections. Then I noticed something:



Do you see it? Yes, these are blown capacitors (flux capacitors, if Noelle wills). In fact, I'd say these capacitors have lost their flux right out of the top. They don't capacitate anymore.

I was actually able to get the computer to run in Windows for about 5 minutes before it shut down. That is truly amazing. If you see a capacitor with a bulging top or stuff coming out, the piece of hardware is dead (unless you are good with a soldering iron and can acquire the correct capacitor(s)... but it's likely still dead.)

Here's another picture at a different angle.

Help

Countdown timers

Well, I added a countdown timer to my sideboard. Right over there --> see it? Anyway, if you follow the link and create a timer for yourself, you'll have to be able to read the mess of javascript, because the guy's page creates it incorrectly. For instance, when I grabbed this bit of code, I set the timer for 2010, but the javascript showed 2011. And the thing is, the mistake is in there twice.

mo=11&da=02&yr=2011

Also, this site has some really cool timers, even one I liked with the Statue of Liberty, it just didn't fit in my sidebar (it was too wide). But perhaps it will work for you.


MySpace-Countdown-Clocks