What is the weirdest solution that has fixed a PC issue you have been dealing with?

[MercuryRain]

5 hours ago, Celios said:

Doesn't necessarily HAVE  to be a PC issue, it can be anyone dumb troubleshooting that has helped you fix a technological issue

 

Hooo boy. here we go.

 

At home:

 

Computer would not post after I changed the CPU;

-Took out GPU.  No post.

-Took out HDD.  No post.

-Took out SSD.  No post.

-Took out RAM.  Tried to post???

-Put RAM back in.  Post.

-Put SSD back in.  Post.

-Put HDD back in.  Post.

-Put GPU back in.  Post.

 

Fixing an aviation radio at work.  COM board isn't working.

-Decide to fix cosmetics on the faceplate first.

-Put unit back together, go to test COM board transmit issue.  Suddenly working.

-THIS HAPPENED ALL THE TIME.  LIKE ONCE A WEEK.

 

Recently:

-Opened HWmonitor to double check temps on my CPU after having to plug my radiator fans into my motherboard instead of the waterblock.

-Found that temperature was pegged at 100C and throttling.  Pump not running.  Instantly shut off computer and tried to trouble shoot.

-Turn computer back on.  Pump now working.  Didn't do anything.  Computer was happy, idling at 36C. 

-Needless to say I got a new CPU cooler.

 

And the most annoying thing of my life:

-Computer has memory leak issue during Unreal Engine games.  First noticed in Life Is Strange, later witnessed in Arkham Asylum, Arkham City, BioShock 1-2-Infinite. 

-Memory leak would manifest as steadily declining framerates and GPU usage over the course of playing a game. Start would be around 120 FPS and 100% GPU usage on a GTX Titan.  After about an hour it would be down to 20 FPS with 10% usage and I would start getting a lot of audio tearing and stuttering.

-Replaced GPU from GTX Titan to 2x GTX 970s.  No Fix.

-Replaced CPU from i5-4570K to I7-4770K.  No Fix.

-Replaced RAM from 16GB Corsair DDR3-2133 to 16GB Kingston HyperX DDR3-1866. No Fix.  Re-added the Corsair RAM for 32GB of DDR3-1866.

-Replaced MOTHERBOARD from MSI Z87I Gaming-AC to Asus Maximus VI Gene.  No fix.

-Added SSD (500GB 850 EVO) to computer and re-installed Windows.  Tried again after a week.  No fix.

-Figure that Unreal Engine games despise me and decide not to play them.

-At some point remove Corsair Link from computer

-Try Arkham City again.  No problems at all.

 

CORSAIR LINK was the cause of all my headaches for almost a year and a half trying to figure out why Unreal Engine games didn't work.

[confuded]

On 5/22/2017 at 11:43 PM, CerberusLabrat said:

 

Hooo boy. here we go.

 

At home:

 

Computer would not post after I changed the CPU;

-Took out GPU.  No post.

-Took out HDD.  No post.

-Took out SSD.  No post.

-Took out RAM.  Tried to post???

-Put RAM back in.  Post.

-Put SSD back in.  Post.

-Put HDD back in.  Post.

-Put GPU back in.  Post.

 

Fixing an aviation radio at work.  COM board isn't working.

-Decide to fix cosmetics on the faceplate first.

-Put unit back together, go to test COM board transmit issue.  Suddenly working.

-THIS HAPPENED ALL THE TIME.  LIKE ONCE A WEEK.

 

Recently:

-Opened HWmonitor to double check temps on my CPU after having to plug my radiator fans into my motherboard instead of the waterblock.

-Found that temperature was pegged at 100C and throttling.  Pump not running.  Instantly shut off computer and tried to trouble shoot.

-Turn computer back on.  Pump now working.  Didn't do anything.  Computer was happy, idling at 36C. 

-Needless to say I got a new CPU cooler.

 

And the most annoying thing of my life:

-Computer has memory leak issue during Unreal Engine games.  First noticed in Life Is Strange, later witnessed in Arkham Asylum, Arkham City, BioShock 1-2-Infinite. 

-Memory leak would manifest as steadily declining framerates and GPU usage over the course of playing a game. Start would be around 120 FPS and 100% GPU usage on a GTX Titan.  After about an hour it would be down to 20 FPS with 10% usage and I would start getting a lot of audio tearing and stuttering.

-Replaced GPU from GTX Titan to 2x GTX 970s.  No Fix.

-Replaced CPU from i5-4570K to I7-4770K.  No Fix.

-Replaced RAM from 16GB Corsair DDR3-2133 to 16GB Kingston HyperX DDR3-1866. No Fix.  Re-added the Corsair RAM for 32GB of DDR3-1866.

-Replaced MOTHERBOARD from MSI Z87I Gaming-AC to Asus Maximus VI Gene.  No fix.

-Added SSD (500GB 850 EVO) to computer and re-installed Windows.  Tried again after a week.  No fix.

-Figure that Unreal Engine games despise me and decide not to play them.

-At some point remove Corsair Link from computer

-Try Arkham City again.  No problems at all.

 

CORSAIR LINK was the cause of all my headaches for almost a year and a half trying to figure out why Unreal Engine games didn't work.

I hate all this bloatware from manufactures including AMD. I tried using the new ReLive - so many crashes and frame rate drops it's amazing they released this crap.

[Zando_]

Had an iPad Pro that kept failing when trying to restore from iTunes. Froze it overnight, let it thaw and dry out, and it worked the next day! 

[Silentprototipe]

Shoving a micro USB into a broken charging port until it works (S4 Active) 

[MysticalRainXIV]

On 5/22/2017 at 11:52 AM, Railgun said:

Every now and then my computer will make an annoying buzzing noise. I have NO IDEA where it comes from. Obviously my first assumption was that some wire is touching a fan and causing the buzzing noise, but I can't find the source anywhere and I've checked all my fans.

 

My (temporary) solution to this is to simply tab the side of my computer with a bit of force. This makes the noise go away for a while. Tapping the computer when there is no noise will usually cause it to start making the noise again.

I have the same exact issue with one of my fans. I replaced it, moved it, everything. Still sometimes gets noisy and hitting the case hard fixes the problem. If you find a solution please let me know lol

[Mira Yurizaki]

My first build, the PSU would shut off after like 10 minutes and wouldn't turn back on for a period of time. Couldn't figure out why. Found out if I plugged in another PSU into a port on the motherboard, the PC would stay on.

 

Now I'm not sure if plugging in something into that port with the original PSU would've solved anything, but I ran with this for two years.

[Bleedingyamato]

On May 22, 2017 at 11:43 AM, Zodiark1593 said:

Asking for help on the forums before subsequently solving the problem 5 seconds later... 

I've done that myself too.  ?

[MUD03]

In high school I put a mod chip in my OG Xbox and the thing just wouldn't turn on afterwards. I opened it up and there was a tiny speck of rogue solder, it was the only thing I could see that could possibly be wrong. I removed it, put it back together and it was fine. 

[keenhydra]

I once used a piece of string to tie a case fan down preventing it from sagging down and hitting the motherboard.

 

Barely a 2 milimeter difference and it ran fine for 6 months.

 

(Picture included)

Edited June 1, 2017 by keenhydra

[iamdarkyoshi]

Cutting a wireless router on the tablesaw and shoving it into the optical drive on a PC to get wifi support

 

I'm serious, linus even commented on the thread

 

[NLD1st]

On 22/05/2017 at 10:43 PM, CerberusLabrat said:

 

Hooo boy. here we go.

 

At home:

 

Computer would not post after I changed the CPU;

-Took out GPU.  No post.

-Took out HDD.  No post.

-Took out SSD.  No post.

-Took out RAM.  Tried to post???

-Put RAM back in.  Post.

-Put SSD back in.  Post.

-Put HDD back in.  Post.

-Put GPU back in.  Post.

 

Fixing an aviation radio at work.  COM board isn't working.

-Decide to fix cosmetics on the faceplate first.

-Put unit back together, go to test COM board transmit issue.  Suddenly working.

-THIS HAPPENED ALL THE TIME.  LIKE ONCE A WEEK.

 

Recently:

-Opened HWmonitor to double check temps on my CPU after having to plug my radiator fans into my motherboard instead of the waterblock.

-Found that temperature was pegged at 100C and throttling.  Pump not running.  Instantly shut off computer and tried to trouble shoot.

-Turn computer back on.  Pump now working.  Didn't do anything.  Computer was happy, idling at 36C. 

-Needless to say I got a new CPU cooler.

 

And the most annoying thing of my life:

-Computer has memory leak issue during Unreal Engine games.  First noticed in Life Is Strange, later witnessed in Arkham Asylum, Arkham City, BioShock 1-2-Infinite. 

-Memory leak would manifest as steadily declining framerates and GPU usage over the course of playing a game. Start would be around 120 FPS and 100% GPU usage on a GTX Titan.  After about an hour it would be down to 20 FPS with 10% usage and I would start getting a lot of audio tearing and stuttering.

-Replaced GPU from GTX Titan to 2x GTX 970s.  No Fix.

-Replaced CPU from i5-4570K to I7-4770K.  No Fix.

-Replaced RAM from 16GB Corsair DDR3-2133 to 16GB Kingston HyperX DDR3-1866. No Fix.  Re-added the Corsair RAM for 32GB of DDR3-1866.

-Replaced MOTHERBOARD from MSI Z87I Gaming-AC to Asus Maximus VI Gene.  No fix.

-Added SSD (500GB 850 EVO) to computer and re-installed Windows.  Tried again after a week.  No fix.

-Figure that Unreal Engine games despise me and decide not to play them.

-At some point remove Corsair Link from computer

-Try Arkham City again.  No problems at all.

 

CORSAIR LINK was the cause of all my headaches for almost a year and a half trying to figure out why Unreal Engine games didn't work.

 

Memory leaks are software related next time just eliminate programs 1 by 1 stay might be causing it. 

[iJarbus]

Using gutter sealant to seal a leaky fitting on my loop, been running for a year without a single drop. Also in the same loop using Araldite to glue a fitting into a pump after the plastic threads were stripped completely. Thinking about it it's a damn miracle I haven't had a leak

[OLS]

Motioninjoy has a weird issues where when you try to install drivers it fails so you have to set the date back to 2014 then install the drivers then you can take your date back to current year  

[IKnight]

On 5/22/2017 at 5:14 PM, kaiju_wars said:

A couple, power button wasn't working on my old iPhone.  Slammed it against the desk, no scratches, cracked screen, nothing, and the power button started working again.

 

Computer was acting funky one time.  Programs weren't loading games properly, I got frustrated and kicked it, everything just started working.

 

 

welp. My iPhone 5 power button has been acting funny (sometimes requires a very forceful 'click' to register). Taped the button against the lip of my desk a few times and its fixed.... 

[Automobili3XF]

There's two topics about this that i posted a year ago, more or less.

One day, after a thunderstorm that knocked the power down in the entire city, my computer just wouldn't work. I tried everything, rebuilt the PC from the ground up, but no progress was made. Just for kicks, i ordered a new BIOS chip from a local company, and used a borrowed H81 mobo for a few days. As soon as i got it to work with the new chip, everything came back, just as it was before, and the mobo is still my daily driver...

[Guest]

4 hours ago, Chevy_Monsenhor said:

There's two topics about this that i posted a year ago, more or less.

One day, after a thunderstorm that knocked the power down in the entire city, my computer just wouldn't work. I tried everything, rebuilt the PC from the ground up, but no progress was made. Just for kicks, i ordered a new BIOS chip from a local company, and used a borrowed H81 mobo for a few days. As soon as i got it to work with the new chip, everything came back, just as it was before, and the mobo is still my daily driver...

Would it power on but just not POST? Most likely the BIOS got corrupted or something along those lines.

[Automobili3XF]

18 minutes ago, Celios said:

Would it power on but just not POST? Most likely the BIOS got corrupted or something along those lines.

Yup, wouldn't boot, it would get stuck on the splash screen, it couldn't detect ram properly...

Just a bunch of weird little issues.

[Guest]

9 minutes ago, Chevy_Monsenhor said:

Yup, wouldn't boot, it would get stuck on the splash screen, it couldn't detect ram properly...

Just a bunch of weird little issues.

Yeah, I think changing the BIOS chip can actually solve a lot of boot/UEFI issues.

[Nikesbee]

On 5/22/2017 at 11:00 AM, Celios said:

Doesn't necessarily HAVE  to be a PC issue, it can be anyone dumb troubleshooting that has helped you fix a technological issue

I had to remove a glitched wire in my Xbox 360. I didn't know how to open it so I just burned a hole through the plastic and fixed it like that 

[kittiecommittee]

I had a Lenovo Y510P that, every now and again, the network adapter would just stop working entirely. It would show up as undetected. I tried many different things to fix it at first and it never worked. It did not work for a month or two and in that time I used a couple of different USB network adapters that worked fine for my wireless solution. However, of course, when I unplugged them I would lose connection. After a while I bought an Alfa USB wireless adapter online (because it had modes 2 & 3 unlocked) and immediately after I plugged it in my internal stock adapter began to work again. It worked perfectly even after I unplugged the Alfa. The crazy thing too is that sometimes the internal adapter would go out again and as long as I plugged in the Alfa - and only the Alfa - it would work again. 

 

To this day I still don't know what was going on with that.

[TheNewbiestONewbs]

So grandma's router has more infections than charlie sheen.

router is basically small pc like arduino level.

wipe the bios

reinstall bios from internet at nearest hotspot (That would be a starbucks)

walk in with a laptop and my own router

find router bios on company site

take 3 hours

go back to grandma

gets hella food

[Bleedingyamato]

On June 1, 2017 at 2:41 AM, iamdarkyoshi said:

Cutting a wireless router on the tablesaw and shoving it into the optical drive on a PC to get wifi support

 

I'm serious, linus even commented on the thread

 

When you could spend a little money and just get a crazy cheap wifi card or USB wifi adapter or even Ethernet if you'd like why would you go through that much effort to do that?

 

I mean it looks kind of cool.  Like your computer is saying "wanna fight me?" but still that's a lot of work for something that could be solved cheaply and as easy as plug device X into computer.  ?

 

 

15 hours ago, Nikesbee said:

I had to remove a glitched wire in my Xbox 360. I didn't know how to open it so I just burned a hole through the plastic and fixed it like that 

I see you like to live dangerously.  ? lol

 

13 hours ago, kittiecommittee said:

I had a Lenovo Y510P that, every now and again, the network adapter would just stop working entirely. It would show up as undetected. I tried many different things to fix it at first and it never worked. It did not work for a month or two and in that time I used a couple of different USB network adapters that worked fine for my wireless solution. However, of course, when I unplugged them I would lose connection. After a while I bought an Alfa USB wireless adapter online (because it had modes 2 & 3 unlocked) and immediately after I plugged it in my internal stock adapter began to work again. It worked perfectly even after I unplugged the Alfa. The crazy thing too is that sometimes the internal adapter would go out again and as long as I plugged in the Alfa - and only the Alfa - it would work again. 

 

To this day I still don't know what was going on with that.

Modes 2 and 3?  What's that?

 

2 hours ago, TheNewbiestONewbs said:

So grandma's router has more infections than charlie sheen.

router is basically small pc like arduino level.

wipe the bios

reinstall bios from internet at nearest hotspot (That would be a starbucks)

walk in with a laptop and my own router

find router bios on company site

take 3 hours

go back to grandma

gets hella food

Idk if what this says about society and if it's good or bad that my iPad dictionary knows what "hella" means.  lol

[JZStudios]

My brother had some kind of issue with his computer case. Most likely (definitely) his kids had broken it. When switched on it would turn itself off after 3-5 seconds. You literally had to switch it on and punch the front of the case for it stay on.

[13CA350]

On my old PC case, it wouldn't power on unless I had a half full water bottle on top. There was a loose connection and the weight was just right. 

 

One time I accidentally drank out of it and had to carefully get a new one with the exact same amount

[Guest]

This. Not my issue, but definitely the weirdest I've heard of.