Computer Repair
I now know how to fix a misbehaving PC. This seems to only work for hardware problems. Most of the time.
First, avoid getting stressed out. You might react stupidly and actually do something that will hurt the computer, or you might just get mad and hit the computer. Either way, the computer will be damaged. If you stay calm, conditions will not deteriorate.
The important thing to realize is that the computer is probably faking it. It wants attention. You might have had your only shot to try KDE 4.0 this week on a different machine, and it wants to grab your attention — keep you focused on #1 — and it is taking a bit of a theatrical swoon strategy.
Go to sleep without solving the problem. Make a few verbal gestures toward perhaps replacing the machine. It’s about time anyway, you think, and there’s a lot of cheaper-better-faster hardware out there these days! It might be fun!
Really go to sleep.
Don’t go back and try to work on the computer again after you can’t sleep. If the computer can fake it, so can you.
Wake up the next morning, and try to fix the problem. Don’t try too hard. If the computer is doing something non-threateningly noisy, allow it to do its thing for a while.
Grab a laptop (if it’s not your one laptop that’s acting up), sit in the room with the computer, and shop for new equipment. Start getting sold on stuff. Add some things to your cart, maybe. Perhaps check your available debit/credit balances. It’s a good time to buy, isn’t it?
Pretty much decide that it’s time to pull the trigger, ditch the clunker, and make things right. The next computer obviously won’t have these problems right after its warranty expires.
Get up, switch off the computer (if you’re still allowing it to act up).
Wait a second.
Say, “This isn’t going to work.”
Switch on the computer.
Presto.