Worlds Dirtiest PC - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Terabyte2007
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 23, 2014, 03:30:35 pm
content: Well, maybe not, but the worst I have ever seen! Recieved several more old PC's for retirement and was preparing them for waste when I cracked this guy open and saw this! I was not only shocked, but did not want to even move this box after seeing this. Obviously, maintenance was not a priority here! It was over an inch thick in some areas and the power supply was completely packed as well.Hope you enjoy the pics and hopefully your machine is not as bad as this!

author: Terabyte2007
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 23, 2014, 03:54:52 pm
content: Quote from: mojo-chan on May 23, 2014, 03:50:38 pmI would be curious to see how a rat got inside a PC, aren't they rather big?

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 23, 2014, 03:57:46 pm
content: When I worked at a small computer store we had a guy who bred ferrets bring his computers in for work. You want to talk about smell......

author: nihilism
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 23, 2014, 04:48:03 pm
content: I've seen worse.Also, not so much computers, but the two worst environments some of the electronic equipment that i have serviced has lived in are fast food restaurants and public swimming pools.In fast food a lot of the stuff is in and around the kitchen. The grease and fat tends to make it's way inside and helps glue any dust together.In a swimming pool environment, the corrosive chlorine vapors first destroy switches and pots then pcbs, within months sometimes.

author: retrolefty
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 23, 2014, 05:00:25 pm
content: Quote from: Terabyte2007 on May 23, 2014, 03:54:52 pmOnly after they grow up.

author: mamalala
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 23, 2014, 05:07:41 pm
content: Quote from: Terabyte2007 on May 23, 2014, 03:30:35 pmWhen was that? 10 or 20 years ago? That thing still has an ISA bus. That's not just old, that's ancient :-DGreetings,Chris

author: fluxcapacitor
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 23, 2014, 05:18:36 pm
content: This is from theregister.co.uk : Dirty, dirty PCs: The X-rated picture guideHorror beyond human imaginationhttp://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/11/13/ventblockers/

author: Tinkerer
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 23, 2014, 05:28:35 pm
content: My brother and I both got the same laptops at the same time for college. Mine still works completely and his died. As it turns out, the poor thing had both vents caked with dust; airflow was cut by at least 50-75%. It likely just overheated to death. I regularly blow my computer out.

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 23, 2014, 05:43:38 pm
content: Not even close. I've seen pictures about a PC used in a sawmill. That one won.

author: SirNick
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 23, 2014, 06:35:36 pm
content: Quote from: mojo-chan on May 23, 2014, 03:50:38 pmAre you sure it wasn't just a mouse? badum-tish!

author: Tinkerer
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 23, 2014, 08:27:42 pm
content: Quote from: SirNick on May 23, 2014, 06:35:36 pmSaying mouse would have led to confusion of did he mean rodent or an actual mouse was shoved inside one.

author: Lightages
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 23, 2014, 08:41:49 pm
content: I once fixed a computer in a woman's house, and she was a double chain smoker. She had at least two going at any time. The walls were yellow brown with the smoke, and when I opened her computer I could not believe it was still working at all. It looked like it had been filled, not just some layers, totally filled with brown cotton candy.When I got home, I left my clothes outside, went directly to the shower, and then went back and washed my clothes outside with the garden hose before I would bring them in the house. Yes, the smell was that strong.

author: FrankenPC
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 23, 2014, 09:10:03 pm
content: Quote from: mojo-chan on May 23, 2014, 03:50:38 pmI worked as a clone PC tech back in the early 90's and found a dead mouse in a customer's PC. We couldn't figure out how it got in there either.You're right, smokers PC's are the worst. Terrible smell.

author: GreyWoolfe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 23, 2014, 11:04:30 pm
content: Quote from: mojo-chan on May 23, 2014, 03:50:38 pmI agree on the smoker smell. I hated working on those computers. I am not a smoker myself. You have to love the way the crap is the cig smoke binds all the dust together into a gooey mess.I also did warranty desktop laser printer repair for Burger King and dot matrix printer repair for Rinker cement with my last job. Laser printers full of grease and dot matrix printers full of cement dust. I would be just itching for a shower after either place.The dirtiest computer I ever working on came from a Dentist's office. Go figure.

author: Terabyte2007
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 23, 2014, 11:25:58 pm
content: Quote from: Lightages on May 23, 2014, 08:41:49 pmlol

author: andrew_c
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2014, 12:59:56 am
content: We pulled this PC from one of our customers a few years ago, it was sat in an inch of water.. still working! We put it out of it's misery.

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2014, 05:03:23 am
content: Quote from: Lightages on May 23, 2014, 08:41:49 pmI worked on a laptop like that at one employer, it was covered in a tan coating. I used some IPA wipes to clean it up and my fingers got stained from the tobacco and I started to get a fairly strong nicotine buzz.

author: calexanian
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2014, 06:29:26 am
content: We used to call Mac LC computers the air cleaners. They sucked up every bit of dust in the room! When you would open one up it would just look like somebody filled it with the contents of a full vacuum bag!

author: electronics man
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2014, 09:39:43 am
content: Why don't the put dust filters on the fans in PCs?

author: steve30
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2014, 10:32:51 am
content: Quote from: electronics man on May 24, 2014, 09:39:43 amThat's a very good question. I rarely see computers with dust filters. My PC has a filter on one of the inlet fans, but it only filters a small fraction of the dust.

author: ciccio
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2014, 12:03:13 pm
content: Quote from: electronics man on May 24, 2014, 09:39:43 amDoing this will lead to too many service calls: the filter will clog, no more air intake, overheating = computer will stop or even fail = warranty repair..The solution: fanless computers.A little OT : years ago I serviced a big audio power amplifier, that was overheating: the heatsink tunnel was closed by a wasp nest.Best regards

author: electronics man
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2014, 01:39:50 pm
content: Quote from: ciccio on May 24, 2014, 12:03:13 pmyeah but they would be easy to clean, much easier than opening up the computer and spending ages with the air duster spraying away years of dust

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2014, 01:42:48 pm
content: That is why I have a air gun outside, to use to get the dust out quickly and without it being spread all over the office. Otherwise i use the cylinder vacuum and suck most of it away with the crevice tool.

author: Tinkerer
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2014, 04:45:48 pm
content: Quote from: ciccio on May 24, 2014, 12:03:13 pmWell there is liquid cooling. But that isnt a standard because it costs more.

author: ciccio
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2014, 05:07:26 pm
content: Quote from: electronics man on May 24, 2014, 01:39:50 pmYes, but the standard PC user does not know how to clean a filter.He/she does not even know that there are fans there.He/she will call the tech service and says: my computer failed, it's still in warranty, please come asap...Talk to some tech support people: there are lots of lesson to be learnt.

author: Legit-Design
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2014, 05:30:55 pm
content: All computers should be like those cheap ass laptops. By the time the heatsinks clog up, the GPU and other BGA devices desolder themselves. Desoldering while use leads to poor contact. Warranty repair technicians only want to replace the whole motherboard which costs more than new machine. Who wants to clean some filters when you can just replace the machine?I know people repair those laptops by reflowing the BGAs, but that's not something certified repair technicians are prepared to do.

author: retrolefty
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2014, 07:16:41 pm
content: Quote from: ciccio on May 24, 2014, 05:07:26 pmThere was a rather viral tech support story that floated on the web where a user called tech support to complain that their computer wouldn't do anything. Long story told short, turned out there was a complete building power failure still in progress. Hard to belive as most building/office pbx system need building power, but perhaps she was calling from her cell phone?

author: grumpydoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2014, 07:17:28 pm
content: More gunked up computers herehttp://www.tomshardware.com/picturestory/565-dusty-pc-clogged-fan-dirty-power-supply.html

author: Legit-Design
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2014, 07:27:01 pm
content: Quote from: retrolefty on May 24, 2014, 07:16:41 pmAlso reminds me of this:(old one but just saw this first time few days ago)

author: mamalala
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 24, 2014, 08:07:20 pm
content: Well, people letting their computers "rot" is one thing. But look what self-proclaimed "experts" can do:http://www.dau-alarm.de/gallery.html(Yes, it's a German site, but the images speak for themselves. Prozessoren = processors, mainboards = well, mainboards, Arbeitsspeicher = RAM, Laufwerke = drives, Transport & Verpackung = shipping and packaging, Sonstiges = other)Makes me giggle every time...Greetings,ChrisEdit: These are images of what service people and businesses delaing with their customers have to put up with.

author: Tinkerer
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 25, 2014, 12:16:54 am
content: Quote from: mamalala on May 24, 2014, 08:07:20 pmSeems like they could save alot of money if they provided directions on how to ship stuff and reject it if it wasnt packed properly. Gotta hand it to the people that at least tried to provide some antistatic packing haha.

author: mamalala
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 25, 2014, 12:35:05 am
content: Quote from: Tinkerer on May 25, 2014, 12:16:54 amWell, i think that anyone who needs directions to figure out that stuff should be sent back the way it was received shouldnt order "single"parts to begin with. And indeed, they rejected the stuff that wasn't properly packaged. It's in the comments of the images, which are only in German. Maybe Google-Translate can get the gist of it.Greetings,Chris

author: justanothercanuck
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 26, 2014, 04:31:03 am
content: Quote from: Lightages on May 23, 2014, 08:41:49 pmI've had to fix those kind of machines, but I smoked (3/4 PAD) in my current apartment for 5 of the 6 years I was here (switched to vaping last year, and I'm moving next week). I think I've only had to clean the insides once, and it wasn't that bad. Not sure what these people do wrong.

author: fluxcapacitor
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 26, 2014, 05:25:08 pm
content: This is not me.

author: fluxcapacitor
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 26, 2014, 05:28:36 pm
content: From the dailymail.co.uk ,and the headline : Even the computer mouse has fleas! Revolting gallery of filthy home offices piled high with cigarette butts and beer canshttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2221821/Filthy-home-offices-piled-high-cigarette-butts-beer-cans-make-commuting-living-room-nightmare.html

author: Terabyte2007
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 26, 2014, 07:13:33 pm
content: Quote from: fluxcapacitor on May 26, 2014, 05:25:08 pmOMG! That's just nasty!

author: lpc32
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 27, 2014, 04:55:45 pm
content: Some good entries in this "spring cleaning" thread:http://techreport.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=93563

author: GreyWoolfe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 27, 2014, 07:53:35 pm
content: Quote from: Terabyte2007 on May 26, 2014, 07:13:33 pmEEEWWWWWWWW! I agree. I checked the link. I would be embarrassed of my office/workbench looked half as bad. I am not the neatest there is but I don't have plates of old food, don't smoke and mostly drink water so I don't have soda/beer containers all over the place. I even dust! My main issue is that I take things out and don't necessarily put them away when I am done. After a while I get fed up and clean up. Next week while on vacation, I plan a re-organization of the space.

author: Tinkerer
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 28, 2014, 01:15:28 am
content: I have always tried to keep things hygenic. "Organic crud" like food etc grosses the crap out of me and I can not fathom how some people operate in an environment litered with food and whatnot.My biggest problem though is dust accumulation. Things sit around a while and the dust just invites itself in.