Embarassing installation faults...that others should avoid!

[TriAngle]

Rob_Pope wrote:
Stupid Mistakes... Where to start??

1) (yes they are numbered!!) Put SDRAM in the wrong way, needless to say a nice puff of smoke and it never worked

2) How does using a 2000XP running Splinter Cell Demo's sound without the fan plugged in. Got it up to 116C and it worked fine!!!

3) Dropping a monitor and splitting the plastic cover

4) USB cables for the case ports with the + and - data cables the wrong way

5) Scratchin a motherboard while putting on the HS/F

6) Turning on a PC without any HS/F installed.

Luckily I've been alright in most cases!! No doubt I have more to follow!
---

I was carrying a 19" CRT monitor to my car, and tripped on the sidewalk, and fell forward, off the curb, and fell directly onto the monitor, full force, with my chest! Man! My chest and ribs HURT for a week!
The monitor case was cracked (a slight cosmetic injury). After 15 minutes laying there, I finally got up, I threw the monitor into a dumpster and called it quits. I had 4 more just like it. It was probably still good, but I had had enough of that one!
After that, I buy flat panels now!!!!!!!!

[evasive]

Back in the AT days when power connectors still were in two pieces, it was perfectly possible to put them in the wrong way 'round. The same as putting an ATX power connector upside down. When you need to use more force than you're used to, check again if it's supposed to go in that way in the first place...

[jimmy-j]

So much for location keys in memory, I just ruined half of a two gig ddr2 1200MHz kit, What was most annoying was that the locking tabs closed up no problem.

[Var]

My tuppence: Check that the motherboard fits the case standoffs before you install the cpu and fit the cpu cooler.

Saves you having to sit the whole shebang in a corner for two weeks, protecting it from dust, while you get a new case part with the correct standoff placement.

[DeathGhost]

Well, I'm a newbie and did a newbie mistake. As the very first post was, it was my first build, and had put too many of them screws into the MoBo tray and installed the MoBo, forgetting about the extras. Had a headache for two days trying to figure out WHY the darn thing wouldn't work.

Read on here, first post, and then remembered what i did. tore it all apart and fixed it. It worked! Didn't fry the board either amazingly!

[evasive]

I guess when PS/2 ports are color-coded on a board it is done for a reason And there I was thinking I **wed up the job of recapping it, but not so

[AmEv]

Try putting the floppy connetor in incorrectly...
Not upside-down, but off to one side.
I did it unintentionally.

When I did, smoke started spewing out.
Thankfully, it only charred the power connector. Able to cut it off with utility knife. MB and PS are in same condition other than the fact.

[AmEv]

Floppy drive still works.

Also, when working on laptops, make sure:

A) You keep track of ALL the screws.

B) Use the right tools.

C) Do not leave parts lying around. Good reason:
1) LCD screens can be stepped on (and that's with both an old laptop and it fully put toghether
2) Your younger siblings can make them fun projectiles.

D) Use the right power suppply. Fried laptop C1 that way.

[fussnfeathers]

Didn't see this posted, so I thought it worth a mention.

It IS possible to plug a FireWire cable in upside down. I did it, with very little effort, and blew one port on my brandie-spankin'-new M-Audio ProFire 2626 Fortunately, they replaced the unit with no questions asked, but it was a very sad moment when I realized what I'd done.

[rascard2007]

Well, tryiong to troubleshoot a friends computer I was testing the PSU voltages with a multimeter, but I didn´t disconect the HDD molex plug. I made an instant short circuit and some chip in the controller card of the HDD burn down with an small orange flame like a birthday candle.

Fortunatelly I had an HDD of the exact model plenty of bad sectors and replaced the burned controller card with the other one. It works perfectly and the HDD is still working.

BTW I never told my friend what happen!!!