Computer stuff - Teh Forum

<body> <div id="header"> <span class="left"> <span class="back"><a href="lthread_list.php?webtag=DEFAULT"><span class="image mobile_back" title="Back"></span></a></span> <span class="image mobile_logo" title="Beehive Forum Logo"></span> </span> <ul> <li> <a class="reply_all" href="lpost.php?webtag=DEFAULT&reply_to=43007.0&return_msg=43007.21"> <span class="image mobile_reply_all"></span><span class="text">Reply to All</span> </a> </li> <li> <a class="navigation" href="#"> <span class="image mobile_navigation"></span><span class="text">Show messages</span> </a> </li> <li> <a class="main" href="#"><span class="image mobile_menu" title="Menu"></span> </a> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="menu main"> <ul> <li><a href="lthread_list.php?webtag=DEFAULT">Messages</a></li> <li><a href="lpm.php?webtag=DEFAULT">Inbox</a></li> <li><a href="lsearch.php?webtag=DEFAULT">Search</a></li> <li><a href="llogon.php?webtag=DEFAULT">Login</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="menu navigation"><a href="lmessages.php?webtag=DEFAULT&msg=43007.1">1–10</a><a href="lmessages.php?webtag=DEFAULT&msg=43007.11">11–20</a><a href="lmessages.php?webtag=DEFAULT&msg=43007.21">21–22</a></div> <div id="page_content"> <h3 class="thread_title"><a href="index.php?webtag=DEFAULT&amp;msg=43007.21">Computer stuff</a> </h3> <div id="messages" data-navigation="43007_21_22_10"> <a name="a43007_21"></a><div class="message" id="message_43007_21"> <div class="message_header"> <div class="message_from"> From: william (WILLIAMA)<span class="message_time">18 Feb 22:41</span> <div class="clearer"></div> </div><div class="message_to">To: ANT_THOMAS <span><span class="image post_read" title="Read: 18 Feb 22:51"></span></span> <span class="message_count">21 of 22</span><div class="clearer"></div> </div> </div> <div class="message_links"> <a href="lmessages.php?webtag=DEFAULT&msg=43007.21">43007.21</a> In reply to <a href="lmessages.php?webtag=DEFAULT&msg=43007.20">43007.20</a></div> <div class="message_body"> Free is the charm as they say. <br /> <br /> I used to do the occasional soldering repair, but recently when I've tried on a couple of components I made a total bollocks of it. I don't know whether it's because I'm older and less "steady of hand" than I was, or the soldering stuff is different, or just that it's a skill you need to keep practicing.<br /> <br /> I recently accidentally buggered a 3TB HDD by snapping of the little plastic tab over the data port. Lost the tab somewhere in the mess of my desk. I took an old 120GB donor drive and cut the matching tab off. This is nearly impossible to hold over the flapping pins while pushing a cable on, but it can be inserted into the female cable and then this is wiggled over the pins to make a decent contact. The cable is then glued in place with a hot glue gun. I know that I can make a "proper" repair by swapping the whole HDD circuit board (it's only held on with screws) with a matching donor board with intact SATA connectors. With this HDD, as with most, there's a BIOS chip which has to be desoldered from the original and used to replace the donor BIOS chip. <br /> <br /> 1) my recent inability to solder, even though this is a really simple hot-air and flux job is a real blocker. 2) that people have cottoned-on to how straightforward this repair is (for all kinds of issues not just clumsy twats like me) and crappy old circuit boards are being ripped off dead disks and ebayed for silly money, doesn't help 3) but mainly the fact that my bodgy fix works, has stopped me seriously considering this.</div> <div class="message_footer"> <div class="message_footer_links"><a href="lpost.php?webtag=DEFAULT&reply_to=43007.21&return_msg=43007.21" class="reply"><span class="image post"></span>Reply</a></div> <div class="message_vote_form" data-msg="43007.21"> <span class="rating">0/0</span> <span class="image vote vote_down vote_down_off" title="Vote Down"></span> <span class="image vote vote_up vote_up_off" title="Vote Up"></span> </div> </div> </div><a name="a43007_22"></a><div class="message" id="message_43007_22"> <div class="message_header"> <div class="message_from"> From: CHYRON (DSMITHHFX)<span class="message_time">19 Feb 10:20</span> <div class="clearer"></div> </div><div class="message_to">To: ANT_THOMAS <span><span class="image post_read" title="Read: 7 Mar 17:41"></span></span> <span class="message_count">22 of 22</span><div class="clearer"></div> </div> </div> <div class="message_links"> <a href="lmessages.php?webtag=DEFAULT&msg=43007.22">43007.22</a> In reply to <a href="lmessages.php?webtag=DEFAULT&msg=43007.18">43007.18</a></div> <div class="message_body"> The profit (your cost) is in the consumables, the printers are sold below cost.</div> <div class="message_footer"> <div class="message_footer_links"><a href="lpost.php?webtag=DEFAULT&reply_to=43007.22&return_msg=43007.21" class="reply"><span class="image post"></span>Reply</a></div> <div class="message_vote_form" data-msg="43007.22"> <span class="rating">0/0</span> <span class="image vote vote_down vote_down_off" title="Vote Down"></span> <span class="image vote vote_up vote_up_off" title="Vote Up"></span> </div> </div> </div></div> </div> </body>