Not Going To Happen 'Cause I'm Not Harry Potter (Impossible Patron Requests)

[katcheya]

My mother noticed my car making a noise when riding in it but it went away recently.  She said take to the dealer anyways, but I said its not doing it now, I cannot ask them to fix something that isn't happening that would not be good.  I took it a few days later when the problem presented itself fully and it was fixed under warranty.

Glad you were able to get it fixed! Usually when things make scary noises/do weird things around here, I can never get it to happen again when a professional is present.

Isn't that a corollary to Murphy's Law?

When a broken appliance is demonstrated for the repairman, it will work perfectly.

From http://www.murphys-laws.com/

That law also applies to finding things. No matter how long or carefully you look for something, the person you ask to help you will find the thing in five seconds flat. In a really obvious place.

When I was in High School I was responsible for cooking dinner as I was home first most days. There were times I could not find something that I needed to use for dinner so I would call my mom at work and ask her- almost every time I called I found it either as the phone was ringing or as soon as I asked her where it was.

Recent case 1: I went out to do groceries.  After getting everything I needed, I hopped into the car, and it would not.  I tried for 10 minutes to get the darn thing to go, but it wouldn't, so I called our roadside assistance.  It took them over an hour to get there.  The tow truck guy asked me to try starting it, and of course it started like a champ.

Recent case 2: I brought brownies to a bonfire party.  Late in the evening, a snack plate was served to each of the small children.  My host's son (5 y.o.) had a brownie on his plate.  He's chatting away with the other kids and suddenly notices his brownie is missing!  He looks at the plate, looks on the ground to see if it fell; no go.  He starts yelling at his mom that someone stole his brownie!!!  She promptly replied that he was holding it in his hand.

[ica171]

I am convinced that computers like to go on vacation.  I used to handle all hardware/software issues for my department.  If I couldn't fix something at the customer's desk, I would bring it back to my office...where it would immediately begin working perfectly, and continue working perfectly when it went 'home'.

Occasionally we have problems with our computers, and DH, someone who can build computers and troubleshoot almost anything, after trying everything he can think of, will give up in disgust and declare that we must need to replace some expensive part. (It's never a cheap part.) I say "Turn it off and let it rest a while" and he'll argue that rest won't fix whatever problem it has. But sure enough, nine times out of ten the computer starts right up after sitting for a few hours. These are not overheating problems, either, but putting the computer in time out does work sometimes. And if time out doesn't work, thumping it is worth a shot. 

[jedikaiti]

I am convinced that computers like to go on vacation.  I used to handle all hardware/software issues for my department.  If I couldn't fix something at the customer's desk, I would bring it back to my office...where it would immediately begin working perfectly, and continue working perfectly when it went 'home'.

Occasionally we have problems with our computers, and DH, someone who can build computers and troubleshoot almost anything, after trying everything he can think of, will give up in disgust and declare that we must need to replace some expensive part. (It's never a cheap part.) I say "Turn it off and let it rest a while" and he'll argue that rest won't fix whatever problem it has. But sure enough, nine times out of ten the computer starts right up after sitting for a few hours. These are not overheating problems, either, but putting the computer in time out does work sometimes. And if time out doesn't work, thumping it is worth a shot. 

The technical term is "percussive maintenance". I'm a great believer, myself.

[Garden Goblin]

The volatile memory has to clear, which is why turning it off and then back on fixes a lot of problems.  In some cases that doesn't happen unless the computer is off for longer than a few seconds or may even require actually being unplugged.   I heard a hypothesis a while back regarding static electricity or something keeping the memory active and motherboards with slight imperfections regarding how the power supply is wired , but never followed up on that.

Also, there are little gremlins that live in our computers and like to mess with us.  Regular sacrifices of liberal arts majors keeps them happy. 

[VorFemme]

The volatile memory has to clear, which is why turning it off and then back on fixes a lot of problems.  In some cases that doesn't happen unless the computer is off for longer than a few seconds or may even require actually being unplugged.   I heard a hypothesis a while back regarding static electricity or something keeping the memory active and motherboards with slight imperfections regarding how the power supply is wired , but never followed up on that.

Also, there are little gremlins that live in our computers and like to mess with us.  Regular sacrifices of liberal arts majors keeps them happy. 

They like chocolate - but no crumbs in the keyboard and chocolate milk seems to inspire them to worse antics - especially if spilled on the computer.  I recommend dark chocolate M & Ms - so no crumbs, spills are easily picked up, and the gremlins are happy (and so are you).

[Moonie]

Our office deals with vehicle registration. Ever since the state installed a new system, all "title" transactions are cut off at 2 p.m.. This has been going on since May. Every day from 2 p.m. till closing (5 p.m.) customers come in past no fewer than 3 different signs that say "Title work will not be processed after 2 p.m.".  They still say they didn't know about it.

Last week a gentlelman came in after 2, and would not take my word that we could not help him that day. He complained that it wasn't HIS fault that his car was at the tow lot....it wasn't HIS fault that he had to go to court. I repeated that I was sorry, but we cut off title work at 2, and he would have to come back another day. He said, "Isn't there something you can do?" I replied, "Sir, in order to help you I would have to have the ability to turn back time, and I just can't do that."  He asked for a supervisor, and she told him the same thing.

[rashea]

Our office deals with vehicle registration. Ever since the state installed a new system, all "title" transactions are cut off at 2 p.m.. This has been going on since May. Every day from 2 p.m. till closing (5 p.m.) customers come in past no fewer than 3 different signs that say "Title work will not be processed after 2 p.m.".  They still say they didn't know about it.

Last week a gentlelman came in after 2, and would not take my word that we could not help him that day. He complained that it wasn't HIS fault that his car was at the tow lot....it wasn't HIS fault that he had to go to court. I repeated that I was sorry, but we cut off title work at 2, and he would have to come back another day. He said, "Isn't there something you can do?" I replied, "Sir, in order to help you I would have to have the ability to turn back time, and I just can't do that."  He asked for a supervisor, and she told him the same thing.

I feel for them though. If I showed up at the DMV (or what have you) and saw the sign, it would probably be the first time I had heard about it. So, I can see being upset.

[camlan]

The volatile memory has to clear, which is why turning it off and then back on fixes a lot of problems.  In some cases that doesn't happen unless the computer is off for longer than a few seconds or may even require actually being unplugged.   I heard a hypothesis a while back regarding static electricity or something keeping the memory active and motherboards with slight imperfections regarding how the power supply is wired , but never followed up on that.

Also, there are little gremlins that live in our computers and like to mess with us.  Regular sacrifices of liberal arts majors keeps them happy.

This liberal arts major just buys her computer presents. A new wireless mouse. A wireless track pad. A special stand with extra USB ports. A remote to control DVDs. Skype so it can make friends with other computers. Pretty soon, an upgrade  on the OS.

Along with regular dusting of the screen, gentle pats and lots of compliments. Bestest little computer in the whole wide world.

Hey, it works for me.

[AfleetAlex]

The technical term is "percussive maintenance". I'm a great believer, myself.

I'm glad somebody else uses this term! An engineer at my old job - who was very fussy about 'his' equipment - told us to do this on a particular hard drive (to my great surprise). It was the first time I'd ever heard it but I've used it ever since.

[VorFemme]

The volatile memory has to clear, which is why turning it off and then back on fixes a lot of problems.  In some cases that doesn't happen unless the computer is off for longer than a few seconds or may even require actually being unplugged.   I heard a hypothesis a while back regarding static electricity or something keeping the memory active and motherboards with slight imperfections regarding how the power supply is wired , but never followed up on that.

Also, there are little gremlins that live in our computers and like to mess with us.  Regular sacrifices of liberal arts majors keeps them happy.

This liberal arts major just buys her computer presents. A new wireless mouse. A wireless track pad. A special stand with extra USB ports. A remote to control DVDs. Skype so it can make friends with other computers. Pretty soon, an upgrade  on the OS.

Along with regular dusting of the screen, gentle pats and lots of compliments. Bestest little computer in the whole wide world.

Hey, it works for me.

I even bought my laptop another laptop as a "friend" (don't tell it that it really a "spare" - since I'm on the spare right now, the first laptop doesn't know about it).  I hope.

Actually, not even a spare - I bought a used laptop that came in with a failing graphics card just before vacation.  I was able to track down that the particular make & model had an extended warranty period - and that I had run a diagnostic test on the laptop on the company's website - before the end of the warranty period - documenting that it was failing before the warranty expired....three days before I tracked down that it existed.

They fixed it under the extended warranty - praise (fill in the blank here).

But I had already ordered a second laptop of the same make & model so that I wouldn't have to go on a trip without a working laptop (VorGuy doesn't share laptops and I had a LOT of stuff I wanted to do - update ereader, play Solitaire, check email, check local tv listings, print off tickets to tourist attractions that had been bought on-line, track the repair of Laptop #1, and the delayed delivery of Laptop #2, which came in after we crossed the Texas border on I-10 heading east...

I did get it working for trip #2 and came back to find Laptop #1 was here & repaired (new motherboard & new graphics chip). 

Between Ubokia, Craigslist, and the Oodle Marketplace on Facebook - you'd think I could find a buyer for the Spare......but, no.

And I'd rather have a spare than sell it (with a larger hard drive & more RAM) for less than I paid for it in the first place.  Besided - it's a two story house and having a working computer upstairs & down saves my knees from having to climb up or down the stairs to go to a different floor to get to the computer. 

And I know I'll have a working laptop for my once a year major project next week....it was no fun to have to go BUY and set up a new computer three (four?) years ago when my laptop DIED in the middle of the first day of a four day project.  Which took an extra two days due to the need to get a new computer, set up a new computer with the software, run several tests of the installation of the software, and then try to work faster to "catch up".  I no longer try to work faster to catch up because the hurrieder I go the behinder I get.  It takes longer to clean up the mess made by going too fast than it does to take my time and do it properly the first time, every time.

[Jocelyn]

The technical term is "percussive maintenance". I'm a great believer, myself.

I'm glad somebody else uses this term! An engineer at my old job - who was very fussy about 'his' equipment - told us to do this on a particular hard drive (to my great surprise). It was the first time I'd ever heard it but I've used it ever since.

I've used it since the 1970s, when NASA ground control told one of the astronauts to give a stuck airlock a whack with a hammer, after all other options had been tried. I figure if it's good for the space program, it would be good enough for me.

[Elfmama]

I no longer try to work faster to catch up because the hurrieder I go the behinder I get.  It takes longer to clean up the mess made by going too fast than it does to take my time and do it properly the first time, every time.

I used to tell my kids "If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?"

[jedikaiti]

The technical term is "percussive maintenance". I'm a great believer, myself.

I'm glad somebody else uses this term! An engineer at my old job - who was very fussy about 'his' equipment - told us to do this on a particular hard drive (to my great surprise). It was the first time I'd ever heard it but I've used it ever since.

I've used it since the 1970s, when NASA ground control told one of the astronauts to give a stuck airlock a whack with a hammer, after all other options had been tried. I figure if it's good for the space program, it would be good enough for me.

I have no idea where or when I first heard it, but I believe it was sometime back during the dot-com boom days.

[LadyJaneinMD]

I am convinced that computers like to go on vacation.  I used to handle all hardware/software issues for my department.  If I couldn't fix something at the customer's desk, I would bring it back to my office...where it would immediately begin working perfectly, and continue working perfectly when it went 'home'.

Occasionally we have problems with our computers, and DH, someone who can build computers and troubleshoot almost anything, after trying everything he can think of, will give up in disgust and declare that we must need to replace some expensive part. (It's never a cheap part.) I say "Turn it off and let it rest a while" and he'll argue that rest won't fix whatever problem it has. But sure enough, nine times out of ten the computer starts right up after sitting for a few hours. These are not overheating problems, either, but putting the computer in time out does work sometimes. And if time out doesn't work, thumping it is worth a shot. 

The technical term is "percussive maintenance". I'm a great believer, myself.

I always called that 'impact adjustment', and I'm a believer, too.

[siamesecat2965]

I no longer try to work faster to catch up because the hurrieder I go the behinder I get.  It takes longer to clean up the mess made by going too fast than it does to take my time and do it properly the first time, every time.

I used to tell my kids "If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?"

I've asked my boss on occasion when he's being a butthead "do you want it done, or do you want it done RIGHT?"  which usually makes him back off and let me do my job.