# I just fixed my noisy computer monitor with a chopstick! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 23, 2002, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-fixed-my-noisy-computer-monitor-with-a-chopstick/110431 "2002-05-23T03:31:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ricecake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@ricecake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricecake)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-fixed-my-noisy-computer-monitor-with-a-chopstick/110431/1 "2002-05-23T03:31:32Z")
Just thought I would share… My monitor has slowly but surely been getting more noisy over the years, mostly variations on a high pitched squeal. I finally said enough is enough this afternoon and I took the cover off, and I then turned it back on. Then I took a paper towel tube and listened for the offending part, and once I found it I took my lovely nonconductive wooden chopstick and poked the part until it stopped making noise. If I only knew it was this simple a year ago… ---
**Author:** ![ricecake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@ricecake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricecake)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-fixed-my-noisy-computer-monitor-with-a-chopstick/110431/2 "2002-05-23T03:39:47Z")
woo, i meant noisy good job spelling ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-fixed-my-noisy-computer-monitor-with-a-chopstick/110431/3 "2002-05-23T10:23:18Z")
I would advise that you NOT do this with the metal kind of chopstick!😉 But, huh… cool that you could do that! ---
**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-fixed-my-noisy-computer-monitor-with-a-chopstick/110431/4 "2002-05-23T14:38:30Z")
ricecake and chopstick. hmmmm. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ricecake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@ricecake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricecake)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-fixed-my-noisy-computer-monitor-with-a-chopstick/110431/5 "2002-05-23T16:00:11Z")
Contrary to what it may seem, I’m not Asian. I can barely use chopsticks when eating; I usually end up in a fit of rage and then I go back to my fork. I only had them because they came with my apartment. ricecakes are just the worse food known to man, no relation to my involvement with chopsticks 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-fixed-my-noisy-computer-monitor-with-a-chopstick/110431/6 "2002-05-23T16:24:19Z")
I wonder if your computer now mistakes its wife for a hat. ---
**Author:** ![Natural-J-Bankie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/59ef9b/32.png) [@Natural-J-Bankie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Natural-J-Bankie)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-fixed-my-noisy-computer-monitor-with-a-chopstick/110431/7 "2002-05-23T21:56:49Z")
Here’s the mandatory PSA. Opening a computer monitor or TV can be very risky. Even when off the large capacitors in your monitor store a lot of power. If you were to muck around in the innards of your monitor it could possibly cause the capacitors to discharge it’s power. Be careful. And now back to your regularly scheduled thread. ---
**Author:** ![ricecake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@ricecake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricecake)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2002, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-fixed-my-noisy-computer-monitor-with-a-chopstick/110431/8 "2002-05-24T00:38:22Z")
indeed, thats why I used a chopstick! Dont try it at home kids ---
**Author:** ![Jonno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f19dbf/32.png) [@Jonno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonno)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2002, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-fixed-my-noisy-computer-monitor-with-a-chopstick/110431/9 "2002-05-24T01:22:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ricecake \* > Contrary to what it may seem, I’m not Asian. I can barely use chopsticks when eating; I usually end up in a fit of rage and then I go back to my fork. **I only had them because they came with my apartment.** [sub]Bolding mine.[/sub] Lovely 3 bedroom, 1.5 bath with fireplace and fenced yard. Chopsticks included. It’s a steal! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![heresiarch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/278dde/32.png) [@heresiarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heresiarch)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2002, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-fixed-my-noisy-computer-monitor-with-a-chopstick/110431/10 "2002-05-24T02:49:04Z")
If you hate ricecakes, why did you choose that for a **nickname**? Of course, it’s none of my business; you can name yourself after anything you like. But why not name yourself after something you, uh, _like_? How about **Non-squealing monitor**? ---
**Author:** ![ricecake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@ricecake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricecake)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2002, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-fixed-my-noisy-computer-monitor-with-a-chopstick/110431/11 "2002-05-24T17:05:47Z")
I think my name stems from my sick brand of humor 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Payne\_N.Diaz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Payne\_N.Diaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Payne_N.Diaz)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2002, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-fixed-my-noisy-computer-monitor-with-a-chopstick/110431/12 "2002-05-24T19:17:34Z")
Maybe you should get a good roll of duct tape–that’d fix that sucker, eh?