# \*sigh\* Another computer problem thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 7, 2006, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-another-computer-problem-thread/347419 "2006-03-07T19:46:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Gozu\_Tashoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7993a0/32.png) [@Gozu\_Tashoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu_Tashoya)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-another-computer-problem-thread/347419/21 "2006-03-09T19:17:50Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > All XP systems have an administrator account. That doesn’t mean that is the only account with administrator privileges though. Your regular account may very well have it as well and that is all that matters. > > Why is he worried about accounts if the thing won’t even boot anyway? > > Stay very far away from this Mr. Computer Guy in the future. He sounds incompetent as a best case scenario. > > There are ways to get around a Windows password but we are not allowed to discuss them here. Search for Windows password recovery or something. What he said. I’d echo the recommendation of opening the computer up and going at it with a can of whoop-ass (and by whoop-ass, I mean air), then case still open, starting up the computer and making sure the CPU fan is indeed spinning. (The rationale being that many computers/mobos have a setting that will shutdown the computer after a few seconds if the fan isn’t spinning.) If the CPU fan spins, and the CPU heatsink is still firmly mounted (which I imagine it should be), try popping out the RAM, giving the RAM and the slots a squirt of air, and putting them back in, this all assuming you’re comfortable with doing so. Best of luck. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-another-computer-problem-thread/347419/22 "2006-03-09T19:59:12Z")
> [@Gozu Tashoya](#): > > I’d echo the recommendation of opening the computer up and going at it with a can of whoop-ass (and by whoop-ass, I mean air) That would be the coolest trade name for compressed dust spray, EVAH. I would _sooo_ buy that over any other brand name. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-another-computer-problem-thread/347419/23 "2006-03-09T20:02:34Z")
When you open the case, make sure you’ve grounded yourself. Touch a radiator or a pipe to discharge any static electricity. And leave the computer plugged in to the mains but **turned off at the wall** if you don’t have a wrist-strap. ---
**Author:** ![Queuing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/90ced4/32.png) [@Queuing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queuing)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-another-computer-problem-thread/347419/24 "2006-03-09T20:10:04Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > When you open the case, make sure you’ve grounded yourself. Touch a radiator or a pipe to discharge any static electricity. And leave the computer plugged in to the mains but **turned off at the wall** if you don’t have a wrist-strap. Wow, do you actually do this? I am new to the game of computer repair (been doing it for about a year) and while I was taught to do this, I have never actually seen it done in real life. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-another-computer-problem-thread/347419/25 "2006-03-09T23:43:02Z")
> [@Queuing](#): > > Wow, do you actually do this? I am new to the game of computer repair (been doing it for about a year) and while I was taught to do this, I have never actually seen it done in real life. I don’t do much computer repair these days - I’m more on the software / network support side - but I’ve been messing with PCs for 20 years. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-another-computer-problem-thread/347419/26 "2006-03-10T00:18:53Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > When you open the case, make sure you’ve grounded yourself. Touch a radiator or a pipe to discharge any static electricity. And leave the computer plugged in to the mains but **turned off at the wall** if you don’t have a wrist-strap. I’ve never done this, and for this type of work, I tend to eschew grounding wrist straps–too much of a hassle. If you leave the thing plugged it (I don’t even care if the power is off at the wall unless I’m working on the guts of the power supply\*), it’s already grounded. As long as you make contact with some part of the chassis (and it’s almost impossible to work on a PC and NOT touch some grounded part fairly often) you’ll be grounding out the static charge anyway. I have yet to zap a part with static. Or myself. - On older AT or baby-AT boards, the line power ran from the PS to the front panel switch and back to the PS. The switch terminals were insulated, but a litte care when working near them was called for. If there was any possibility of exposing these connections, such as when replacing the switch, I’d unplug it. Grounding wasn’t an issue in that case, anyway, since switches aren’t static-sensitive. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-another-computer-problem-thread/347419.md?page=1)