Computer Questions Not Worth Their Own Thread II - Page 170

caketastydelish · Jul 18, 2012, 11:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LucyDuke

Taking apart and putting back together obsolete computers is not really useful. Your best place to start is fixing computers. Fixing.

Seriously, your thinking about this is totally backwards. Certifications are not problem-solving skills.

Well until I can find someone that has a computer that needs to be fixed (and would trust me to fix it) I can't really do that.

Zelig · Jul 18, 2012, 11:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oldschooler88

As for the A+ certification, I think you often can't get hired without one.

If I'm hiring a tech, I don't give any craps about certifications they have, I'm just going to ask them some technical questions:

1. Random bluescreens. Solve.
2. No internet connectivity. Solve.
3. Hard drive seems to have died, client wants their data. Solve.
4. Massive virus/malware infection. Solve.

caketastydelish · Jul 18, 2012, 11:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zelig

If I'm hiring a tech, I don't give any craps about certifications they have, I'm just going to ask them some technical questions:

1. Random bluescreens. Solve.
2. No internet connectivity. Solve.
3. Hard drive seems to have died, client wants their data. Solve.
4. Massive virus/malware infection. Solve.

This is good stuff to know.

Atticus · Jul 19, 2012, 01:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oldschooler88

Should I take actual classes, or would books on the matter be good enough?

To learn things classes have the advantage of pacing things you do. You can use books to deepen your knowledge.

Although I don't know how to fix any serious problems, putting a PC in parts and together again taught me a lot and it was fun too. Although, before that I didn't really know anything about computers.

aimeeandbeatles · Jul 19, 2012, 09:45 AM

You also i suppose need practice. Even in theory you know to plug this wire into that port and so forth, actually doing it can be quite a bit tricky. Might be only my experience, though, considering my fingers are too large.

Zelig · Jul 19, 2012, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oldschooler88

This is good stuff to know.

That's by no means an exhaustive list, just some questions of the top of my head that test specific scenarios.

I'd expect the candidate to be able to talk me through their process for fixing the problems - at that point it's about their ability to ask the right questions, knowing what they need to look up, and avoiding wrong answers (ie. Anything for #3 involving plugging the drive into anything is wrong), rather than specific step-by-step solutions to the problems.

PlutonianEmpire · Jul 19, 2012, 07:38 PM

I have a small program called JPEG and PNG stripper, that eliminates all the TMI metadata from jpegs and png's, such as geo-tagging, etc. If I set it to operate on my entire C: drive, will it damage anything?

Quintillus · Jul 19, 2012, 10:44 PM

Whether certifications matter really depends on the company that's hiring. Some companies use it as a benchmark of having certain skills. Others decide that certifications aren't that great of a match of the skills they want, or that they can better ascertain skills themselves.

I can't say whether it's worth it or not, since I've never bothered to get certified in anything.

For general hardware knowledge and familiarity, futzing around with old computers could be useful. I learned a fair amount disassembling and reassembling my laptop pretty thoroughly while it was my only computer. And it's rather fun, in a mechanical sort of way.

Zelig · Jul 19, 2012, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PlutonianEmpire

I have a small program called JPEG and PNG stripper, that eliminates all the TMI metadata from jpegs and png's, such as geo-tagging, etc. If I set it to operate on my entire C: drive, will it damage anything?

Probably not. I'm not sure if it would accomplish much of value either though.

cardgame · Jul 20, 2012, 09:55 AM

More to the point, what is this program?

PlutonianEmpire · Jul 20, 2012, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cardgame

More to the point, what is this program?

A digital desktop topless bar.

(Not really.

It just removes metadata from images. It can be used both with the GUI that came with it or with command line. For the GUI, just drag and drop the image, or the entire folder if you wish, and it'll fix all the images supported by it.

Should be useful for removing privacy-invading geotagging too.

)

aimeeandbeatles · Jul 20, 2012, 05:24 PM

Oh I was looking for something like that. Thanks.

PlutonianEmpire · Jul 21, 2012, 11:27 PM

I subscribed to my first RSS feed, and had it sent to My Yahoo!, but I can't find it there, after having it sent to "my page". How or where do I find it to access it?

caketastydelish · Jul 23, 2012, 11:07 AM

I've noticed my keyboard has become quite sticky after spilling coffee on it. Anything I can do to fix this?

Meteor Man · Jul 23, 2012, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oldschooler88

I've noticed my keyboard has become quite sticky after spilling coffee on it. Anything I can do to fix this?

Try cleaning it.

EDIT: no really. You can take off the keys.

shadowplay · Jul 23, 2012, 11:57 AM

You might need to disassemble it (remove all the screws and open it up) for the keys to come out and reach the gunkiest areas. It's pretty straightforward though.

Fun tip: if it's a wireless keyboard, there's sometimes a hidden screw in the battery bay.

Atticus · Jul 23, 2012, 01:09 PM

My remedy is to wait it out.

aimeeandbeatles · Jul 24, 2012, 02:26 PM

I've used alcohol swabs. Be careful though.

Cutlass · Jul 24, 2012, 05:14 PM

I just unplugged it, put it in the sink, and sprayed water on it until it was clean.,....

aimeeandbeatles · Jul 24, 2012, 05:19 PM

Q-Tips also work too for places that are hard to reach with fingers, with a bit of rubbing alcohol

Jul 19, 2012, 09:45 AM	#3385
aimeeandbeatles watermelon Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Aperture Science Laboratories Posts: 12,124 Images: 10	You also i suppose need practice. Even in theory you know to plug this wire into that port and so forth, actually doing it can be quite a bit tricky. Might be only my experience, though, considering my fingers are too large. __________________ Note: I'm female. Don't forget that. \| The Petty Archives \| Let's Play: Portal 2 "When he goes to bed at night, Chuck Norris checks under his bed for aimeeandbeatles." -- choxorn

Jul 19, 2012, 07:38 PM	#3387
PlutonianEmpire Destroyer of worlds Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: My Lair Posts: 4,229	I have a small program called JPEG and PNG stripper, that eliminates all the TMI metadata from jpegs and png's, such as geo-tagging, etc. If I set it to operate on my entire C: drive, will it damage anything? __________________ I am Fluffy. Destroyer of worlds. Celestia 1.6.1 \| Celestia Users of CFC \| Lavender Skies Economic Left/Right: -6.62 Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.44

Jul 19, 2012, 10:44 PM	#3388
Quintillus Deity Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 3,939	Whether certifications matter really depends on the company that's hiring. Some companies use it as a benchmark of having certain skills. Others decide that certifications aren't that great of a match of the skills they want, or that they can better ascertain skills themselves. I can't say whether it's worth it or not, since I've never bothered to get certified in anything. For general hardware knowledge and familiarity, futzing around with old computers could be useful. I learned a fair amount disassembling and reassembling my laptop pretty thoroughly while it was my only computer. And it's rather fun, in a mechanical sort of way. __________________ Read Conquest of the World, the 2nd most viewed Civ III story of all time! C3C Cross-Platform Editor Version 0.84 - April, 2013 Congress is the opposite of Progress

Jul 20, 2012, 09:55 AM	#3390
cardgame Crush Kill Destroy Swag Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Ponyville Posts: 8,610 Images: 2	More to the point, what is this program? __________________ And when we're done, that final day, what will they know about you? What will they say?

Jul 20, 2012, 05:24 PM	#3392
aimeeandbeatles watermelon Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Aperture Science Laboratories Posts: 12,124 Images: 10	Oh I was looking for something like that. Thanks. __________________ Note: I'm female. Don't forget that. \| The Petty Archives \| Let's Play: Portal 2 "When he goes to bed at night, Chuck Norris checks under his bed for aimeeandbeatles." -- choxorn

Jul 21, 2012, 11:27 PM	#3393
PlutonianEmpire Destroyer of worlds Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: My Lair Posts: 4,229	I subscribed to my first RSS feed, and had it sent to My Yahoo!, but I can't find it there, after having it sent to "my page". How or where do I find it to access it? __________________ I am Fluffy. Destroyer of worlds. Celestia 1.6.1 \| Celestia Users of CFC \| Lavender Skies Economic Left/Right: -6.62 Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.44

Jul 23, 2012, 11:07 AM	#3394
caketastydelish Inquiring Gentleman. Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: USA Posts: 2,820	I've noticed my keyboard has become quite sticky after spilling coffee on it. Anything I can do to fix this?

Jul 23, 2012, 11:57 AM	#3396
shadowplay your ad here Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Blue Jay Way Posts: 2,661	You might need to disassemble it (remove all the screws and open it up) for the keys to come out and reach the gunkiest areas. It's pretty straightforward though. Fun tip: if it's a wireless keyboard, there's sometimes a hidden screw in the battery bay. __________________ ..I've always been mad, I know I've been mad, like the most of us...very hard to explain why you're mad, even if you're not mad...

Jul 23, 2012, 01:09 PM	#3397
Atticus Horselover Fat Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Helsinki, Finland Posts: 2,733	My remedy is to wait it out. __________________ Be-beep, be-beep, yeah!

Jul 24, 2012, 02:26 PM	#3398
aimeeandbeatles watermelon Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Aperture Science Laboratories Posts: 12,124 Images: 10	I've used alcohol swabs. Be careful though. __________________ Note: I'm female. Don't forget that. \| The Petty Archives \| Let's Play: Portal 2 "When he goes to bed at night, Chuck Norris checks under his bed for aimeeandbeatles." -- choxorn

Jul 24, 2012, 05:14 PM	#3399
Cutlass Ideas are Like Stars Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: US of A Posts: 32,115 Images: 6	I just unplugged it, put it in the sink, and sprayed water on it until it was clean.,.... __________________ Ideas Are Like Stars. Come visit us again! Learn the Basics of Money HERE More Money has been Lost Because of Four Words than at the Point of a Gun. Those words are "This Time is Different." Taking from the poor and giving to the rich is Why Nations Fail In American we call that Reaganomics.

Jul 24, 2012, 05:19 PM	#3400
aimeeandbeatles watermelon Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Aperture Science Laboratories Posts: 12,124 Images: 10	Q-Tips also work too for places that are hard to reach with fingers, with a bit of rubbing alcohol __________________ Note: I'm female. Don't forget that. \| The Petty Archives \| Let's Play: Portal 2 "When he goes to bed at night, Chuck Norris checks under his bed for aimeeandbeatles." -- choxorn

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