not obvious computer problem solved

[Frank Fusco]

For about three years I have been plagued with a screen problem. The monitor image sometimes jumps rapidly up and down. This has made computer usage almost impossible. One puter 'expert' said it was a monitor problem. I changed monitor, actually twice. Still jumped. Another 'expert' said my computer had a bad mother board. I bought a new (refurbished) computer from him. Same problem still existed. Finally I got another new computer. No help, still a very jumpy picture. Am I frustrated? Yes. Had the ISP service tech out. He checked my lines and input. All OK but picture still jumpy. Finally, this a.m., I got smart. (took about three years to get there) I did a mental algorithm and came to the conclusion that after three monitors, three computers and line check the only constant had been my mouse. Had a new one on hand. Switched out and now problem is gone. Old one going in trash right now.

 

[Dave Richards]

Computers can be weird and chasing down problems can be frustrating. I had a similar mouse-related problem years ago and it took awhile to track it down. Now the Logitech M510 mouse I have had for the last six or so years has been bullet-proof. I've worn the feet off the bottom of it and it's polished to a mirror surface from the mouse pad. The only thing I've had to do is change the batteries about once a year and blow lint out of its eye hole once in awhile.

 

[Darren Wright]

Yeah those issues are no fun to track down. I had a coworker that kept replacing his monitors due to the screen moving. After the third one and venting to another co-worker about the issue, the other co-worker walked over and turned the guy's desk fan off, which he had plugged into the same power strip as his monitor. Problem solved.

 

[larry merlau]

well frank you got a spare monitor and hard drive somewhere

 

[Dave Hoskins]

Spare parts never hurt anybody! But, good to hear your issue is over with. For what it's worth, I keep a couple of new hard drives in the back room for just in cases. Nothing elaborate. WD 2tb Blacks. Sometimes there's a sale and I take advantage of it. Maybe I'm nuts, but it's a hard habit to break.

 

[Darren Wright]

Spare parts never hurt anybody! But, good to hear your issue is over with. For what it's worth, I keep a couple of new hard drives in the back room for just in cases. Nothing elaborate. WD 2tb Blacks. Sometimes there's a sale and I take advantage of it. Maybe I'm nuts, but it's a hard habit to break.

Nothing wrong with that at all. I clone and swap out drives often so at least I'll only lose a few pictures of the grand kids (hopefully).

 

[Dave Hoskins]

I back everything up every other day or so, just to hopefully not lose anything. And, when I do it it is 2 ways. One to a WD My Book, and the other to a secondary internal hard drive. There are some super important files that I actually keep backed up to dvd. I hate losing stuff. Done it, been there, got the ball cap and t-shirt.

 

[Charles Lent]

Years ago our secretary was frequently having problems with files being corrupted on the floppy disks that she was keeping in her desk. One day I happened to see her hang her purse on a hook under the desk. The hook turned out to be magnetically attached to the metal desk and was right in line with the drawer where the floppy disks were being kept. I told her to move the hook and magnet, and place it on the other side of the knee hole. Problem solved. Sometimes you have to stand back to see the trees through the forest.

Charley

 

[Ryan Mooney]

Years ago our secretary was frequently having problems with files being corrupted on the floppy disks that she was keeping in her desk.

Back when floppies were a thing I kept a 5 1/4" disk stuck to a cabinet with a magnet (carefully) places dead center. The floppy was labeled "Emergency Recovery Disk". Folks would come in, gasp and start talking about magnets and floppies.. to which I would shrug, pull the floppy off of the cabinet and proceed to boot a computer up with it and show that everything was fine. The trick was that the boot sector is on the outside of the disk so by keeping the magnet perfectly in the center it would still boot... I had also carefully loaded the things I would need to show it "worked" so they were written first (and thus also on the outside tracks).

The simple old days when it was possible to know in detail how things worked and you didn't have mice mess up monitors (unless it was the other kind building a nest in them).

My best guess on the original is that the mouse was shorting out somehow a little and causing weirdness... the fact it still works makes me suspect something something current to ground.. but IDK.. that's certainly a weird one.

 

[Dave Hoskins]

I remember them thar floppy disks. Both 5 1/4" and 8". I also remember when you thought you were king on the hill when you had a 20mb hard drive. Emperor of the World if you had a 40mb.