Computer Fail

[DoctorWhat]

Currently, I am typing this from a Linux Live CD while I wait for all of my files to copy to my external Hard Drive.

OK, some backstory:
This weekend, I planned to do my 6-monthly OS re-install, to keep things running smoothly. So on Friday I gathered all of my important files together (100GB), and stuck them in a folder on my desktop. In the last 6 months, one thing has changed that makes this different from last time: I began dual-booting Linux and Windows.

So I then decided to get a head start on my re-partitioning, 'cos that would take the longest. So I went into Vista's Partition Manager, and deleted the Linux partition (I keep all of my files on the windows section). I shut down and said I'd keepgoing in the morning. Hey guess what? That was a really, really stupid thing to do!

I forgot about GRUB. GRUB saw that Linux was gone and went "Oh, something's wrong here" and restarted. This went on in an endless loop, meaning I couldn't get at my files. The ones that weren't backed up yet...

So I spent most of saturday trying to fix my MBR, or skip GRUB altogether, to no avail... Saturday evening, I rushed over to a friend's house to download an Ubuntu LiveCD.

So then I tried to fix my computer through Linux. Nope. Then I finally had a brainwave: Force Linux to open the windows Partition and copy the files from there. That worked.

OK, this may have been a little too much backstory, and it still doesn't convey the frustration and panic I felt.

Sorry if you didn't get any of that, but here comes the point:

So, have you ever done anything completely stupid, or even something that seemed perfectly fine and normal, that completely fucked up your computer?

 

[Kuchinawa212]

I put a password on my admin account so that way no one would be able to mess up my computer while I'm not around


Who's got two thumbs and forgot his password a week later and was forced to use a guest account for two years

This guy

 

[Jedamethis]

I ate it.
I was hungry, and it seemed clever at the time...

Yeah, I've never failed at computers. I'm that good

 

[Radeonx]

My video card melted once. I don't really remember how it did, but it was quite the challenge getting it out.

 

[ToxinArrow]

Yeah I plugged the power button connectors into a USB plug on the mobo by accident (they have the exact same look with 4 pins on top, 5 underneath) and couldn't figure out why my computer wasn't starting.

Didn't fuck up my computer though.

 

[Woodsey]

I forgot my password (despite being the only one who uses my PC), and as I tried every single variation I could think of I was convinced someone had decided to fuck with our wireless network (to be fair, its not exactly virtual Fort Knox security around the ol' BT Homehub). Naturally, this was the correct explanation because I'm never wrong.

About an hour and a half later I remembered my password.

Anyway, why the f*ck do you reinstall the OS? What a chore. A regular degrag, quick scan on CCleaner and error scan keeps everything on mine running like the day it was born.

 

[DoctorWhat]

Anyway, why the f*ck do you reinstall the OS? What a chore. A regular degrag, quick scan on CCleaner and error scan keeps everything on mine running like the day it was born.

Because it's fun

Nah, I've used CCleaner and done defrags (I do them monthly), but A full re-install gets rid of all the shit that even they miss.