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How to Fix Any Computer... And Quietly Weep

An illustrated guide.

If you're a diehard reader of Tom's Hardware, then you're likely the sort who does all his own work on your computers. Sure, hardware may have its problems but sometimes those issues may seem minor in comparison to a software headache. After all, you can always swap out a piece of hardware, but it's tougher to just pick out something that's just not working at the software level.

We may have dozens upon dozens of guides on how to better your computing experience here at Tom's but sometimes it all just comes down a simple couple of steps. The online comic strip The Oatmeal has an illustrated guide on how to fix any computer:

 

Republished with permission from Matthew Inman, creator of "The Oatmeal" web comic.

If you like what you see from The Oatmeal, then you're going to need 5 Very Good Reasons to Punch a Dolphin in the Mouth.

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Thilindi 04/20/2011 3:07 PM
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"Buy a new Mac. Overdraw your account. Quietly Weep."

Ok, now THAT was funny.

plznote 04/20/2011 3:10 PM
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"Light from Saturn"
Blame Sun Microsystems.
Hilarious.

CyberAngel 04/20/2011 3:20 PM
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I'm still using my Amiga 3000....

hangfirew8 04/20/2011 3:22 PM
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Linux Kernel is written in C, not C++.

guruofchem 04/20/2011 3:23 PM
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We weep quietly for you, CyberAngel...

irsoccer05 04/20/2011 3:23 PM
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That was pretty funny. I'm impressed.

azconnie 04/20/2011 3:24 PM
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Step 3, reload your files from that backup you were keeping. You were backing up, rite?

If this says anything, it's PC FTW. It's the only one that can be reasonably serviced at home with minimal cost, and hazard, provided you take very simple preparation steps.

On a related note, Windows: Partition HDD. Install to new partition. Take salvageable files from old partition and install to new. Delete old partition. BACK UP FILES THIS TIME.

a-nano-moose 04/20/2011 3:27 PM
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What if my Abacus crashes?

puddleglum 04/20/2011 3:29 PM
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CyberAngel :
I'm still using my Amiga 3000....


Yeah, I loved my Amiga 3000 more than anything I've used since or anything you can get today.

cookoy 04/20/2011 3:41 PM
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pretty much sums up what our IT support team is doing

Horhe 04/20/2011 3:43 PM
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Funny how he nailed it in all cases.

Diversian 04/20/2011 3:46 PM
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a-nano-moose :
What if my Abacus crashes?


Haha, so funny. It's odd you say that, I almost bought this 2 days ago.

kilo_17 04/20/2011 3:47 PM
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Great comic!

nukemaster 04/20/2011 3:50 PM
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a-nano-moose :
What if my Abacus crashes?


Slide all beads back to the starting position and try again.

K2N hater 04/20/2011 4:07 PM
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Bravo!

rmirwin2 04/20/2011 4:08 PM
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Anyone care to write one for corporate IT? :-)

pkellmey 04/20/2011 4:08 PM
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puddleglum :
Yeah, I loved my Amiga 3000 more than anything I've used since or anything you can get today.



I second that. It took nearly a decade before PCs were able to match my Amiga 2000 for graphics and sound.

Anonymous 04/20/2011 4:11 PM
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That view of Linux might have been funny about 10 years ago, but now it only shows vast ignorance eager to pollute others. I switched from Windows (XP) to Linux (Ubuntu) a few years ago, and I would never go back. After some rough spots getting used to the differences, I found it both easier to use and more reliable than Windows. I don't need the Windows games and everything else is there in abundance.

Bolbi 04/20/2011 4:14 PM
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Actually, modern Windows 7 reinstalls don't lose all of your files. Even if you don't back them up (which you really should), the installer dumps all of the old files into the a folder named "Windows.old". In the end, the PC steps seem to be the most painless (unless you're a millionaire!).

masterasia 04/20/2011 4:15 PM
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That's pretty funny and somewhat true.

jhansonxi 04/20/2011 4:20 PM
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rmirwin2 :
Anyone care to write one for corporate IT? :-)


1. Blame it on somebody who recently quit.
2. Blame it on the vendor.
3. Hire an upper manager's relative as a consultant.
4. Get the accounting department to pick a new system at random.

dekyos 04/20/2011 4:21 PM
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Wow, apparently this guy doesn't know anything about Linux and likes to not-so-quietly weep about it.

I know a lot of linux geeks, and we all bathe regularly, in fact probably more than those hipster Macbois dude. Linux is probably the easiest OS to deal with once you untrain all your bad Windoze and Mac habits. Migrating a Linux installation to new hardware is as easy as copying all the files, and reinstalling your boot loader. In most cases you can pull a Linux HDD out of one machine and stick it in another and boot right up.

Diversian 04/20/2011 4:21 PM
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kornelix :
That view of Linux might have been funny about 10 years ago, but now it only shows vast ignorance eager to pollute others. I switched from Windows (XP) to Linux (Ubuntu) a few years ago, and I would never go back. After some rough spots getting used to the differences, I found it both easier to use and more reliable than Windows. I don't need the Windows games and everything else is there in abundance.



The fact that you will never go back, shows your ignorance. I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm just saying you're dealing in an absolute, which is equivalent to being as close-minded as his antiquated view of linux.

Camikazi 04/20/2011 4:25 PM
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kornelix :
That view of Linux might have been funny about 10 years ago, but now it only shows vast ignorance eager to pollute others. I switched from Windows (XP) to Linux (Ubuntu) a few years ago, and I would never go back. After some rough spots getting used to the differences, I found it both easier to use and more reliable than Windows. I don't need the Windows games and everything else is there in abundance.


Yes and the view that you have to format to fix a Windows PC or buy a completely new Mac isn't true either, good lord man grow a sense of humor, it's a freaking joke.

wolfram23 04/20/2011 4:39 PM
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Man I'm having the worst time trying to install Adobe Reader X. It's frickin impossible... stupid windows being all stupid and stuff...

55Range 04/20/2011 4:49 PM
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Informative !

nukemaster 04/20/2011 4:50 PM
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wolfram23 wrote :

Man I'm having the worst time trying to install Adobe Reader X. It's frickin impossible... stupid windows being all stupid and stuff...



Well you know what to do....format and install.....NOT

Are you actually having issues? i just installed it fine....now to not use it(well, there are some rebates i use it for :)) :p

djsting 04/20/2011 4:52 PM
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hangfirew8 :
Linux Kernel is written in C, not C++.



...yep, there's one in every crowd. LOL

Lyrick 04/20/2011 4:54 PM
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Having never owned or even considered the need for a Mac. I do wonder how one goes about fixing an apple computing product. The Hardware seems almost proprietary and the software is as close to a perfectly closed system as you can find outside of the videogame console realm. Would someone explain the general process to me to help cure my curiosity and/or ignorance?
I’ve been a PC and *nix user for years and am just curious.

Rizlla 04/20/2011 4:58 PM
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I really loved that one. :D Really good read.

megamanx00 04/20/2011 5:03 PM
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I like the how to fix Windows and Mac parts. Reformatting is often the easiest solution after all and part of the reason external drives are so common ^_^. The Linux part is untrue, at least now, but sure is funny as hell. I think it was more true a few years ago though :p


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