What is the worst thing that you have done to a computer that was running?

[rodent]

When i copied CDs, the source cd drive wouldn't eject after the copying was done, until the system was power cycled. Well, so I got tired of having to shut down everytime I was done copying a CD, so I just decided to unplug the cd drive and plug it back in.. while the system was running.

Nice blue spark, nice loud buzz from the PS, and a fried 32x cdrom.. Oh well, I replaced it with a 48x and all has been well since! 🙂

 

[Vinny N]

I bought a huge socket 7 heatsink+fan combo a long time ago at a computer show. I could never find any motherboard that it'd fit on, so eventually I ended up using it to cool the back of my 4mb Orchid Righteous 3d voodoo1. Worked like a charm, all I did was keep it in place with scotch tape.

It worked so well that I decided to carry it on when I got my Creative Labs RivaTNT1.

Well one time, the fan on it started rattling a little (not enough scotch tape I guess 🙂) , so I decided, what the heck, let's just move it(heatsink and all) a little.

Gigantic white spark, little green lines at the top of the video display(same weird lines when I o/c it wwwwaaay too high), and of course, frozen windows desktop.

Suffice to say, I promised myself never to run a "floating" HSF on the back of a video card until I get some frag tape to stick the bottom directly to the video card.

Turn it off, and turn it back on, works like a charm.