[NBLUG/talk] Trying to explain sudden computer death...

[Walter Hansen]

re: alcohol thing

I've always had good luck with plain old rubbing alcohol and everclear
when that's not around. Sometimes even vodka. The thing to remember is to
wipe it up afterwords as non-pure alcohol can leave residue. But the
residue is mostly just denatured water (not a very good conduct ant, but
it evaporates). Alcohol is the solvent, it cleans up the other gunk, then
you wipe it off.

You can buy pure alcohol, but it's expensive and seldom on hand, where
I've yet to be to a home yet where they can't produce something that I
often use.

This is a little like the static rules. I took a modem card into a mac
place in a ziplock bag once and they had a fit. In actual experience
computer parts are some of the hardiest things I've seen. I've dug cards
partway out of dirt that had been exposed to elements for weeks and
cleaned them off and dried them out and they just work. Now if you use the
as contact points for zapping your sister during static weather, that's
another story.

Ack, what was I trying to say anyway?