One of my long-time customers in Auchenflower called after he and his wife got back from a month away. His wife’s desktop PC wouldn’t start, so I went out the next day. With the recent storm in mind, I suspected the power supply. When I arrived, I found the PC was powering on, but the monitor was getting no picture.
I removed the graphics card and connected the monitor to the PC’s built-in video output. The picture came straight up. The card had collected a fair bit of dust, and some of it looked as though it had absorbed moisture. It’s something I’ve seen before in computers that have sat unused for weeks. Damp dust can become slightly conductive, and in the wrong spot it can interfere with the electronics.
I cleaned the card and refitted it. The picture came back through the card, and after a quick tune-up the PC was running well again.
While I was there, my customer asked me to look at the wireless keyboard he prefers to use with his ThinkPad. The keyboard powered on, but its little USB receiver appeared to have gone missing while they were away. We ordered a compatible replacement for delivery. Once it arrives, the next step is to pair it with the keyboard.
