8 Jun
2004
8 Jun
'04
2:53 p.m.
From: ard(a)p850ug1.demon.co.uk
Hi
One most often introduces more problems by random fiddling.
Find out why it's not working? [Tony's
standard rant here, but replace
'hardware' with 'software' ;-)]
:-)
Yes, my comments apply to software, hardware, electronics, mechanical
stuff, just about anything... You will never solve a problem by making
random changes in the hope it goes away (it might well seem to be cured,
but it may also come back to 'bite' you later).
Fautlfinding is done by making 'measurments' (in the widest possible
sense -- in other words gathering evidence), thinking about what you've
observed, and then working out what to do to put it right.
I'd like to add this here. Fault finding is a cycle:
1. Gather evidence
2. Make hypothesis consistent with the evidence
3. Create test to verify hypothesis
4. Repeat from 1 if that test didn't work
and add this new result as new evidence.
Number 4 may include replacing a part but usually not unless you
are really sure that you've exhausted all the angles. The first
rule of intelligent tinkering is, of course, "save all the pieces".
The second rule is "don't fix it if it ain't broken". The second
rule applies to step 4 as far as doing random replacements.
Swapping boards is not all that bad if you are sure you have the
right board from repeated steps 1 to 4. When working on old computers,
expect to spend time repairing that board as well.
Just my thoughts.
Dwight
Yes, this is a rant of mine. I've been caught too often by idiots who
don't follow this method...
-tony