From Newsgroup: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action


It's that time of year again! Come visit Spalls-land for the 2026
computer blow-out! All sorts of computers are on display for this
once-a-year event! Fun for kids and adults alike!!!!1!1!!

No, I'm not selling anything. I'm /cleaning/ stuff. Once a year I take
out the old PCs and give 'em a good dusting and --when that's done--
update any software that needs updating. Why, you ask? Why not, I say!
It's fun making the dust-bunnies fly! Dirty lagomorphs of the world,
take to the air!

In truth, most of my PCs don't actually need that much cleaning. Heck,
most of them don't get used all that much over the course of the year;
there's no opportunity for them to suck grit into their vents. Even
the ones that do get a lot of use rarely need more than a quick blast
from the electric blower. But I like having clean fans, and a quick
rub-down of the chassis makes everything so nicely shiny.

More important is the software updates. Not just the usual OS stuff,
but the apps. Pretty much all my PCs run the same load, so I just
download all the new versions to a shared folder and run the same
installers from there. Of course, some PCs are so old that none of the
modern versions are compatible anymore. Less work for me!

I also take an opportunity to update my data-files so all the PCs have
the same version. It's sort of an emergency back-up. If I ever lose
the file-server and it's back-ups, at least I still have some of the
data stored on an ancient laptop or three ;-)

Plus, it gives me an excuse to play with all my ancient computers
again. The ancient Lenovo running DOS/Win3; my beige-box Win95 PC with
its Matrox Mystique and GUS Max, the Win98SE with a hundred classic turn-of-the-millennium games... I still appreciate them all. And hey,
if one of them doesn't turn on... even better! Time to whip out the
tools and do some diagnostics! Who doesn't love staring at
electrolytic caps to see if they're leaking, or futzing about with boot-loaders? No one normal, that's for sure! ;-)

How often do you give your PCs -old or new- some loving maintenance?
Maybe do it this weekend; you used to love playing games on that old
Compaq; why not show it some appreciation after sitting in the attic
for so long? And if you end up spending three hours playing "Unreal
Tournament" on it afterwards, all the better!




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From Newsgroup: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action

Once a year I take
out the old PCs and give 'em a good dusting and

We've likely argued this before, but I vacuum my pc (with appropriate attachment) instead of using compressed air. And you're right, it's a good time to take a peek inside. I just run win11 now, so not much software updating.

rms

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From Newsgroup: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action

On Thu, 26 Mar 2026 19:33:15 -0600, "rms" <rmsmoo@moomoo.net> said
this thing:

Once a year I take
out the old PCs and give 'em a good dusting and

We've likely argued this before, but I vacuum my pc (with appropriate
attachment) instead of using compressed air.

Compressed air is such a rip-off. Too expensive, and the cryogenic
cold it generates can be dangerous to chips if you're not careful.

That said --and I'm aware this probably doesn't apply to you, rms; I'm
just throwing this out for the unaware-- you shouldn't be using an
ordinary vacuum for cleaning your PC either. Most vacuums generate a
lot of static electricity and the sensitive chips inside your PC
really don't like that.

Personally, I also prefer blowers to vacuums just because I don't want something (maybe a jumper or a poorly soldered component) getting
accidentally sucked up without me noticing. With a blower, I'll at
least hear any parts ripped off a board rattling around the case. And
then the joy of reattaching them! ;-)

Plus, I get an unusual amount of glee at watching the dust blow out
into air. Of course, that's also why I wait for the weather to break
before I do the yearly blow-out; I take the machines outside so the
dust settles on the grass and not my furniture.

But properly used, vacuums are good too. Not as much fun, but good.
;-)

And you're right, it's a good
time to take a peek inside. I just run win11 now, so not much software >updating.

The windows updates mostly take care of themselves. But a number of
the apps I use don't have auto-updates (or I've disabled that feature)
so I take this opportunity to catch up with any newer versions. Plus,
computers that I never turn wouldn't auto-update anyway ;-)

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From Newsgroup: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action

Mine needs to be cleaned badly. :(
--
"My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge." --Psalm 62:7. Tirey Thursday!
Note: A fixed width font (Courier, Monospace, etc.) is required to see this signature correctly.
/\___/\ Ant(Dude) @ http://aqfl.net & http://antfarm.home.dhs.org.
/ /\ /\ \ Please nuke ANT if replying by e-mail.
| |o o| |
\ _ /
( )
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From Newsgroup: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action

On 3/27/2026 4:52 PM, Ant wrote:

Mine needs to be cleaned badly. :(

Well, you're small enough! Get in there and clean it!
--
I've done good in this world. Now I'm tired and just want to be a cranky
dirty old man.
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From Newsgroup: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action

On Fri, 27 Mar 2026 17:30:09 -0700, Dimensional Traveler
<dtravel@sonic.net> said this thing:

On 3/27/2026 4:52 PM, Ant wrote:

Mine needs to be cleaned badly. :(

Well, you're small enough! Get in there and clean it!

Dust-grain by dust-grain, clean it out! Get the whole colony into it!
Fun activity for the whole (extended) family! ;-)

I've never really had a 'needs to be cleaned badly' PC. You know the
sort; the ones where there are visible dust-balls rolling around in
the chassis and the fans are so encrusted it's a wonder they even turn
anymore. I've had to _clean_ some like that, but I've always been a
bit more pre-emptive with my own devices. Less out of some
oversensitive cleanliness fetish and more because dusty fans are NOISY
and I'm really sensitive to the irregular sounds they make when they
are unbalanced by heavy dust.

You hear stories about some PCs; finding dead animals trapped within.
I've never quite had that experience; the worst I found was a dead
waterbug (american cockroach). But any stories you may have heard
about how I screeched like a six-year old girl and used the longest
pliers I could find to pick it up and carry it to the trash are
completely untrue.


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From Newsgroup: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action

On 3/28/2026 9:15 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

On Fri, 27 Mar 2026 17:30:09 -0700, Dimensional Traveler
<dtravel@sonic.net> said this thing:

On 3/27/2026 4:52 PM, Ant wrote:

Mine needs to be cleaned badly. :(

Well, you're small enough! Get in there and clean it!

Dust-grain by dust-grain, clean it out! Get the whole colony into it!
Fun activity for the whole (extended) family! ;-)

I've never really had a 'needs to be cleaned badly' PC. You know the
sort; the ones where there are visible dust-balls rolling around in
the chassis and the fans are so encrusted it's a wonder they even turn anymore. I've had to _clean_ some like that, but I've always been a
bit more pre-emptive with my own devices. Less out of some
oversensitive cleanliness fetish and more because dusty fans are NOISY
and I'm really sensitive to the irregular sounds they make when they
are unbalanced by heavy dust.

You hear stories about some PCs; finding dead animals trapped within.
I've never quite had that experience; the worst I found was a dead
waterbug (american cockroach). But any stories you may have heard
about how I screeched like a six-year old girl and used the longest
pliers I could find to pick it up and carry it to the trash are
completely untrue.

And the video of that incident is, of course, ENTIRELY AI. ;)
--
I've done good in this world. Now I'm tired and just want to be a cranky
dirty old man.
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From Newsgroup: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action

Dimensional Traveler <dtravel@sonic.net> wrote:

On 3/27/2026 4:52 PM, Ant wrote:

Mine needs to be cleaned badly. :(

Well, you're small enough! Get in there and clean it!

Nope. I am not small!
--
"My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge." --Psalm 62:7. Tirey Thursday!
Note: A fixed width font (Courier, Monospace, etc.) is required to see this signature correctly.
/\___/\ Ant(Dude) @ http://aqfl.net & http://antfarm.home.dhs.org.
/ /\ /\ \ Please nuke ANT if replying by e-mail.
| |o o| |
\ _ /
( )
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From Newsgroup: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action

Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:

On Fri, 27 Mar 2026 17:30:09 -0700, Dimensional Traveler
<dtravel@sonic.net> said this thing:

On 3/27/2026 4:52 PM, Ant wrote:

Mine needs to be cleaned badly. :(

Well, you're small enough! Get in there and clean it!

Dust-grain by dust-grain, clean it out! Get the whole colony into it!
Fun activity for the whole (extended) family! ;-)

I am a solo colony. :(

I've never really had a 'needs to be cleaned badly' PC. You know the
sort; the ones where there are visible dust-balls rolling around in
the chassis and the fans are so encrusted it's a wonder they even turn anymore. I've had to _clean_ some like that, but I've always been a
bit more pre-emptive with my own devices. Less out of some
oversensitive cleanliness fetish and more because dusty fans are NOISY
and I'm really sensitive to the irregular sounds they make when they
are unbalanced by heavy dust.

You hear stories about some PCs; finding dead animals trapped within.
I've never quite had that experience; the worst I found was a dead
waterbug (american cockroach). But any stories you may have heard
about how I screeched like a six-year old girl and used the longest
pliers I could find to pick it up and carry it to the trash are
completely untrue.

And dead ants (not my colony's and me).
--
"My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge." --Psalm 62:7. Tirey Thursday!
Note: A fixed width font (Courier, Monospace, etc.) is required to see this signature correctly.
/\___/\ Ant(Dude) @ http://aqfl.net & http://antfarm.home.dhs.org.
/ /\ /\ \ Please nuke ANT if replying by e-mail.
| |o o| |
\ _ /
( )
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From Newsgroup: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action

On 3/27/2026 8:33 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

On Thu, 26 Mar 2026 19:33:15 -0600, "rms" <rmsmoo@moomoo.net> said
this thing:

Once a year I take
out the old PCs and give 'em a good dusting and

We've likely argued this before, but I vacuum my pc (with appropriate
attachment) instead of using compressed air.

Compressed air is such a rip-off. Too expensive, and the cryogenic
cold it generates can be dangerous to chips if you're not careful.

At home that's all I use. I do have an electric leaf blower with two
speeds though. My desktop hasn't accumulated enough dust to worry about
it yet, though it's looking a little dusty. I've had it since shortly
after ER released which was... wow 4 years ago. I didn't think it'd
been that long.

I've also noticed fans/computer seem to quit working when you blow them
out, so am reluctant to do so, and usually only do it when it's
otherwise affecting the PC anyway.

That said --and I'm aware this probably doesn't apply to you, rms; I'm
just throwing this out for the unaware-- you shouldn't be using an
ordinary vacuum for cleaning your PC either. Most vacuums generate a
lot of static electricity and the sensitive chips inside your PC
really don't like that.

Personally, I also prefer blowers to vacuums just because I don't want something (maybe a jumper or a poorly soldered component) getting accidentally sucked up without me noticing. With a blower, I'll at
least hear any parts ripped off a board rattling around the case. And
then the joy of reattaching them! ;-)

Also another hazard of blowing/vaccuming.

Plus, I get an unusual amount of glee at watching the dust blow out
into air. Of course, that's also why I wait for the weather to break
before I do the yearly blow-out; I take the machines outside so the
dust settles on the grass and not my furniture.

But properly used, vacuums are good too. Not as much fun, but good.
;-)

And you're right, it's a good
time to take a peek inside. I just run win11 now, so not much software
updating.

I've got an acrylic panel so I can see inside. I didn't buy it for
that, it was just one of the cheaper desktop cases that was large enough
for me.

I'm still on windows 10. One of these days I'll get around to 11 I guess.

The windows updates mostly take care of themselves. But a number of
the apps I use don't have auto-updates (or I've disabled that feature)
so I take this opportunity to catch up with any newer versions. Plus, computers that I never turn wouldn't auto-update anyway ;-)

I'm a bit wary of auto-updates, but have windows on auto-update, and
nvidia on notify. The rest, no way.
--
-Justisaur

ø-ø
(\_/)\
`-'\ `--.___,
¶¬'\( ,_.-'
\\
^'
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From Newsgroup: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action

On Mon, 30 Mar 2026 09:43:44 -0700, Justisaur <justisaur@yahoo.com>
said this thing:

On 3/27/2026 8:33 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

I've also noticed fans/computer seem to quit working when you blow them
out, so am reluctant to do so, and usually only do it when it's
otherwise affecting the PC anyway.

I've never had a fan stop working completely but you can cause
problems if you aren't careful. For instance, if you blow too much air
too fast through the fan, you can get it spinning far faster than it's
designed to, which might damage the bearings. More likely though is
that you'll unbalance the fan slightly (so it'll tilt slightly to one
side), which can wear out the bearings faster (it'll also make it
noisier because it's an uneven air-flow).

That said, I use my electro-duster-matic on fans all the time. I like
to see the dust puff out ;-)

I've got an acrylic panel so I can see inside. I didn't buy it for
that, it was just one of the cheaper desktop cases that was large enough
for me.

Argh, isn't it though? Especially if you are looking for anything
vaguely gaming-capable, they're gonna stick an acryllic or glass plate
on the side. And the alternatives always cost, like, $50 more. It's
terrible. I got caught in that too. I just stuck a big black sheet of construction paper over it though.

I'm still on windows 10. One of these days I'll get around to 11 I guess.

If you have the option... don't. It really is a downgrade. Especially
if you have AMD hardware, seriously think about linux.

I'm a bit wary of auto-updates, but have windows on auto-update, and
nvidia on notify. The rest, no way.

Same. I think I have my browser set to 'auto-download and notify' but
otherwise I just wait until the yearly blow-out to update most of my
apps manually. Most of the programs I use are fairly mature anyway, so
they aren't updating all that regularly. And if they do? Well, I can
probably live with an obscure CTD bug in paint.net (or whatever) for a
few months. ;-)





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From Newsgroup: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action

Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> wrote at 01:49 this Sunday (GMT):

Dimensional Traveler <dtravel@sonic.net> wrote:

On 3/27/2026 4:52 PM, Ant wrote:

Mine needs to be cleaned badly. :(

Well, you're small enough! Get in there and clean it!

Nope. I am not small!

proof? :>
--
user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom
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From Newsgroup: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action

On 27/03/2026 15:33, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

Compressed air is such a rip-off. Too expensive, and the cryogenic
cold it generates can be dangerous to chips if you're not careful.

As I make model kits I have an compressor with a tank, so just let it
fill up and it's more than enough to clean a PC.

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From Newsgroup: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action

On Mon, 30 Mar 2026 20:53:59 +0100, JAB <noway@nochance.com> said this
thing:

On 27/03/2026 15:33, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

Compressed air is such a rip-off. Too expensive, and the cryogenic
cold it generates can be dangerous to chips if you're not careful.

As I make model kits I have an compressor with a tank, so just let it
fill up and it's more than enough to clean a PC.

Well, I was talking about the stuff in the cans. I've seen it going
for up tp $10 a can (usually a bit less, but still) and it doesn't
last very long at all.

Myself, I'd worry about the strength of the stream coming from the
compressed tank though. But I guess if you're using it on model kits
it's not that fast/damaging. There's also the potential of ESD as
well. Make sure everything is well grounded

(related note: Just yesterday I static-shock killed an LED lamp after
walking across a carpet and building up enough of a charge that it
fried the lamp when I tried to turn it on. But it was a cheapie $5
lamp from a six-letter on Amazon, so I'm not surprised it lacked
robustness ;-)




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From Newsgroup: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action

candycanearter07 <candycanearter07@candycanearter07.nomail.afraid> wrote:

Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> wrote at 01:49 this Sunday (GMT):

Dimensional Traveler <dtravel@sonic.net> wrote:

On 3/27/2026 4:52 PM, Ant wrote:

Mine needs to be cleaned badly. :(

Well, you're small enough! Get in there and clean it!

Nope. I am not small!

proof? :>

https://zimage.com/~ant/antfarm/about/pictures/wanted.gif :P
--
"He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and he carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted." --Isaiah 53:3-4
Note: A fixed width font (Courier, Monospace, etc.) is required to see this signature correctly.
/\___/\ Ant(Dude) @ http://aqfl.net & http://antfarm.home.dhs.org.
/ /\ /\ \ Please nuke ANT if replying by e-mail.
| |o o| |
\ _ /
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From Newsgroup: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action


This is not a product recommendation!!!

I just found it amusing that as we were discussing
blowers/vacuumn/compressed air for cleaning our PCs, there happened to
be an article about a recommended air duster/blower thingee here: https://www.techradar.com/gaming/pc-gaming/the-extremely-handy-and-super-cheap-air-duster-i-use-to-clean-out-my-gaming-pc-is-back-on-sale-again

Is the blower any good? I've no idea. Is the article being honest or
is it an advertorial? Who knows. Is this thing better than using a
vacuum or compressed air tank to clean your PC? I'm not saying either
way.

I just liked the coincidence of the article appearing at the same time
as our discussion... and, hey, maybe if you DON'T have a way to get
the dust out of your PC yet (and are thinking that maybe you should)
you might be interested in the product, or one like it.


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