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How to use Deoxit D5

Dave Farquhar Hardware February 2, 2021December 31, 2020

Retro computer enthusiasts and computer technicians either love or hate Deoxit D5. There’s no middle ground with it. But I think the hate comes from people misusing it. Used sparingly, Deoxit D5 seems like a miracle cure. Here’s how to use Deoxit D5, and when.

Dave Farquhar

David Farquhar is a computer security professional, entrepreneur, and author. He has written professionally about computers since 1991, so he was writing about retro computers when they were still new. He has been working in IT professionally since 1994 and has specialized in vulnerability management since 2013. He holds Security+ and CISSP certifications. Today he blogs five times a week, mostly about retro computers and retro gaming covering the time period from 1975 to 2000.

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Phone turns off in cold weather? Here’s the fix

Dave Farquhar Hardware January 28, 2021August 21, 2022

My wife has a phone that has a nice screen and doesn’t lag. It’s an older model but it’s still a nice phone. Well, except when it’s cold. It turns out it’s not super unheard of when a phone turns off in cold weather. So if your phone dies in cold weather, or shuts off when cold, here’s how we fixed it. It makes sense, once you think about it.

Dave Farquhar

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How often should you replace thermal paste?

Dave Farquhar Hardware January 26, 2021January 24, 2021

We usually only think about thermal paste during new system builds. But you may not know that thermal paste dries out over time and needs to be replaced. So how often should you replace thermal paste? And why do you need to?

How long thermal paste lasts depends on how hard you use your computer. It’s best to replace it every 3-5 years or so, if you keep your system that long, but there are other times it’s a good idea to replace it too.

Dave Farquhar

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What is a cold solder joint?

Dave Farquhar Hardware January 14, 2021April 12, 2022

Years ago, my monitor broke. Back then we had repair shops for such things. I called one and described the symptoms I was having. “Sounds like it could be a cold solder joint. Bring it in,” he said. But what is a cold solder joint? Isn’t solder hot?

A cold solder joint doesn’t refer to temperature, but rather, lack of electrical conductivity. A cold solder joint is a solder connection that isn’t conducting electricity the way it should.

Dave Farquhar

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30-30-30 reset

Dave Farquhar Hardware January 11, 2021May 14, 2023

If you’re messing around with routers, you’re going to come across the phrase 30-30-30 reset. Often without explanation. Here’s what this reset is and why it works.

A 30-30-30 reset is the technique of holding the reset button on a router for 30 seconds, unplugging the power at the 30 second mark while continuing to hold the button down, then plugging the power back in while holding the button an additional 30 seconds before releasing. It’s helpful on older routers, but on AC routers and newer, it’s not recommended.

Dave Farquhar

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Dell Optiplex case swap: A How-to guide

Dave Farquhar Hardware January 4, 2021March 11, 2024

Rebuilding old Dell Optiplexes for home use is common, because Dell Optiplexes are so easy to get and cheap. But there’s a problem if you want to put an Optiplex board in a standard ATX case, whether it’s to make the computer look less corporate, or because you got the board really inexpensively without a Dell case. Dell uses proprietary connectors. Not only that, the connectors aren’t even consistent across different models, even in the same generation. Here’s how to deal with that so you can do a Dell Optiplex case swap, and put a Dell motherboard in a new ATX case.

While Dell uses the standard ATX mounting holes in its minitowers and even its desktops, the front panel connectors are completely nonstandard, and sometimes the power supply connectors are too. Fortunately you can get adapters.

Dave Farquhar

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The secret history of the F-14’s flight computer

Dave Farquhar Hardware December 28, 2020

If you’re Gen X, you know the F-14. You may have even known about it before the movie Top Gun. The story of its flight computer, and the man who designed the hardware, Ray Holt, is intense. I don’t share a ton of links, but this is one you’ve gotta read. It’s the best piece of tech journalism I’ve read in years. Every possible box they taught me to check in journalism school, this story checks. I’m trying to remember the last time I saw a technology piece do that.

I’ve heard of Ray Holt before. He’s almost the Gary Kildall of computer chips. This story tells the story of his triumph, tragedy, and how he carried on, reinvented himself, and is still helping people today. It makes him human.

Dave Farquhar

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Baking computer chips: Fixing chips in an oven

Dave Farquhar Hardware, Retro Computing December 7, 2020May 21, 2024

Does baking computer chips fix them when they’re broken? Can you fix computer chips in an oven? The answer is sometimes. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to know when it will help, and when it does, we may not know why. But, when faced with a broken chip, we don’t exactly have anything to lose, either.

Baking computer chips does seem to fix them, at least sometimes. Whether it works depends entirely on why the chip failed in the first place, which isn’t always possible to know.

Dave Farquhar

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Does a USB hub need power?

Dave Farquhar Hardware December 1, 2020November 21, 2020

In the early days of USB, the majority of hubs had power. Today, the market is flooded with cheap hubs that don’t have power. That raises a legitimate question. Does a USB hub need power? Why or why not?

Dave Farquhar

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Jonard EX-2 review: The best chip puller

Dave Farquhar Hardware, Retro Computing November 17, 2020October 31, 2020

If you’re looking for the best chip puller or IC extraction tool, I don’t think anyone will argue with my assertion it’s the Jonard EX-2. I finally picked one up this fall after watching various retro Youtubers use them for more than a year. The videos aren’t exaggerating. This chip puller makes life with retro machines much easier. This is my Jonard EX-2 review.

Dave Farquhar

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