Computer Resurrection

After adjusting to life on a laptop, I had to do something about the flaking desktop. As frequent followers of this blog remember, the Compaq Presario SR1750NX started doing sudden death incidents. It was sudden, no blue screen of death, no error messages, it just stopped, monitor blank. Fearing total loss of email, bookmarks, check book, letters, plans, software, and you know it all, I backed everything up to CDs and moved operations to a laptop.
But, the Presario was still cluttering up the desk, with monitor and wires and computery stuff hogging too much space. It was either fix it or scrap it.
A new motherboard ought to do the trick, since everything is on the motherboard. So, I took the ailing machine to the workshop and did a motherboarderectomy, looking for part numbers, model numbers, dimensions, hole patterns and anything that might help me find a new board cheap. The Presario had a slather of look alike cables going to lots of wierdo connectors all over the board. But with some handwritten cable labels made from masking tape, and a sketch, I figured it would all go back together.
While I had it apart, I took the shop vac and sucked humungous dustbunnies out of everywhere. I copied down every number I could see. The maker (Asus) didn't bother to put his name on the board (poor marketing) but did put his model number A8AE-LE on it. Two thoughts crossed my mind. The works (all the hi-tech) of this American desktop were designed and manufactured in Taiwan. Americans only do sheet metal work. Second thought was only another A8AE board was gonna fit the casework without a lot a sheet metal butchery. The motherboard carries connectors for VGA, USB, keyboard, mouse, mike, headset, LAN, and Firewire, and the connectors all fit neatly into matching holes in the case. Chances of finding another make of motherboard with the same connector arrangement are slim. From web surfing I knew the A8AE board was special to Compaq and not sold to anyone but Compaq. Getting a new one thru Compaq might be pricey. Very pricey.
So, I put it back together, while I still remembered how everything went. For grins I used a Pink Pearl pencil eraser to polish the gold fingers on the RAM sticks. With it all back together, I plugged it in, just to see. Sun of a gun. She powered right up, just like new.
Damn. Is this for real, or is the mystery crapout just biding its time? I left it running for two days, and it keep right on ticking.
This morning, I backed up last months work off the laptop and loaded it back onto the Presario. Everything looks good. It may be that a simple remove and replace has fixed it for good. Stay tuned for further developments.