Faking pc breakage

Banzai_Joe

Banzai_Joe

Banzai_Joe

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Hi all. Slightly weird question here. But is there any SAFE way to disable a pc so it 'looks' broken when someone tries to power it up.
I'm trying to prove a point to some smartassed know it all and want to catch him out before he damages some legitimate kit.

Obviously taking the battery out just loses settings so thats no good. It has to be a SAFE method, to make it look like the pc is broken and requires a new mobo and cpu. Don't just wanna unplug the power from the mobo or anything like that, too obvious.
The mobo in question is a Foxconn 915P7AD-SEKRS running a P4 3.0GHz cpu.

Any help would be appreciated, thanks :)
 
Whip the power button cable off the jumpers or move the reset BIOS settings jumper over to reset (should prevent it from booting until it's moved back)
 
If you have a spare HDD, install XP on it then edit the boot.ini so it is incorrect.
Completely software - But he might say that you need a new HDD.

If you have SATA HDD's - Turn off the SATA Chip in the BIOS - So basically your drives are disabled?
(And he can't break your HDD's further as he'll not be able to access them)

The CMOS Jumper one suggested by Cuchulain is good, but don't leave it like that for too long.

LOL - One that any standard 'user' gets confuddled by - Leave a floppy in the drive. ^_^
"NTLDR is missing"
If he doesn't immediately go to the floppy drive to check - Then oviously doesn't have much exerience. :p
 
unseat the graphics card slightly - so it still looks like it's in, but it's not.

Actually, thinking about it, plug the cable that goes from the power and restart buttons in the case into their headers, but upside down (ie +ve in -ve) - did that myself once and it took me far too long to work out what I'd done wrong.

fini
 
Cuchulain said:
move the reset BIOS settings jumper over to reset (should prevent it from booting until it's moved back)
Click to expand...

Motherboard manuals warn against this is no uncertain words!

fini said:
Actually, thinking about it, plug the cable that goes from the power and restart buttons in the case into their headers, but upside down (ie +ve in -ve) - did that myself once and it took me far too long to work out what I'd done wrong.
Click to expand...

That doesn't make a difference does it? It's just a switch...I've never paid any attention to that and never had any problems.
 
Actually, thinking about it, plug the cable that goes from the power and restart buttons in the case into their headers, but upside down (ie +ve in -ve) - did that myself once and it took me far too long to work out what I'd done wrong.
Click to expand...

That won't do a thing, the power and reset cables work either way as it's a switch.
 
Mud said:
That doesn't make a difference does it? It's just a switch...I've never paid any attention to that and never had any problems.
Click to expand...
Hmm, I definitely had issue with one build with that - maybe they were one pin off where they should have been or something and I didn't notice.
 
Clown said:
Why are you putting so much effort into this? Just elbow drop him and teach him who's boss.
Click to expand...


made me chuckle, got some weird looks too lol. or maybe the figure 4 leg lock, or the sharp shooter (scorpian death lock?) and make him squeel who the daddy is.
 
Lol, thanks guys, all good, esepcially the physically violent solutions.
I just remembered about the case switches. Someone mentioned it makes no difference, but i've done it before where they were the wrong way round and the thing wouldn't boot.
I basically want it to de DOA....as soon as you switch it on.

I think someones fishing for a new PC! :p
Click to expand...

:eek: The thought never crossed me mind, officer.....honest! ;)
 
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