Epic Win: From trash to treasure
Ok kiddos, get ready for a great success story from yours truly!
So my university has a swap room in the basement, where all unwanted/broken/abandoned things go and it’s basically a big free-for-all for anyone in the building who wants it.
I pop in the swap room from time to time, mostly because it’s like free shopping and I like to browse (you know itttt). The other day I was walking by and noticed two iMacs sitting down there. Usually any computer that enters the swap is either ancient or broken beyond repair, but nevertheless I checked it out. One computer looked completely fine but had a note that said “graphics card broken” and the other had the screen separated from the body and was hanging by a single cord (SO sad). I decided to bring them both upstairs, plug them in and assess the damage.
Multiple co-workers passed by my desk and told me nothing would probably come of this. They didn’t even have power cords and one of them clearly had been dropped (hence, the screen coming detached). I just have always felt strongly about being curious and not jumping to conclusions. Why judge something hopeless without even trying? So I just ignored them and did it anyways ;)
The first computer (with the screen) turned on just fine (take that, haters!), but I could only enter as a guest and the child-lock settings were on. After googling a bit, I figured out how to hack my way in and create a new admin account for myself (hollaaaaa). Haven’t had any issues with the graphics card, and it actually has a decent amount of power/memory! Much more than my Macbook laptop!
To my surprise, the second computer with the hanging screen actually powered on, although there was no display (surprise, surprise). At this point, my hovering co-workers told me to not get my hopes up, because there was no WAY the second one was salvageable. I figured at this point, they were probably just a little jealous, since either way I was getting a free desktop out of this. Nevertheless, I’m a curious gal, so I was going to do it regardless of their opinions ;)
Since I could see all the internal components of the computer (thank you, detached screen), I was able to determine that a display cable had come off of the motherboard. When I re-attached it, voilà, the computer displayed a picture! The hard drive was completely wiped (it had also come unplugged), but I learned how to unlock the drive and re-install the OSX from the internet (thank you, google!). I secured the display with some packing tape, and just like that, I had another iMac ready to go!
Turns out, this second Mac was newer than the other one, had no reported graphics card issues, and since the screen was detached, it would be pretty easy to install more memory and an SSD in place of the old hard drive, so I decided to claim it for myself and I asked my PI if I could buy the parts to do the upgrade. He agreed! Once it’s done, it’s going to be a great desktop computer :) Additionally, some other lucky person in the lab can claim the first one for themselves.
Anyways, two main lessons learned here today:
1. NEVER judge a swap by it’s cover. It could be a hidden gem ;)
2. When it comes to tech (and so many other things), people always think they know better than you (especially when you’re a woman in a male dominated field). If you want to try something and are being told not to bother because it’s not possible, just say, “Thanks for the input, but I’m going to try it anyways.” (or just nod until they leave and then do it after they’re gone!). Don’t let someone else tell you what can and cannot be done. It’s perfectly fine if you fail, but the important thing is trying it out and coming to the conclusion yourself! At the very least, you’ll learn things along the way :)
- Queen of the bench
Want to share an epic fail or epic win? Drop me a message or ask! It can be as anonymous as you want :)
