As a follow up to my earlier post where I documented the removal of the power supply from my Dell Dimension 9100, I wanted to add that I received the power supply (on Friday) and have successfully resurrected my Dell Dimension 9100 yet again (3rd or 4th time at this point). The fun thing is that I was able to do this for only$42.95. Had the power supply not been the issue, then the next step would have been to replace the motherboard, which would have set me back about $200.00 or so (before any add-ons or RAM updates). Changing out the power supply was definitely the more affordable option (and much cheaper than buying a whole new option).
This documentation shows that you don’t have to be an expert to play around with and resurrect “dead” computers. All you really need is a little curiousity, some bravery, and a bit of Solution Fluency. Computer repair specialists charge a fortune for this kind of work. Next time your computer gives you a hard time, give it a try, rip it apart, and see what you can do. I think you’ll be surprised.
At this point, I am highly excited and am currently backing up my server to “Phoenix” one more time.
Here is the unboxing and replacement
Thanks for sharing this, Aaron! What a great example you’ve set here for students and adults alike: we can all see that with hard work and determination, anything’s possible. This really shows (again) the power of perseverance.
I’m definitely going to share these posts with my students as a great example for them. I wonder if this will make them think twice the next time that they think that “something’s not possible” or that “something’s too hard.”
In the past year, I’ve done a lot of reading about giving students the opportunity to fail, with the hope that they’ll learn from their mistakes and get better as a result. I’ve really taken this to heart in my math class this year, and students are now open to making mistakes and trying again. Why not let them see that this is possible in so many other situations?
Thanks for the inspiration!
Aviva
http://www.weinspirefutures.com