Server crashing: Good news?

[Joale]

I started thinking about server crashes, and just because they are a pain, it makes them almost impossible to get a virus going, I mean, if it crashes over and over for every little weird thing that happens in the game, or with the server, it seems like a real caveman secruirity systom, is this true, or is it genuinly a pain and nothing else.

[enderandrew]

Rebooting doesn't protect you from a virus.

However, I believe the server runs on Linux (Ubuntu specifically) and that will basically protect from a virus.

[Zontick]

Pure speculation here, but educated speculation.

(1) The server crash is probably hardware related, not software. This conclusion comes from the fact that the server has been down in excess of 24 hours, and from what I understand the server is donated (or, in essence, lowest priority to fix).

(2) Virus? Really? Confickr vs. Laanx? I don't think so.

[Joale]

Yes, Viruses... really, I'm not saying the crash was caused by a virus, i am saying that maybe a crash could stop a virus... what are you getting at?

[Zontick]

Yes, Viruses... really, I'm not saying the crash was caused by a virus, i am saying that maybe a crash could stop a virus... what are you getting at?

Yes. To protect yourself from viruses, crashing your computer is a valid method. However, the consequences can be severe. Should you feel the need to crash your computer because of the possibility of infection, you can...

• Hit it with a hammer, repeatedly. Note: You should not hit the monitor as this will not crash your computer (unless it is a laptop). The downside is that it can be expensive to UnCrash (tm) it.
• Open the case and place peanut butter on all fans, then let your Rottweiler (or one you borrowed) clean everything off. Again, UnCrashing can be pricey.
• Disagree with Xillix in Notepad. Then Xillix will lock you out of Notepad and crash your computer.
• Remember Benjamin Franklin, the kite and the key? Again, expensive to UnCrash.
• Last, but certainly not least, you can turn your computer off, unplug everything and pack it in a warehouse in Kansas. Then you just fool yourself and your friends that it crashed. Shipping to Kansas can be expensive, so the UnCrash could be expensive as well

Please take this in the good humor it was written in. In fact, try to one up me with a way to crash your computer. That would make it interesting.

[enderandrew]

I was working for HP doing warranty repair/troubleshooting.  We get a PC with no video.  We tried replacing just about every component in the box and were scratching our heads to isolate what component it was.  I suspected since we were doing one component at a time, that it might actually be two bad components and suggested both the motherboard and video card might both be bad.  I explained that in assembly, they often didn't properly secure the video card in the AGP slot, and the during testing, they would plug the PC into monitors to run diagnostics.  Pluggin in, and pulling out cables to an unsecured card while it is plugged in can cause the card to lift up, and then reseat while power is running through it.

My coworker said, "oh really?" and pulled the card out, and reseated it while the PC was plugged in.  She then said, "I just finished troubleshooting the problem.  Now I'm convinced it is a bad video card and motherboard."