Remember when we used to test RAM with a pencil eraser?

I was cleaning out my old toolkit and found a pack of those pink erasers. It got me thinking about how we used to fix bad memory contacts by rubbing them down. Last month, I had a stubborn desktop from 2012 that wouldn't post. Just for laughs, I tried the old eraser trick on the DDR3 sticks. To my shock, it actually worked and the machine booted right up. I thought that fix died with IDE cables and dial-up. It made me realize how much we rely on new tools and forget the simple stuff that still works. What's an old-school trick you still pull out sometimes when the fancy gear fails?

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3 Comments

bethjackson5mo ago

My grandpa swore by using a pencil eraser on the edge connectors of game cartridges. That trick saved my old Nintendo more than once.

5

grayw325mo ago

Yeah but that grit can get stuck in the connector later. I always blew it out with my breath after.

7

rowan8494mo ago

Always blew on them like everyone else but this actually makes way more sense. Might have to try it next time I dig out the old console.

3