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It's funny. Laugh. Upgrades Hardware

Which Screw Goes Where? 471

Posted by timothy from the ok-wiseacre-bring-it-on dept.
Anonymous Coward writes "I saw this link over at HardOCP. Finally, a definitive (well, they hedge a bit at the end) guide that explains where to use each one of those little screws that come packed with new PC cases. All that and a 'test your knowledge' quiz in the bargain. Definitely bookmark-worthy."
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Which Screw Goes Where? More

Which Screw Goes Where?

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  • Don't forget to bolt the CDROM shut.... (Score:4, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 02, 2004 @09:40PM (#8165442)
    So that some crazy Loonix zealot can't screw up your computer.

  • And the answer is: (Score:5, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 02, 2004 @09:41PM (#8165458)
    They go where they fit and they don't go where they don't fit (unless you are in a hurry.)

    • Not true (Score:5, Interesting)

      by multipartmixed ( 163409 ) * on Monday February 02, 2004 @09:44PM (#8165500) Homepage
      Old 5 1/4" HH Seagate hard disks could be damanged (case warp) by using 6-32 UNC screws of the wrong length.

      Center IDE-era disks (early maxtors come to mind) could have the PCB damaged by using 6-32 UNC screws of the wrong length (i.e. case screws)

      Seen both happen personally. Did neither. The first one ruined the seals on the disk. The second one let the smoke out.
      • Who the hell uses 6-32 UNC screws these days, M4's are the way to go, vive la system internationale.

      • Re:Not true (Score:5, Funny)

        by iminplaya ( 723125 ) on Monday February 02, 2004 @10:25PM (#8165780) Journal
        The second one let the smoke out.

        I seal the case with duct tape to keep the smoke in.

        • Re:Not true (Score:5, Funny)

          by mks113 ( 208282 ) <{mks} {at} {kijabe.org}> on Tuesday February 03, 2004 @10:26AM (#8168432) Homepage Journal
          Smoke is a vital ingredient in all chips. You only have to lose a minute portion of it and your chip will no longer work. Duct tape is not sufficient to keep it in.

          However, I have a magical formula of liquid smoke. If you carefully remove the smoked chip and soak it in the liquid smoke, you can make the chip work again, guaranteed! I can sell you a bottle for just $149, shipping included!

          disclaimer -- removal of chips from a board is a sensitive process, and prone to cause unrepairable problems. The warranty for the liquid smoke does not cover damage cause by removal and reinsertion of the chip.

          -----------
          Michael, who once let the smoke out of a fujitsu drive by using a non-keyed cable.
    • any good screw can come on over to my house.... oh wait.... you weren't talking about... oh nevermind... *whistles innocently*

  • Oh man... (Score:2, Funny)

    by Grip3n ( 470031 )
    I saw this headline and figured it had something to do with pornography

    • Re:Oh man... (Score:2, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward

      "I saw this headline and figured it had something to do with pornography"

      You thought porno instead of sex. Typical slashdotter.

  • Well... (Score:5, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 02, 2004 @09:42PM (#8165465)
    If they can tell me where the one I always have left over is from, I'll be happy...

  • That Depends. . . (Score:5, Funny)

    by UFNinja ( 726662 ) on Monday February 02, 2004 @09:43PM (#8165474)
    If it's Microsoft we're talking about, you always screw the little guy. ;)

  • Uh Oh (Score:5, Funny)

    by Defender2000 ( 177459 ) <defender2000@@@mindless...com> on Monday February 02, 2004 @09:43PM (#8165475) Journal
    Looks like their webserver is about to receive the biggest scew of all.

  • Comment removed (Score:5, Funny)

    by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) on Monday February 02, 2004 @09:43PM (#8165477)
    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  • Thank God for my Slashdot subscription. With some of those pictures of the screws running 200k, I know that everything is going to buckle within the first half hour. If that, even.

    Which mades me think about an idea...

    One of these days I'm going to post a story or article, or picture that'll make slashdot's front page. Then, just as the site get slashdotted...

    I'll add porno banner popup hell to it!

    I'm not sure how much money it would end up earning me, but damn, that would be cool to see how Slash

  • Well it seems that according to that article... (Score:4, Funny)

    by MrPower ( 687654 ) on Monday February 02, 2004 @09:43PM (#8165480)
    I'm an expert at screwing!

  • They go where they fit (Score:3, Insightful)

    by KillerHamster ( 645942 ) on Monday February 02, 2004 @09:43PM (#8165483) Homepage
    Not exactly front page material, if you ask me.

    • Re:They go where they fit (Score:5, Interesting)

      by sydb ( 176695 ) <michael@NospAm.wd21.co.uk> on Monday February 02, 2004 @09:56PM (#8165593)
      There are two, sometimes three thread sizes with your standard clone PC case. Small fits floppy disks, CD/DVD drives and holds the motherboard down. Large fits hard disks, holds the blanking plates in place, and fits the power supply, usually also the case. Sometimes the case has a larger thread size.

      I thought this was obvious - screw goes where it fits, as you say. I recently went to a reasonably well respected computer shop and was served by an assistant aged around 19. I'm 30 and I've been building PCs since I was 19. The guy tried to sell me small screws for a hard disk. I told him what I thought. He pulled out a hard disk and one of his little screws and screwed it in as if to say "see?". I said to him, keep turning. Needless to say the screw had zero purchase in the hole. He still would not accept his incorrectitude.

      I really wanted to punch his spotty little face. But I didn't, as I know better.

      Stupid, pointless rant? Yes. But I've not spoken to anyone about this incident (how do you bring it up in normal conversation?) and this is truly a release to get it off my chest.
      • Stupid, pointless rant? Yes. But I've not spoken to anyone about this incident (how do you bring it up in normal conversation?) and this is truly a release to get it off my chest.

        I know your pain. That sort of thing happened to me a few times... it's a bit of true geek pride and hence you can't really rant about it to many people, only your geekiest friends...and of course, that's made doubly hard if you refuse to admit that you're a geek, which you'd have to be to actually feel a rant coming on about so

  • Easy (Score:2, Insightful)

    by t0qer ( 230538 )
    The screws with the big threads attatch peices of case together, hard drives to the case, and component cards to the case... The finer threaded screw attatch the motherboard to the case, as well as 5 1/4" drives.

    I didn't have to read the article for that.. Sorry.

    • Antec Cases (Score:3, Interesting)

      by Speare ( 84249 )
      I bought a couple of Antec cases, and I swear half the money went into a bag of extra screws and jumpers. It must have been a quarter pound of assorted nickel-plated fasteners, per case.

      I also keep a plastic vial in my zippered toolset, and if I ever end up with unused screws, I put them in that. A mentor in college taught me that these leftovers are the fruits of "system improvements." You know, three screws can hold a hard drive, especially in a box you don't keep at your desk. The fourth one is an

  • I'll bet (Score:5, Funny)

    by alex_ant ( 535895 ) on Monday February 02, 2004 @09:43PM (#8165488) Homepage Journal
    This story will get more than 500 replies because it has the word "screw" in it and geeks are intrigued by experiences they haven't had yet!

    • Re:I'll bet (Score:3, Funny)

      by Lord Kano ( 13027 )
      This story will get more than 500 replies because it has the word "screw" in it and geeks are intrigued by experiences they haven't had yet!

      Rest assured that we're not all like you.

      LK

  • I know where all of them go... (Score:4, Funny)

    by bc90021 ( 43730 ) * <`bc90021' `at' `bc90021.net'> on Monday February 02, 2004 @09:43PM (#8165491) Homepage
    ...except the last one! And it's that last one that's always left over and never fits anywhere. I would like to know where that one goes!
  • But the site sure seems screwed. I guess I'll look at it at 3:00am or so, unless they pulled it completly.

  • Well...... (Score:3, Funny)

    by eclectro ( 227083 ) on Monday February 02, 2004 @09:44PM (#8165498)

    Their server is screwed.

    Ba da da bum....it had to be said...

  • Re: (Score:2, Funny)

    by account_deleted ( 4530225 )
    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  • *shrug* (Score:5, Funny)

    by Faust7 ( 314817 ) on Monday February 02, 2004 @09:46PM (#8165521) Homepage
    I'll wager there are a lot of guys out there who have asked themselves on more than one occasion which screw are you REALLY supposed to use where,

    Hey, if she doesn't complain...

    • Re:*shrug* (Score:4, Funny)

      by The Snowman ( 116231 ) * on Monday February 02, 2004 @10:45PM (#8165889)

      Hey, if she doesn't complain...

      Oh, but she does... "if you like it that way why don't you become gay?" Most women just don't get it... it's not about which screwhole it's supposed to go in, it's about screwing it in wherever it fits :-)

  • Too complicated (Score:5, Funny)

    by Rosco P. Coltrane ( 209368 ) on Monday February 02, 2004 @09:49PM (#8165541)
    Here's the recipe to simplify your life with computer case screws (no I'm not kidding):

    - Go to your local computer hardware shop and beg them for a bag of screws. I say beg them, because they usually hold on to them like Ted Kennedy on a bottle of bourbon.

    - Whenever you screw something in your case, use the biggest screw that'll fit. In the case of hard-disks, you'll have to use the right fit, with the flush head probably. With the cases' sheet-metal holes, and with most CDROM and diskette drives, if the screw is too big, just force it in real hard until it gives way.

    - After a little while, and especially if you tinker in your case often, you'll notice that all the screws you need are the big ones. No need to remember what goes where. Voila!

    • Re:Too complicated (Score:5, Funny)

      by iminplaya ( 723125 ) on Monday February 02, 2004 @10:21PM (#8165757) Journal
      As for torqueing(?) them down, I was always told to turn it until it breaks and then back off a quarter turn.

      Saw this bumper sticker for a hardware store in Vegas: Happiness is a good screw.
    • - After a little while, and especially if you tinker in your case often, you'll notice that all the screws you need are the big ones. No need to remember what goes where. Voila!

      I've noticed that.. All of the screws in my case are the big ones.. if I need to swap out a drive I just use the ones that hold the slot covers in. There is usually a few extra at the bottom.
    • I worked for a short time at a computer retailer, who assembled their own PCs for government departments and such. Every single case had maybe 40-50 screws too many, so by the time I got there they had buckets and buckets of computer screws. An urban legend circulating around at the time had that they gave a work experience kid the job of sorting the buckets of mixed screws into bins of each kind. The funny part of the legend is at the end of the day, when they tipped all the sorted bins back into the big b
  • We do a lot of machining, and use machine screws in a variety of shapes and sizes. When we were first setting up, we thought we'd just buy 100 of all the common types of screws so we'd always have what we needed.

    Well, there are seven thread sizes (0-80,2-56,4-40,6-32,8-32,10-24,1/4-20) which we commonly use, five head types (hex cap,socket cap, filister head, flat head, set screws), lengths from 1/4 inch to six inches and more in 1/8" increments.

    So we just buy them as we need them, now.

  • Where to buy extras? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Phroggy ( 441 ) * <slashdot3@ p h roggy.com> on Monday February 02, 2004 @09:51PM (#8165557) Homepage
    OK, so, where's a good place (online) to buy a set of extra screws? They tend to disappear like ball-point pens (especially case screws), but I know where to buy pens.

    Ideally, I'd like a set that includes all the common screws; I'd also like to be able to buy a package of each type separately. It'd be really cool if each type was a different color or something, making it easier to tell them apart at a glance, but this is probably silly.

    Recommendations?
    • Fasteners [google.com]

      If you have a really good local hardware store, they often carry fasteners in more sizes than the Borg Stores.
    • OK, so, where's a good place (online) to buy a set of extra screws?

      You're serious? Do you realize how many fscking screws you would have to buy to make the shipping worth it?

      Just go to a hardware store. They sell screws. Maybe they'll be slotted instead of philips, but they will have something. I've never seen a hardware store that didn't carry screws.

      If you're going to get something online, get thumbscrews, so you don't need a screwdriver.

      • Re:Where to buy extras? (Score:4, Interesting)

        by Dr. Evil ( 3501 ) on Monday February 02, 2004 @11:48PM (#8166259)

        Most hardware stores don't sell metric screws. They have crude galvinized imperial stove bolts and other awful things.

        The absolute best place to find spare screws for computers?

        Old computers...

        Next time you see that XT sitting on the side of the road, pick it up, take out every screw and you'll have enough screws to last you a while.

    • Post your address somewhere along with what screws you need and I'm sure that many people will mail you some of their extra screws at no charge.

      Any self-respecting geek has a jar filled with hundreds of them on their desk.

    • Re:Where to buy extras? (Score:5, Funny)

      by prairiedawg ( 707996 ) on Monday February 02, 2004 @10:16PM (#8165725)
      If you come over and clean my office, you can keep whatever you find. Sad but true. I'm sure there is easily 5000+/- scattered in every nook
      and cranny of this place.

      I'm in serious need of a visit from the "Obsessive Complusive Eye for the Geek Guy" folks.

      PS. If you find my voltmeter, let me know.
    • Case screws are not bought, as much as gathered. They simply show up, unasked. Volunteer screws. "Hey...here I am, what can I screw into!?!"

      They breed in desk drawers, behind PC cases, on the floor. Eventually, your vacuum eats them (or they eat it.
      They fall out of old PC's of their own accord.
      Rebuilding a PC for your friend is always a good source. There's always a few left over.

      Bottom line...if you need to buy PC screws, obviously, you're not tinkering enough.

    • Re:Where to buy extras? (Score:5, Informative)

      by WuphonsReach ( 684551 ) on Monday February 02, 2004 @10:26PM (#8165787)
      CyberGuys [cyberguys.com] (Small Hardware) [cyberguys.com]

      Probably cheaper to go troll the dumpsters, if you can find an old 286/386/486 being tossed you can probably scavange a dozen of each size. Anytime I toss an old system, I take the 15 minutes to strip it of any screws / connectors / etc.

      The small screws (usually for mounting CD-ROMs to the side-brackets) are 4mm fine, the 6mm (6x32) screws are for the case / slot covers / hard drive mounting. Don't forget to either get small snack-pack rubbermaid containers (about 2" round, 1.5" deep) to hold the screws/bits, or those yellow plastic stopper tubes (1/2" x 5").

      (I really don't understand the fuss about the issue at all... there's pretty much just the 2 types of screws, 4mm fine and 6x32.)

    • Thumb screws (Score:3, Informative)

      by Mr2cents ( 323101 )
      Just bought a few anodized thumb screws at my local PC dealer, to replace the philips ones. It makes live a lot easier when you have to open your case, I consider it money well spent (and yes, they are colored).

    • Re:Where to buy extras? (Score:3, Informative)

      by xyote ( 598794 )
      The PC places will charge you about a dollar for a few screws of questionable quality. You are better off going places that specialize in them and buy in quantities of about a hundred. It doesn't cost that much more and you will always have spares.

      Try here [microfasteners.com], here [fastener-express.com], or here [nutty.com]. Also here [aaronstorxscrews.com] for torx screws as well as regular machine screws if you can figure out how to navigate the site. Has every type, size and style imaginable. You can even get black oxide coated for your black cases. A little patience with

    • Re:Where to buy extras? (Score:3, Informative)

      by KC7GR ( 473279 )
      There are three standard sizes I've found in use in most PC's (and a great many non-PC systems). They can be found at either a well-stocked hardware store (may NOT be Home Depot or Lowes -- you'll probably have better luck with an independent), or at equally well-stocked electronic supply places. Those sizes are:

      6-32: Used most often for disk drives, case screws, and the ones that hold expansion cards and blank plates in.

      6-40: Often used for CD-ROMs, DVD, or tape drives.

      4-40: Used for smaller stuff like
  • What I've wanted to do for years is to go down to Fry's and just buy a Monster Screw Assortment. You know, 100 of each kind.

    I have a bin full of (non-matching) screws from cases I've assembled over the years and what I really really would love to do is to throw them all out.

    I did it a few years back with my kitchen silverware - I bought 2 complete sets of new silverware, took it home and threw out all the old stuff. Every single old, knife, fork and spoon got pitched. Now everything matches.

    I would lo

  • The coalescion[ESC-db]calcification of fact. (Score:3, Insightful)

    by torpor ( 458 ) <ibisum AT gmail DOT com> on Monday February 02, 2004 @09:56PM (#8165588) Homepage Journal
    It seems to me that the Internet is still growing, larger and larger, every day. It is a beautiful thing.

    The fact that there is now a 'screw guide' in existence just floors me, at a point in my life where I simply thought I would never be flabbergasted again ...

  • Where is 'Clip-On/Slid-In (COSI)' PC cases? (Score:4, Funny)

    by maliabu ( 665176 ) on Monday February 02, 2004 @09:57PM (#8165598)
    i would like to see some clip-on/slid-in cases and parts.

    many furnitures can be assembled without screws, and they're pretty solid and stable, i'm sure one can achieve that in computers.

    the lack of screws will also eliminate newbie mistakes of "make sure your motherboard is not in any contact with the case because of screws".

  • You need a guide for this!? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by theLOUDroom ( 556455 ) on Monday February 02, 2004 @09:59PM (#8165607)
    As long as you have nerve endings in your fingers, you should not need a guide for what screw goes where.

    Just try one that looks right. If it's too small go bigger. If it feels like it's cross threading, use the other thread style (fine/coarse). If it feels like it's getting hard to screw too soon try a shorter one.

    There, that's the whole damn guide. We're not talking a about a device that needs grade 5 bolts in one place an normal bolts in another. It's all obvious. Just follow this simple rule:
    If it feels wrong, it's wrong, don't force it.

    It should be applied to ANY screwing you do ;)
    • Alternately, just get a tap and die set... the really small kind...

    • Re:You need a guide for this!? (Score:5, Insightful)

      by shadowbearer ( 554144 ) on Monday February 02, 2004 @10:59PM (#8165956) Homepage Journal
      Well said!, yes, but :)

      If it feels wrong, it's wrong, don't force it.

      Man, you wouldn't *believe* how many times I've run across screws that were literally forced into the wrong holes (cross threaded or wrong threads, or wrong size). I don't own a full tap set for nothing.

      You're assuming that a lot of these kids^H^H^H^H people screwing^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H assembling boxes know what cross threading a screw even means, much less what it feels like. I currently work in a hardware store, in addition to fixing machines in my spare time, and I've seen and heard it all too often.

      It's not something that you can teach over the Internet; it needs hands-on (Note to Self: cut the jokes already) teaching.

      Seriously tho:

      My feeling (after fixing so many MCSE^H^H^H^H inexperienced screwups), is that if someone can't even figure out which screws will fit properly then they probably have no business whatsoever assembling a whole machine inside a case (installing components that mount to the case is the *easy* part, fer crying out loud! ) /rant :) :)

      I just had to get that off my chest...dammit, it's hard to be serious about this when you're giggling constantly *grin*

      Yeah, we all learn somewhere. I understand that. But at least *ask* someone before you muck up $80 of hardware? (then try to return it) - I know many techs aren't willing to spend the time, but there are others who are. (as a side note, it's amazing how much more people listen to a hardware guy vs. how they listen to a computer tech. It's been enlightening, sad, and infuriating at the same time)

      Note: This is one of those subjects that there will never, ever be agreement on. So be it. Twenty years ago I was rethreading spark plug ports, and for the same reason.

      It should be applied to ANY screwing you do ;)

      Especially the kind that can result in fork() ;)

      SB

  • Screws are like women... (Score:3, Funny)

    by AsnFkr ( 545033 ) on Monday February 02, 2004 @10:01PM (#8165616) Homepage Journal
    ...Push hard enough and they will fit in any hole. (mod me down)

  • The best part (Score:5, Informative)

    by 3Suns ( 250606 ) on Monday February 02, 2004 @10:11PM (#8165686) Homepage
    The best part of the article is the link in the sidebar to Fastener Hut [fastenerhut.com]

  • Little primer (Score:5, Informative)

    by Chris Siegler ( 3170 ) on Monday February 02, 2004 @10:12PM (#8165700)
    Already slashdotted, but I'll give a short primer for those confused diy'ers You generally only need two different size screws: M3 [nanosys1.com] and 6-32 [nanosys1.com].

    The M3 always seem to come in the same length and get used for 3.5" floppy drives, DVD-ROM, CDROM, Burner (ie anything that goes into the 5 1/4" bays). They usually get used to attach the motherboard by screwing into the brass standoffs that the mobo sits on (more on that later).

    The 6-32 get used to secure PCI/AGP cards onto the case, for securing the case side panels, and sometimes also fit the standoffs used to secure a motherboard (Enlight cases are an example of this). If you try to put an M3 screw into a standoff that wants a 6-32, it will probably work going in but not out, which pretty much sucks but we've all done it. It's pretty hard to differentiate a 6-32 brass standoff from a M3 one just by looking at it.

    Hard drives also use 6-32 screws, but they have to be shorter than what ordinarily gets used elsewhere. The hard drive manufacturers aren't obvious about what length is recommended, but 1/4" or 4mm is about right. For some cases with removable drive bays (like Antec), the hex head screws stick out too far and won't work, so you'll need a flat head. This is usually where the bag of screws you get with the case comes in useful, so I try to use those first. You don't want to use an ordinary 6-32 length screws (not sure how long they are), since they could damage the drive.

    Other than screws, I suggest buying some paper washers [nanosys1.com] that go between the screw and the motherboard. Not really necessary, but they insure that there's no electrical short and prevent damage of the motherboard. Well worth the $0.10 each or whatever.

    Since you never seem to get directions with a case (or they're totally incomprehensible), I suggest separating all the hardware into groups to figure out what you've got. It's easiest just to buy the screws and washers in bulk and not mess with all the different weird screws you'll ordinarily get though.

    • Re:Little primer (Score:5, Insightful)

      by MattBurke ( 58682 ) on Monday February 02, 2004 @10:25PM (#8165783)
      Other than screws, I suggest buying some paper washers that go between the screw and the motherboard. Not really necessary, but they insure that there's no electrical short and prevent damage of the motherboard.

      around the screwholes in motherboards is usually a ring of soldered area which is actually designed to meet the risers and form a ground connection...

    • Re:Little primer (Score:4, Informative)

      by theLOUDroom ( 556455 ) on Monday February 02, 2004 @10:33PM (#8165826)
      Other than screws, I suggest buying some paper washers that go between the screw and the motherboard. Not really necessary, but they insure that there's no electrical short and prevent damage of the motherboard. Well worth the $0.10 each or whatever.

      I would suggest NOT doing that. Those holes are designed to be electrically grounded to the chassis. The electrical engineers who designed your motherboard are smart enough to know that people use metal screws in metal computer cases.

      If you insulate one of those holes, a ground connection that your motherboard manfacturer was expecting to be made, is not being made. This typically would not cause a problem, as there are plenty of other ground connections to the motherboard, but there is nothing to be gained by removing some of them.

      • Re:Little primer (Score:4, Informative)

        by zerocool^ ( 112121 ) on Tuesday February 03, 2004 @12:50AM (#8166567) Homepage Journal
        I would suggest NOT doing that. Those holes are designed to be electrically grounded to the chassis.

        Incorrect. ATX Power supplies have a plethera of ground wires, which ground inside the power supply, which ground into the wall outlet. What good would grounding something to your case do? There's no electrical difference, unless your floor is the ground and your case isn't on plastic feet.

        Many cases (including mine) provide *plastic* risers for motherboards.

        ~Will

        • Re:Little primer (Score:3, Interesting)

          by theLOUDroom ( 556455 )
          Incorrect. ATX Power supplies have a plethera of ground wires, which ground inside the power supply, which ground into the wall outlet. What good would grounding something to your case do? There's no electrical difference, unless your floor is the ground and your case isn't on plastic feet.

          Electrically, it's VERY different. Obviously you know nothing about radio frequency electronics. Ever heard of shielding? That's why your case is grounded.

          I said motherboards are designed for those holes to be gro

  • Fuzzy Logic? (Score:2, Insightful)

    by maliabu ( 665176 )
    where's our fuzzy logic? aren't we human supposed to have the ability to try things and adjust accordingly.

    next week we'll see "The Guide To Showers": If you prefer 32'C shower, turn the handle clock-wise 10 degree.....
  • A while back I put together a computer for someone and I wound up getting a case that was built without a single screw. Not one, not for the drives, or anything, honest to god.

    Tim

  • Definitely bookmark-worthy? (Score:4, Funny)

    by still cynical ( 17020 ) on Monday February 02, 2004 @10:23PM (#8165773) Homepage
    Thank you, no. I've already bookmarked a 404.

  • Crap I thought was being DDOS'd (Score:5, Informative)

    by Grimster ( 127581 ) on Monday February 02, 2004 @10:54PM (#8165933) Homepage
    Then after I suspend the site thinking it's being DDOS'd I come refresh slashdot and what do I see?

    Folks that site is on a small shared server, their hosting plan is like a 3 gig per MONTH plan (and they've never used much over 2.5 gigs in a month) so that server croaked FAST.

    Now that I know it isn't a DDOS I'll see if I can get them on something that can handle it.

    (I host this site and just suspended it due to the traffic killing the server).

    They're on an empty server and DNS is updated, with some redirects going on, hopefully that'll help now.

  • Mirror (Score:4, Informative)

    by FiberOpPraise ( 607416 ) on Monday February 02, 2004 @11:04PM (#8165992) Homepage
    To save you some bandwidth, I can try to help. Mirror [fibersnet.net]

  • 5 out of 5... oh dear (Score:5, Funny)

    by brad-d ( 30038 ) on Monday February 02, 2004 @11:15PM (#8166065)
    1st: scoring an invite to Orkut and subsequently having almost all of the invitations I send out being rejected.
    2nd: realising I'm still an INTJ personality type despite my best effort to change.
    3rd: scoring 5/5 on the 'name the screw test'.

    Things aren't looking up for me in the get-a-life-dept. are they?

  • CD-ROM Screws? (Score:3, Informative)

    by elmegil ( 12001 ) on Monday February 02, 2004 @11:28PM (#8166138) Homepage Journal
    I don't agree. They looked like PCI Card screws to me, which aren't always necessarily the same as case screws (may not have the lock nuts on them for example). All the CD-ROMs I have use the same screws as my hard drives....

  • Who needs screws... (Score:3, Funny)

    by AJWM ( 19027 ) on Tuesday February 03, 2004 @12:16AM (#8166408) Homepage
    ...when you've got duct tape?

  • That is my website...the host pulled the plug. (Score:4, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 03, 2004 @12:22AM (#8166427)
    They moved it to a new server and the DNS hasn't caught up. Here is a direct link:

    http://216.180.233.175/~bunker/

  • Why do some components use metrical screws? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by mali ( 157259 ) on Tuesday February 03, 2004 @08:42AM (#8167902)
    Maybe there's a simple explaination:

    All components using (metrical) M3 screws have originally been built by european and/or japanese companies: As far as I know, the 3,5" diskette has been introduced by Sony in 1980, the CD-ROM drive was originally developed by Philips and Sony and introduced in the midth of the eighties.

    In contrast, the 5,25" floppy disk drive (which uses non-metric screws as well - if I remember correctly) was "invented" by Shugart in 1976, the harddisk is an american invention as well ...

    Just an idea ...

  • Some history about screw sizes (Score:5, Informative)

    by sloepoke51 ( 657405 ) on Tuesday February 03, 2004 @09:26AM (#8168072)
    About the floppy / CDROM / hard drive screws and why are they mixed. When I was working for Olivetti back in the early 80's, we saw some of the first 3-1/2 inch floppy drives from ALPS and Sony. Since these came from Japan, and Japan uses metric sizes, they designed them with metric screws. The original 5-1/4 floppy drives came from the USA from Shugart (the original designers). The first Winchester hard drives originally came from IBM, IIRC, and since IBM is a US company, they used #6 screws. When Shugart and others (mostly US companies) started to build 5 1/4 hard drives, which are the same size as the 5 1/4 floppy drives, they used the same screws and mounting pattern as the Shugart "standard." They also used the same power connector so things would connect together with a minimum of odd connectors. So when manufactures started to build 3 1/2 sized hard drives, they used the same screw as the 5 1/4 hard drives. CDROM drives first came from Japanese / European manufactures (IIRC - Sony / Phillips), so they used "proper" screws - metric, not the holdout, oddball USA, still using the now outdated English sizing. One note about CDROM screws - IIRC, Floppy screws and CDROM screws both come in the short M5 4mm length. It seems that some of the early CDROM drives could get ruined if long (greater that 4mm) were used. The electronics were packed right up to the edges, and one could short out things inside if one used long screws. This problem has gone away, since the shrinking of the electronics, and dumb people who used the long M5 (greater than 5mm length) screws ruined the drives.

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