I normally absolutely refuse to pirate software on my customer pcs in my shop, my windows licenses are not 100% legit (online bought OEM stickers) but at least it's there.

The thing is: I feel bad for my pre-8th gen customers that are not going to receive support the next year, so i'm wondering, should i just install W11 LTSC IoT? it works wonderfully and officially doesn't require TPM and all the other stuff so it would work on older machines (installed it on my personal T430 and it's smooth as butter, and didn't even have to rufus it)

The moral dilemma is: Pirate it as it's the only way for the normal folk to install it or telling my customers that they should begin thinking about replacing perfectly good machines?

what are y’all’s thoughts on the repairability of all in one computers? I am helping someone find a new computer and I recommended an all in one computer that is optimal for the type of work they do, and their IT person said that all in ones are hard to repair hardware wise and that it would be hard to repair the hardware if need be

is the answer to just use HDMI or DisplayPort to pass digital audio?

I’ve been using computers for a long time and always had an interest in tech, but I felt stuck because I couldn’t afford college to earn a degree. Recently, I found out my tribe (Native American) will pay for my college education, which is an incredible opportunity, and now I’m looking to transition out of my current industry (automotive).

Right now, I’m in the $90k range on a good year, but it comes at a cost. I’m literally working my fingers to the bone, breathing in fumes and dust every day, and facing long two-hour daily commutes. On top of that, I have a wife and a lot of kids who I want to spend more time with. Working from home and doing something I enjoy is my dream, but I also need to make sure it’s financially sustainable for my family.

I’ve always loved video games, and the idea of creating them is really appealing. But I’m unsure if that’s a realistic or lucrative career path, especially starting later in life. My dad mentioned that programming and IT might be oversaturated, so I’m trying to figure out where I could fit in or what’s worth pursuing.

What are your thoughts on tech-related fields (or any other suggestions)? Are there careers where I could leverage my computer skills, earn well, and eventually work from home? I’d love to hear about people’s experiences or advice for someone in my position.

Thanks in advance!

Hello I’m a sophomore in high school and I have completed my first extremely simple cpu. Its specifications are as follows.

• 4-Bit calculations, (add, subtract, AND)
• 96 bytes of EEPROM storage
• 32 bytes of RAM
• Simulated at 20HZ but can most likely be upped to much much higher speeds

The instruction set is as follows.

0000 Do nothing 0001 move register 3C to register 1A 0010 move register 3C to register 2B 0011 add register 1A and register 2B to register 3C 0100 subtract register 1A and register 2B to register 3C 0101 AND register 1A and register 2B to register 3C 0110 set register 1A to [address] (next storage address) 0111 set register 2B to [address] (next storage address) 1000 set [address] (next storage address) to register 3C 1001 set register 2B to [0000] 1010 set register 1A to [0000] 1011 set selected storage register to [address] (next storage address) 1100 N/A (Not used) 1101 jump to [address] (next storage address) 1110 jump to [address] (next storage address) if zero flag is set 1111 jump to [address] (next storage address) if carry flag is set

I’ve made a simple program for the cpu to run that tests all the instructions that are pre programmed into the cpu. If you would like you can make your own, I would love to know how it goes if you do.

I’m excited to finally finish this project but this is just the first step. My next cpu with be a 4-bit cpu with a 8-bit memory bus and 16 selectable input drives. I will also include I/O and possibly a very simple L1 cache to learn the basics of it. As well as a full rework of the instruction set that will also of course include a full redesign of my microcode.

Just a few questions as well. Should I move to logisim from circutverse? Are there any major/noticable issues you notice that I could fix?

Edit: Here’s the link to see it my apologies didn’t realize it wasn’t in this. Centurn 140 V1 (4-Bit CPU)

hello all, im a high schooler at the moment and want to become ,as the title says, a computer technician. the idea of working in an office fixing computers and phones and anything thats brought to me, moderately unbothered sounds like a life long thing I can do! but of course I have no idea where to start, I know a little bit of HTML and some Javascript but I know HTML would be useless in this path. Any advice would be really appreciated!!

Hi everyone i'm trying to get some mac os installers on my newly bought ST400,
I'm having some troubles getting it working, i tried making a 8gb VHD, presenting it to a mac, and getting high sierra on it through the command but once attached to the mac it refuses to accept it as a bootable device, what am i doing wrong?

I work as the it guy for McDonald’s and one if my stores recently got remodeled. They said I could have the kiosk. My first thought was to make it shuffle pictures, like a giant smart picture frame. Now I’m thinking about installing an emulator on there. Does anyone have a good idea for what I should do with it, or a recommendation for an emulator that would be compatible with the touchscreen? Is there a way to load a phone is on there? I’m open to any ideas

These days it's absolutely killing me scrapping/recycling usable machines. Competent, perfectly capable PCs that don't need to be "cast off".

BUT

I know perfectly well that a 4th gen i7/i5 with 16GB of RAM and Linux is effectively not even an option for a "normie" American. They wouldn't even entertain the thought of it, and since it can't be made to run Windows 11 in a meaningful/reliable way, what is everyone doing with machines like these?

Are you also giving in and recycling these machines?

I could build a small home out of perfectly usable machines that most people now consider scrap.

Microsoft can eat s#@$.

Hey, everybody. I'm grateful for all the good advice I've gotten on this sub so far, and it has helped me get a lot of stuff in order for starting my first business as an in-home technician / tech tutor with a special focus on cybersecurity hygiene and older users. I've worked out my pricing scheme, set up a website I'm fairly proud of, gotten some good promo photos, bought business cards, begun a Facebook business page...I've got nearly everything in place. Yet to do still are business insurance (my guy is soliciting quotes) and to have my lawyer look over my drafted SOW, TOS, privacy policy, et al. Otherwise I'm essentially ready to start booking.

My title question (and sorry it's so broad), comes from the fact I'm very unhappy in my day job, and I'm now hanging more hope on this new business 'taking off' than I was before. It was at first a "nice if I can make money on the side, nicer if I can replace my main job" kind of thing. But whether I was happy at my day job or not, if the business did well, the day would come regardless where it becomes incompatible with a 9-5 M-F because I need those times available for booking, especially with a target demographic that is likely to be retired. So I'm saying, whether I rip off the band-aid of quitting my day job in two weeks or two months, it's getting ripped off sooner or later and I want to have the best shot I can at staying afloat.

My fiancée makes okay money so we wouldn't starve if I drop my day job, but major compromises will need to happen if I can't turn up a lot of business rapidly.

So my question, based on the experience of those of you doing this work independently, is how did you successfully establish yourselves? How did you survive the gap between leaving a steady job and breaking out on your own? How did you grow your clientele base, and do you have any good ideas about how to do it as rapidly as possible?

Thank you!

I have a question. when preparing windows instalations shuld I straight up refuse it the client has no key or doesnt plan to buy one ? I was curious if I could just install not activated windows and let the client activate it by themselves but from what I have read it isnt the right course of action. Do you have any sugestions ? Are there some specific windows instalations that allow me to install it ? Can I at leat upgrade the operating system if client has something like windos 7/8 key ?
I dont know if this is correct subreddit for this question but you guys seem reliable so I will give it a go :P

Hi y'all, looking for any recs from the people that have bought or currently use the electric dusters and blowers to clean out components. What are your favorites?

I work in a small computer repair shop. I also have a 3D printer, a desire to make something useful, and just enough CAD skills to be dangerous. Only problem is that I'm short on ideas that might be useful. What 3d-printable tools or doodads would make your life better as a computer tech?

Hey everyone I am a field service engineer for Lenovo, Asus, Dell and HP.

I’m back to using my iFixit kit after my Aliexpress electric screwdriver died again, it’s a cheap tool but I love it for my wrist, it uses an N30 motor with .35nm torque and 300 rpm.

These n30s are awesome, they break threadlocker easily and don’t cam out, but the brushes inside keep dying.

I have replaced countless of brushes for both myself and fellow technicians.

Frankly after busting off another resistor trying to pry these suckers open I am sick of it.

Does anyone have a suggestion for a screwdriver that won’t break the bank but will break threadlock?

I do not want the iFixit one, they send some to our office that thing eats batteries like an Atari lynx.

The xiaomi wowstick is overpriced and can’t handle threadlock

For reference this is the screwdrivers we use:

https://imgur.com/a/UPg22A8

A little bit of background: I've been fixing my own computer, and some from my family and friends, for a handful of years now. I wouldn't call myself an expert by any means, but I feel like I have a solid grasp on the basics.

With that small pool of knowledge and the tools for my own repairs I had the idea of developing a small side gig out of it, for both money and knowledge. Still not quite ready to go yet; I'm still reading stuff like ExamCompass and watching people like Messer and Meyers to really choke those basics out, and I've also been messing with a broken device I had lying around to lose the fear of fucking up.

And then I found this subreddit, with lots of useful answers and resources, which gave me the idea of asking about my most persistent doubts in this little venture. Those being related to what it says in the title: Living in a low income/low resources place where one may not DoorDash spare parts out of Walmart, most people make less than begging money and stuff breaks down all the time. For an american comparison, think Alaska but not at all snowy.

With that said, I would like to know if any of my seniors here can give me suggestions about these topics:

• Old and Outdated Devices: Specifically, how to keep them in a working state without needing possibly expensive upgrades or an entire replacement. Not necessarily as good as modern devices, but as functional as could be expected for 10+ years old devices. I understand some cases might be too far gone, but having ideas about how to help would be nice.
• Reusing Components: Getting damaged devices around is simple, and they often have parts needed for other devices. Which parts are often worth reusing and which are just better to replace with new stuff, how to tell if a component might be damaged and whether is savvy to break down one thing to fix another.
• Soldiering: Worth it for someone starting out? I've seen some agreement that circuit board soldiering is where good money can be made, but tools seem to be expensive and I may lack the foundational knowledge needed to take a stab at it.

In summary, I would like to know ways to DIY and scrap together as much as possible, in such a way that my prices could be more about labor and less about spares and upgrades. I would also like to be as independent as a one-me operation could possibly get, since I might not be able to refer clients to, for example, a data recovery site. So any good practices, must-have tools, savvy business and general knowledge from people who have been doing this way longer than myself would be greatly appreciated.

And thanks for reading this long ass post :D

I’m currently a sophomore in high school and I am currently infatuated with computer science. I’ve designed a few parts of a cpu before but this is my first main project. It is a 4 bit cpu at 2Khz with addition, subtraction, and AND logical computations. It has a 12 bit memory bus that has 172 bytes of storage and 32 bytes of ram. I want to make an 8 bit cpu at 4-8Khz based on the same architecture soon. I’m wondering about how stacks work in the cpu I get their for the steps of a problem but I just need more explanation, and any idea how dual core chips differ from single cores Ive been wanting to make one for a while now.also I’m looking into Photolithography and I’m wondering if anyone has any tips on how to start that process for a diy chip making process. I understand the basics but I just need some more help. I’m hoping a nice silicon chip with at the most 10000 transistors on a rather large piece. Thanks for the read and I hope to see your response.

(Edit) I know 10000 transistors is extremely difficult to reach on a homemade level, but I’m aiming for something that’s impressive enough for people to care about, as my early cpu designs have been glossed over by basically everyone I’ve shown it to. I’m also looking to talk to college professors soon for recommendations into MIT I hope so I would like to have something very noteworthy to present.

CreationSpace has had a few electric screwdriver products and other tools on Kickstarter, but nothing new since May. The products they created seem to be available on AliExpress, like the CS0802A, which had some really good reviews a few months ago, but are these the actual CreationSpace devices, or are they counterfeits?

Hiya, hopefully not to broad a question but I'm looking to put my Desktop Support experience to work and offer PC repairs as a home business.

I'm UK based, just wondered where to start really?

So I wonder how you are all handling the elephant in the room that is exactly this?

Do you stick to the strict line of Microsoft Windows 11 won't support your hardware so "no soup for you"? Here's a new laptop/desktop you can buy. It is one hell of a sales opportunity right? I know my distributor will love me forever and all that. They will love you too. But where does all this old hardware go?!?

Or are you likely to help your customer in bypassing 11's requirements? Because Microsoft themselves pretty much offer the method to do exactly that. With caveats. You know that this isn't quite kosher or such. The bar is too high for the requirements anyhow. All that business.

There are systems out there that even pass all requirements for 11 including TPM 2.0 but because their CPU isn't on the list.. There are some pretty dare I say tardy machines that somehow are listed but other high powered hardware that isn't. Example being a cheap Pentium Silver N5000 Asus laptop I have just been working on. Fully meets 11 specs. But an i7 7th gen machine doesn't. Despite it costing 10 times as much? Wtf It's a head scratcher.

My own feelings on this is treating it as partly an opportunity to retire hardware that truly ought to be retired. But I also have little hesitation in getting those systems that ought to have been entitled to run 11. Such as the 7th gen i7 machines Definitely. Bypass the requirements by whatever means necessary. Anything less is doing a disservice to your customer. Of course still make them aware. Even some older PC's than that. Plus not everyone has the money to buy a new system or do a major upgrade.

Or let the customer stick with 10 without security updates. Beyond October next year. Or guide them into switching to Linux or that Google OS? Whatever it's called. Or some will be happy to pay for extended support for 10. Its just another subscription. Even though price for that will be increasing every year.

Hi guys. Is comptia a+ enough to become efficient at repairing computers and phones?

Hi, me and my friend want to start a small bussiness in the future repairing / maintaining PCs, laptops and mobile devices. I have been wondering what are some nesscessary tools to complete the diagnostics ?
At home and doing repairs for friends I usually use :

HWINFO - for general information about the device and fo temperature readings
Furmark + GPU Shark - for testing GPU performance and temps
Linux bootable USB - for both removing windows passwords and to boot a device without hard drive

I wanted to either make a pendrive with all the nescessary software or make a bootable kali linux pendrive with the software preinstalled. the latter might have problems with older bioses however and testing things on kali might not be the optimal way when the user is running something like windows 11.

So I wanted to ask your opinion. How would you prepare it and which programs are nescessary for this type of job ? Also when it comes to mobile repair I am more versed doing repairs rather than testing them. So I can swap battery or screen etc. but I dont know any programs to properly troubleshoot and test devices. Apreciate any help !

What are good companies/jobs to apply to? Any tips/advice?

Looking to begin with the end in mind. This is a precursor for me. starting a ASS program in cybersec soon within 3-6 months. How did you guys land your job in help desk? Any mistakes you can share that you learnt?

I am curious to the rest of you in the game. PC support & sales tech support etc I mean. Do you offer this service at all?

Today I had a client. Older guy. He'd partly fallen for one of these FB messages from one of his contacts wanting help but then had his FB account taken over by some Nigerian scammer. Who had also scammed his friend. Anyway after a considerable amount of faffing around. I managed to get his account logged in. FB had at least disabled it because it had been flagged for suspicion. Once done I turned on multifactor authentication. And that ensured he had a recovery email account. The things I would do for my own account in safeguarding security.

FB as part of identification process was wanting him to supply an old credit card number which was listed in his account. That card had been canceled due to another scam incident had been through earlier in the year. Which was another job for me back then. This is really why I felt partly obligated to help him out again and didn't just politely show him the door and wish him good luck in getting his FB account back. Anyway I had him call his bank which issued the card. But they weren't able to help with that old credit card number. So it was an hour on hold for no result there. Anyhow after all of that. I got him logged back in. I did clear the payment info facebook had stored so that won't be an issue again.

I wonder though what others thoughts are on doing this kind of work? Given how difficult it is to speak to a human at Facebook, Google or any of these companies. And the AI processes to do with account recovery are not intuitive at all. Many times I have tried to help and ended up giving up. Today's experience was a rare positive one for me. Another customer I attempted to help get her FB account back ended in failure. And she just ended up having to use a new FB account.

There are those kinds of customers that will be completely clueless about their email password etc or even what email was used for their social media. I would rather not even attempt to help them. Because I know it's going to be a failure. At least my guy today knew exactly what his passwords were. I sure know it's impossible to help people that won't help themselves.

Not sure where to ask this, but I found a cisco meraki AP at goodwill for $5. They retail for $500 brand new, I've installed a few dozen of them through my time.

Am I able to sell this for closer to used value? I'm not sure if I can use it, but it does power on. I tried to download the app and lol n behold, it's an enterprise account only situation. I then got worried about selling it, cause idk if there's some kind of lease on it from Cisco or what have you. Not sure what to do with it now..

(I did install them, but I didn't stage them, so I'm not sure where to start it I actually wanted to try to use it. Not asking to break rule 1. I'll figure something out, but I'd rather sell it..)

Ok guys weird one here, we have omni bridge devices deployed on Xerox printers and it is randomly throwing a weird MAC address that is just 1 off from the real one...

Real 68:7Cxxxxx Random 64:7C....

Throw me your best ideas as to why