Disaster Not really a disaster mod, more like euthanasia

I have this old PC sitting around thats about on it's last leg. It's an old P3 433mHz that is becoming a pain in my @$$. My wife said I can replace it with another one when/if it dies. I have tried everything I know to make this thing die, and she knows it. She bet me a Western Digital 74GB 10K rpm hard drive that I could not kill it by the end of the week. I'm at a loss as to what I can do to make this thing die. There are rules, of course... I cannot open the PC case, no physical damage inside or out. Therefore, it has to be somewhat software based. I basically just want the hard disk to die with no evidence of any wrongdoing. I would like this to not take very long either, if possible. Oh yeah, and no flames or sparks as I cannot afford to replace my entire house. It's running on Windows 2000 SP4. What can I do? IS there some DOS command that will cause the HD to spin out of control? Is there some hidden windows feature thatwould make a BSO extreme D? This is serious now. I have until Sunday @ midnight EST. HELP!!!

 

go into bios and OC it to death.

 

I think I should also mention that it's an old Dell PC so the BIOS is pretty much only good for nothing. Ugh.

Also I cannot format it as the format itself will not kill it, only make it empty in the way of files. WIndows can still be reinstalled. I want this thing deader'n'a doornail. ALso, I don't really have access to a very strong magnet. Nothing stronger than a refrigerator magnet.

 

try running it by plugging it in your kitchen, and stick it in the oven on a real low setting, get it to overheat really bad... im sure its totally unsafe, but thats all i got.

 

Well, I figure you don't want to play with electricity, since that has a chance of causing fire/shock damage to the case or you. So, we'll scratch that one out.

(In case you do, put a large amperage into any and all of the rear-panel connectors, it'll take the mobo for sure.)

Do a Dell BIOS update, and when it tells you not to reboot, do so.

EDIT:

You could always do this:

 

Thats's a really freakin' good idea. Damn, I don't know why I didn't thinkk about that one. Man, we may have a winner. One question though, can that be fixed, short of a replacement of the BIOS chip?

 

TBH, I don't know, I've never tried. I'd assume so, but then again, if neither of us know, it's unfixable.

P.S. Do the Etherkiller thing. Send movies/pics.

 

The etherkiller thing? I must be a serious n00b cuz thats the first time I've ever heard of that.

 

A Bad BIOS Flash will Kill the MB, and unless you replace the BIOS, it's dead


Or....

Are you running 220 or 110 ? if 220, set the PowerSupply to 110

You could try cycling the power switch in back a Lot, ON/Off/On/Off while holding the Power Button down

Or, While Powered up, Shake the mess out of it, or witout opening it up, blow some iron fillings into the case.

 

One other thing

Go buy a Plasma Globe & Open it up, and touch the HV Wire to the connectors in the back of the case

 

That's the picture I posted above. It goes from the wall, right into the back of your PC, taking out the LAN and anything that stands in its path to the ground, meaning the entire board.

He's in the US, so he'll be running 110 already. Switching it to 220 here doesn't do anything, it just won't power up.

I've never heard of the holding down power button and cycling the PSU before. Doesn't seem like it would cause anything to go really wrong, just a lot of quick on-offs.

Shaking the PC really hard probably won't do much damage, you'd have to really apply some force to get the HDD to crash. Like, beating it against the wall force. Since physical damage like that wouldn't be fair, probably a no-go.

The iron filings idea would work, if you could get them to short out the motherboard. You'd need some very small ones, or they won't be carried far by the fan.

If you're looking for a really sneaky way, shoot a little tap water inside the back fan port while it's running. Use an old Windex bottle or something like that. Poof, no evidence, it's all evaporated, and the motherboard is nice and fried.

 

With older systems, the quick cycling of the PS may cause some unclean Voltages to run through the system before the PS settles down

But may cause some cards to work loose & short out

Just blow them in the PS

That would also work well

I see no prob with the plasma globe idea

 

Why has no one offered up the easiest of ideas? Take a good size glass of water and splash it on the pc when it's booted. Trust me, it'll work.

 

does beating ur wife over the head with it count

joking but heres my idea, cant b touched from the inside and no physical damage? when she aint looking open it up and cut a few of the atx power cables
bang no boot.

 

a massive magnet should sort your problem, but since a large enough magnet would be heavy the ether/power cable might be a better option

 

I think that flash BIOS with wrong version may help

 

why is every one taking the long root. you promised NOT to open the pc right so open the plug and remove the fuse. the plug is'nt part of the PC its part of the power cable so remove fuse, switch it on nothing happens oh dear its dead its not booting get new system then strip old system and sell parts on bit tech

ps this will of couse only work if you show you wife it not booting up when shes to tired to think of changing the fuse (subtle hint) alcohol should help here.

 

what kind of hard drive is it? Sometimes you can download diagnostic utilities that include a burn in util. Cover any fans/vents and set for as many iterations of the burn in as possible. That's sort of a wait and hope unlike some other suggestions. As for the bios, I'm pretty sure that's unfixable.

 

stick a metal screw into the back of the powersupply

I promise you this will work.

or try a really really messed up cd with jagged edges in the cdrom drive..

Edit: Also, try jamming the mouse end in the wrong way, or shoving two pins into one hole, this happend to a computer i was given to fix, the board would boot, but worthless kause you couldn't get a kb to work

unless it was usb i guess.

 

That Etherkiller is by far the most wicked thing I've seen today. Extend that cable and leave the jack end laying around at a LAN party sometime, the Wall plug securly plugged. "Didn't someone say they needed a cable?"