Heart Transplant For a computer
	This morning my office server "died" in front of us. When I came into the office, I saw my colleague was franticly clicking on the server mouse and kept mumbling, "why is it not working"? Without really staring at it I replied, "Perhaps it is not switched on?" And with a pause, she just said, "oh", pressed on the power button, walked off mumbling, "No wonder I can't access to it…" She must have a really stress day to start with. A few seconds later, I didn't hear the familiar rambling machine's "voice" indicating that it is loading up. It was utterly quiet though I saw the optical mouse light was on. The monitor remained blank and there were no "booting activity" from the CPU. Immediately "Something's wrong" strike my mind. "Server's down!" I quickly informed my colleagues. I took a closer look at the CPU (Central Processing Unit - or the box of your PC that is apart from the monitor, keyboard and mouse - just in case you do not know it) I saw an abnormal movement of the cooling fan - it was spinning slowly, as if the "pulse" is almost gone… I took the casing out, switch off the power and switch them on again, which showed the same problem - slow fan movement, and nothing is active. "Dying pulse, no brain activity… ", my mind quoted (as some diagnostics would have said) The next thing I remembered was a similar situation that my friend once wrote at his BLOG about his computer's PSU (Power Supply Unit) broke down, and immediately I tried to source for one around the office. The PSU - is the "heart" of the computer. Once it's down, it doesn't pass through any power and nothing works. Just like a human heart attack, the heart stops pumping and none others are functioning, even though blood flow is sipping through due to the pressure momentum, and in this case, the mouse and the slow fan gave way indicating that slight power is still sipping through the power cord but the "heart" isn't pumping anymore. Thank God that there was a "donor" around the corner that has been dormant for a long time. I sought out the old dusty PC and compared both PSU "hearts" and see whether it is compatible or not. Although the maximum Watt is a little higher for the other dormant PSU heart, but I took the chance and give it a try. If it doesn't work, then it would be some other problems that I needed to diagnose out.

Died PSU The "heart transplant" wasn't as complex and delicate as we human does. It's actually fairly simple as long as you remembered to connect all it's power outlets to all available "organ" components - The hardisk(s), the internal drives, CDs and most important to the motherboard. Make sure that the PSU is screwed right to its place (thank goodness they manufactured most PSU in standard designs). Fingers crossed, switching on the power button, and viola! The computer started its "booting sounds" and working again. Like humans, computers have "organs" to help it to function properly, like humans, the computers and its "organs" have lifespan too, and though it can be obtained way a lot cheaper than human organs, its lifespan is equally as short as it's price paid. From this exercise I have briefly detected ways to let laymen understand the condition of the computer without the IT jargon. Let me identify some major parts in "medical term" where average human without IT knowledge would understand. PSU (Power Supply Unit) - The Heart My explanation above would have explained properly why it is named that way for it's importance. It "pumps" power voltage to every part in the CPU till the mouse, monitor or whatever parts it is attached to. Processor (The little small square one with fan attached above) - The cerebellum It functions like the cerebellum (small brain like others said) that controls every function of the computer, extracting and storing data, making sure that the "Windows" (or Mac OS or Linux) is working properly without interference. Once it is down, it doesn't work at all and will loose all control over all "organs" and "limbs". Hardisks - The cerebrum Works likes our "big brain" it stores memories into it, only difference for hardisk is it ONLY stores information and does nothing else unlike the human brain, which has different hemisphere and different functionalities. The good thing about computers is it can have loads of "cerebrum", depending how much the computer is designed to spare. Motherboard - The spinal cord It was harder to explain and relate the motherboard to the human body but it has one similar function to it, that is to support all the "organs" and linking them in place. You can even say that it is the bone frame and muscles of the body but then it is a little too complex to determine which part is it, because the motherboard, when lightning strikes and too much voltage goes into the computer, it will be "crippled" or even "permanently paralysed" it's main function although organs can still work. Now doesn't this sound familiar for a fully paralysed person? Thanks to the "donor" old PC, my office server has finally run smoothly again and what I explained to my colleagues (of all ages) was simple and entertainment enough for them to remember: "Our server just had a major heart attack. Manage to find a donor to replace the broken heart. Please look after the server before it starts having brain tumour and loosing all your hard work at the end of the day." So, do look after your computers as you now know that they are just like humans, they do not last forever and may even have shorter lifespan than us. We may loose a limb or two and still able to function, but when one major organ breaks down in a computer, it's replacement or to the metal dumpster.

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