It goes by
many names, but hitting the computer to make it work is a common trope called
"percussive maintenance." This pop culture staple shaped the basics
of repairing a PC (or any device) on the fritz, but it has also occurred in
real life. During the Apollo 12 mission, then-astronaut Alan Bean tapped the
camera on Surveyor 3 with a hammer to restore the video feed.
Some claim
that their clunky computers returned to working condition after one well-placed
hit. However, there's a reason for percussive maintenance being more common in
TV shows and films than in real life. The Apollo 12 incident is based on mission
logs; the rest of the instances are either fake or open to debate.
Tech experts
know very well not to hit sensitive electronics. RAM and video cards are no
thicker than a wafer; anything less of a hacksaw can easily split it. Overall,
percussive maintenance is too risky to be reliable. It's better to forward PC
problems to someone who doesn't believe in the power of a karate chop to fix a
PC.
So the next
time your PC starts acting up, don't go for your arms or legs. Let an expert
computer repair service fix it for you.
