Your Flaky Hardware by the Random Culten

Previous Symptoms
What do you do with your Flaky Hardware?

A little while back, we asked "What do you do with your Flaky Hardware?". We got quite a few responses. Most of them were new to me. All of them were odd. You people are freaks. I mean that in a good way, but still Geez, you guys are freaks. By the way, CcLeader asked me to mention that people are not hardware. While we contain electrical components, your boyfriend is not the same kind of flaky that my lawnmower is. Thanks.
-the Pedro Picasso

Pseudonym: Lowly Initiate
Severity: bane
Problem: CD-R Drive sometimes refuses to read regular disks, instead insisting that they are music discs instead...
Solution: I blow in it, I blow on the disks, I have even washed the disks in the sink, then carefully dried them - sometimes the magic holds, and the data appears - most of the time it fails. I don't know why it only happens with some disks. Sucks to be me...

Pseudonym: Office Girl the Magnificent
Severity: bane
Problem: The printer of my home computer -- printers are the bane of flaky hardware everywhere -- sort of "forgets" that it's turned on. So I give the print command, and the little error window pops up. "WARNING: THE COMPUTER HAS LOST COMMUNICATION WITH THE PRINTER!" They're like an old married couple who don't talk any more. The computer (her name is Jane) keeps talking, and the printer just keeps reading the paper and saying, "Mm-hmmm..."
Solution: I turn off the printer and turn it back on. I figure, when my parents have communication problems, they usually go away after my father takes a nap.

Pseudonym: My roommate is a monkey
Severity: hoodoo
Problem: My dishwasher doesn't work.
Solution: Sometimes, I slap her.

Pseudonym: Lowly Initiate
Severity: mischief
Problem: The VCR I got for free in college would not synch.
Solution: My roomate (not kidding) put books under the right front and left rear corners, a motorcycle helmet on the right rear and another, heavier book on the left front, and, presto, it would play beautifully. Just wouldn't record...