how to clean insertion pins?

21 Feb 2005 2:17 AM

Lullaby

Hi, after 5 hours trying to fight a BSOD I realized that the only problem
was that the pins of my graphic card were dusty/oxidized.

Now my hardware question: what is the proper way to clean the insertion pins
of RAM, AGP and other cards? Should I use alcohol, water, voodoo...?

Thanks.

21 Feb 2005 8:46 AM

kony

On Mon, 21 Feb 2005 03:17:57 +0100, "Lullaby" <l***@by.net>
wrote:

>Hi, after 5 hours trying to fight a BSOD I realized that the only problem
>was that the pins of my graphic card were dusty/oxidized.
>
>Now my hardware question: what is the proper way to clean the insertion pins
>of RAM, AGP and other cards? Should I use alcohol, water, voodoo...?
>
>Thanks.

Maybe contact cleaner?
Naw, too obvious.

What else do you have?
Contact cleaner?
Olive oil?
Jim & Coke?
Contact cleaner?
Chicken Broth?
Boraxo?
Mr Clean?
Contact Cleaner?
Contact Cleaner?
Molasses?
cOnTaCt ClEaNeR?
renaelc tcatnoc?

If the above three are all you have, use the alcohol, but if
you really wanna know, well.....

21 Feb 2005 12:33 PM

Biggie

kony wrote:

>
> Maybe contact cleaner?

Thanks.

22 Feb 2005 12:30 AM

DaveW

You should buy a can of spray electrical contact cleaner.

--
DaveW

Show quoteHide quote

"Lullaby" <l***@by.net> wrote in message
news:421944d0$0$10680$ba620e4c@news.skynet.be...
> Hi, after 5 hours trying to fight a BSOD I realized that the only problem
> was that the pins of my graphic card were dusty/oxidized.
>
> Now my hardware question: what is the proper way to clean the insertion
> pins
> of RAM, AGP and other cards? Should I use alcohol, water, voodoo...?
>
> Thanks.
>
>
>
>

22 Feb 2005 1:24 AM

Ralph Mowery

"Lullaby" <l***@by.net> wrote in message
news:421944d0$0$10680$ba620e4c@news.skynet.be...
> Hi, after 5 hours trying to fight a BSOD I realized that the only problem
> was that the pins of my graphic card were dusty/oxidized.
>
> Now my hardware question: what is the proper way to clean the insertion
pins
> of RAM, AGP and other cards? Should I use alcohol, water, voodoo...?
>

For the pins you can use a pencil eraser. Rub lightly. Spray contact
cleaner to get into the sockets if needed. Do not get the kind that leaves
behind a layer of oil. YOu may see some labled as tape head cleaner. You
can try just inserting and removing it several times.

22 Feb 2005 7:18 PM

kony

On Tue, 22 Feb 2005 01:24:38 GMT, "Ralph Mowery"
<rmowery28***@earthlink.net> wrote:

Show quoteHide quote

>
>"Lullaby" <l***@by.net> wrote in message
>news:421944d0$0$10680$ba620e4c@news.skynet.be...
>> Hi, after 5 hours trying to fight a BSOD I realized that the only problem
>> was that the pins of my graphic card were dusty/oxidized.
>>
>> Now my hardware question: what is the proper way to clean the insertion
>pins
>> of RAM, AGP and other cards? Should I use alcohol, water, voodoo...?
>>
>
>For the pins you can use a pencil eraser. Rub lightly. Spray contact
>cleaner to get into the sockets if needed. Do not get the kind that leaves
>behind a layer of oil. YOu may see some labled as tape head cleaner. You
>can try just inserting and removing it several times.

Pencil eraser damages the gold contact, removing the very
thin gold even if rubbed lightly. It should only be used in
an emergency. Contact cleaner is the correct solution and
on a gold contact there should never be a need to use an
eraser, unless someone had already used an eraser removing
the gold so there's just oxidized copper left.

22 Feb 2005 7:51 AM

larry moe 'n curly

Lullaby wrote:

> Hi, after 5 hours trying to fight a BSOD I realized that
> the only problem was that the pins of my graphic card were
> dusty/oxidized.
>
> what is the proper way to clean the insertion pins of
> RAM, AGP and other cards? Should I use alcohol, water,
> voodoo...?

Is it an old Voodoo graphics card? ;)

Alcohol is OK, but don't do anything really stupid, like use sandpaper
or a pencil eraser, which can wear off the thin gold plating and cause
the metal underneath to tarnish.

There are electronic contact cleaners, and supposedly one of the best
is De-Oxit.

22 Feb 2005 7:10 PM

bearman

"Lullaby" <l***@by.net> wrote in message
news:421944d0$0$10680$ba620e4c@news.skynet.be...
> Hi, after 5 hours trying to fight a BSOD I realized that the only problem
> was that the pins of my graphic card were dusty/oxidized.
>
> Now my hardware question: what is the proper way to clean the insertion
pins
> of RAM, AGP and other cards? Should I use alcohol, water, voodoo...?
>
> Thanks.
>

Sometimes just inserting and removing the card a few times will be enough to
clean the oxidation off the pins. You can use a pencil eraser (with a light
touch).

--
Bearman
If it's got tits, tires, tubes, or transistors, it's trouble.