Gnarly Error Messages

Veeru writes "In my career, I have run across some whopper error messages, but a call from the mainframe sysop one night beat them all: 'We are experiencing MVS processor spin loops, the programs are running while holding a disabled CPU. This is causing XCF communication delays to the point where we are losing VTAM RTP routing, are suffering OSPF adjacency failures on TCP/IP dynamic routing and MIM VCF failures. Whatever this code is, it should NOT be propagated to production or we run the risk of losing the development plex if XCF signaling is adversely impacted by processor disabled spin loops'. My friend once got an error message 'Error 2 while trying to report error 2'. I would be curious to hear from the Slashdot community on encounters with other bizarre error messages."

Comments

Useless

[WeaponOfChoice]

That good old error box that used to pop up in W98. It just had that error traffic sign and no text whatsoever. Wonderfully descriptive. I think it was the O/S accidentally realising it's own complete uselessness and flagging it up to the poor fool behind the monitor...

Re:Turn the computer off

[Blkdeath]

I must have hot-plugged keyboards (both kinds) and PS/2 mice about 10 thousand times in my life, and never saw one get damaged because of that.

Just like I told him; it only takes once.

Grounded wrist straps are a bit extreme (I ground myself against the power supply - ie; grounded metal, and our carpet isn't very succeptable to static build up at all), but remembering not to plug/unplug a keyboard while the computer is powered is simple and requires little or no effort on your part. Why do something that's potentially dangerous - just because you can?

For the record, I have fried the keyboard controller on a motherboard by plugging in the keyboard while it was powered, and we have a motherboard on ice right now with blown PS/2 ports because the owner unplugged the keyboard before it was powered off.

Isn't the extra 10 seconds worth saving an hour's labour and the cost of a new motherboard? Come on; use a little common sense.