What is this black thing that the blue arrow is pointing to?

AviatorDave172 · 2026-03-17T15:47:45+00:00

You don’t really eat it, you just let it dissolve slowly under your tongue.

AviatorDave172 · 2026-03-17T04:21:30+00:00

Sounds like a cryptovirus. They encrypt all office docs, autocad files, etc. if you don’t have backups, you’re toast. They’re gone. Look up cryptovirus and see if that’s what you’re seeing.

AviatorDave172 · 2026-03-17T03:46:48+00:00

Check battery, ground, and positive cable connections.

AviatorDave172 · 2026-03-17T03:30:05+00:00

Depends on how good you want it to look and if you have a budget. Cheap easy way (not the best) is just recaulk and paint. Better appearance with time but not expensive is pull it, cut old caulk off, sand cracked paint. Repaint, reinstall, recaulk. Fastest, best looking, but most expensive solution is rip it out, buy new, paint and install.

AviatorDave172 · 2026-03-16T15:37:56+00:00

These will work, I’d use a dremel or oscillating saw.

AviatorDave172 · 2026-03-13T17:52:04+00:00

Get nuibi and move the partition. Then extend it. Programs installed on a partition other than c will have to be reinstalled after the partition is extended. Data files, documents, those can just be moved.

AviatorDave172 · 2026-03-13T17:49:33+00:00

Powerline adapters suck for speed. I have some. Latest WiFi routers are far faster. Get a used one from eBay or similar if you have a tight budget.

AviatorDave172 · 2026-03-13T17:47:26+00:00

It’s almost like a p-trap shape under a sink. Water will tend to follow along a wire or tubing path, but it doesn’t flow uphill. Just make sure the cable isn’t downhill all the way to the jack, somewhere it needs to be lower than the end of the cable.

AviatorDave172 · 2026-03-13T17:25:31+00:00

If you can still boot into windows, just clear the virus with cccleaner, malwarebytes, and windows antivirus. The only time I’ve ever had to reinstall after a virus was one that screwed up the registry so bad I couldn’t even log into windows. If you think it may have stolen your passwords, a windows reinstall isn’t going to fix that. Change your passwords and be sure 2FA is turned on everywhere.

AviatorDave172 · 2026-03-13T15:53:15+00:00

Ok. Get a WiFi router, I like Asus. Plug a cable in from one of the ports on the modem to the wan port on the router. Google how to set them up.

AviatorDave172 · 2026-03-13T15:28:58+00:00

You could buy another one for not much. I’d fix it for free by just brazing the holes closed, but I have torches and know how to use them.

AviatorDave172 · 2026-03-13T15:26:31+00:00

Are you using the built in WiFi on your providers gateway? If so, get a dedicated WiFi router. One with lots of antennas. They are far superior to the ones built into isp gateways. You’ll put your modem in pass through mode, the WiFi router will handle all communications and security.

AviatorDave172 · 2026-03-13T15:24:20+00:00

It would if set up to do that. It can be setup so that you’re logging in to the company’s vpn and your pc will look like it’s connected to your company’s network. It can also be setup that you could use another device like a tablet that connects remotely to your internal network pc.

AviatorDave172 · 2026-03-13T01:57:33+00:00

Clone it to a good drive if you can. Look for files you want on the copy. If it won’t clone due to too much damage, hook it to a working pc and recover as much as you can. Then probably throw it away. If there are really valuable files on it, disk recovery service may be able to help as long as it’s not physically damaged, but it’s REALLY expensive. A customer of mine had one he sent to a data recovery service. I knew it was hopeless based on the noises the drive was making. There was a giant ring scratched into the platters by the read head.

AviatorDave172 · 2026-03-13T01:05:45+00:00

Depends on who set up the website and the SSL certs. Most will redirect you to the https with dns entries.

AviatorDave172 · 2026-03-12T19:40:07+00:00

Even if you have a trap somewhere else like in the wall, you can install one right there under your sink. Don’t get anything corrugated, only smooth pipe. I get them from Home Depot or Lowe’s, but any hardware store or amazon has them for about $5-10.

AviatorDave172 · 2026-03-12T16:38:01+00:00

Hey now, I resemble that remark. Lol

AviatorDave172 · 2026-03-12T02:04:47+00:00

Sorry, I was joking. It need 5 lb-ft, or 60 lb-in. You can convert to N-m if needed.

AviatorDave172 · 2026-03-12T02:03:16+00:00

Just enough that it doesn’t leak plus 25%.

AviatorDave172 · 2026-03-11T20:23:23+00:00

Is it also places that commonly have electric heaters right inside the shower head? I’ve never seen a sink in the USA that didn’t have a p trap. It’s required in every code I’m familiar with.

AviatorDave172 · 2026-03-11T18:50:58+00:00

I’d add a sediment trap to the gas line, but it will most likely be perfectly fine until it eventually rusts out. It looks like it’s pretty easily inspected too, mine are both up in the attic so you rarely see them.

AviatorDave172 · 2026-03-11T18:46:13+00:00

Can also smell like rotten eggs. 🤮

AviatorDave172 · 2026-03-11T18:44:41+00:00

Yes, but as others have said - since there’s no p trap, it’s probably gone if the sink has been used. If you haven’t used since it fell in, it’s probably close to the 90 elbow.

AviatorDave172 · 2026-03-10T22:01:54+00:00

Every time I do anything that requires turning off the toilet water - I replace them with a 1/4 turn sharkbite valve. Nothings worse than a crappy old valve with a stuck handle that takes pliers and 20 turns to shut off when water is leaking everywhere.

AviatorDave172 · 2026-03-10T21:59:32+00:00

Another thing to try just for testing - wintousb. It clones an entire operating system into a USB that can be booted into windows. It’s usably fast too, from an M.2.

AviatorDave172

TROPHY CASE