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M00NGRAPHIX t1_jbf3nf0 wrote

When all else fails..

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KeaboUltra t1_jbf86ft wrote

Sometimes it's the first thing to try.

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[deleted] t1_jbfk2y3 wrote

[deleted]

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KeaboUltra t1_jbfmyiv wrote

It depends on the type of issue but yeah. If you know where the issue might be coming from right away, then you don't have to. It's more of a "have a snickers, you're not you when you're hungry" fix

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Byzantium OP t1_jbf44da wrote

I can imagine the engineers scratching their heads "The spacecraft is not responding to commands."

Intern: "Did you try turning it off and back on again?"

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AquaticRed76 t1_jbjywuv wrote

You joke but "turn it off and on again" happens more often than you'd think at NASA.

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Fracture_98 t1_jbfjpq4 wrote

It's very common. A standard feature of inaccessible computer equipment is called a "Watchdog Timer".

The system has a hardware counter that turns the computer off and on again if the timer gets too high. You then write your software so that it resets the timer at regular intervals. If your software crashes, it won't reset the timer and the computer will restart.

It's a bit more complicated than that, but it's really effective.

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Nop277 t1_jblantv wrote

This is also how I stay awake at work.

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N3onknight t1_jbf3p5c wrote

Did they try working the shaft too ?

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[deleted] t1_jbfdk69 wrote

[removed]

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mymar101 t1_jbf76bi wrote

It happens more often than you’d think

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mike-godwin01 t1_jbfe5ez wrote

Have you tried reconfiguring the primary power coupling?

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Byzantium OP t1_jbfhg2n wrote

I tried Cap'n, but it dinna do a bit of good!

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Citizen-Kang t1_jbfuc5q wrote

That's 50% of IT work. "Have you tried turning it off and turning it back on?" I'm a programmer, but I can't even tell you how many times I've asked that when my folks call me about a random computer issue or my wife asks me why such and such isn't working. Most of the time, I'm not at all interested in what the actual problem is, I'm only interested in the resolution.

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mmmmkay23 t1_jbi3omv wrote

Moss and Roy would be proud

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ViciousKnids t1_jbi87ml wrote

As my old man always says: "When in doubt, reboot."

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TreyWait t1_jbicbuk wrote

Great moments in IT history.

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iwant2dollars t1_jbiyrvq wrote

Not really surprised, it's the most reliable fix

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NohPhD t1_jbf672y wrote

It’s a 15 y/o spacecraft… Sounds like it’s running Windows 3.1

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Lendyman t1_jbfjb1p wrote

15 years ago would be Windows XP! Or Vista. Oof.

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jimi15 t1_jbg4wuz wrote

Government institutions are always 10 years behind everyone else tech wise. I can believe it.

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Simon_Drake t1_jc396hu wrote

The New Horizons probe sent out to Pluto had the same CPU as the PlayStation One. Not a CPU of similar performance or using that as a benchmark for comparison, actually the same CPU model used in the PS1. When it launched the PS2 was already out but they like to finalise the hardware years in advance and run extensive tests rather than using cutting edge circuitry.

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xman747x t1_jbffmyx wrote

in an emergency, it always works for me

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Temporary_Ideal_2616 t1_jbyc0s0 wrote

It is pretty crazy, but turning thing off and on really is more helpful than it should be.

I used to work on semiconductor machines that were between $20 and $60 million dollars apiece, and I can't tell you how many times turning off the machine and turning it on fixed some whacky problem.

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