Re: [tlug] How can my computer forget to do stuff sometimes?

[jep200404 <jep200404@example.com>]

Dave M G wrote:

> How can it 
> even be possible for a computer to overlook a task every now and again?

There are many reasons. One are software bugs. Another is bad hardware. 

About the hardware, check: 

1. Cooling: 

      Are the heatsinks clogged? 
      Are the fans running well? 
         Watch them and listen to them while running. 
         Also, with power off, move them with your fingers 
         to see if they rotate freely. 

2. Electrolytic capacitors

      Look at the them and check them for bulged tops or bottoms. 
      Bulged electrolytic capacitors can cause much wierdness. 

3. Memory

      Run memtest for a week. 

> The whole point of computers is to execute tasks exactly the same way 
> each time.

They've not done so for a long time. Caching, pre-fetch queues, 
and interrupts make execution non-deterministic. 

Also execute: 

   man random