๐งน Cleaning Tiny ( my main server ) without the right tools
๐ 2026-01-30 09:20
My tiny PC/server has been sitting there quietly doing its job for months. Then, over the last few days, it started making that noise.
You know the one.
The slightly angry, dusty, high-pitched whine of a cooler that has had enough. Not a catastrophic noise, just the kind that tells you the cooler is not happy anymore.
Dust, obviously.
โป Shutting It Down
I shut it down properly, unplugged everything, and prepared to open it up and clean it. That's when I realized I couldn't find my small screwdriver.
I looked around. I looked again. It was gone.
๐คท Improvised Maintenance
Without the small screwdriver ๐ช, I couldn't fully open the case. I managed to remove only the outer casing, which was apparently held on by screws big enough for the screwdriver I did have.
That had to be enough.
From there, I could reach the one part of the fan from below. I cleaned what I could by hand and gently nudged the dust out of the fan blades.
๐ซ๐จ
For the rest, I used highly advanced equipment: compressed air generated directly from my mouth. Not ideal, but surprisingly effective.
โก Powering It Back On
After that, I put the casing back on, screwed the 4 screws I had a screwdriver for and reconnected everything.
I powered it up. The cooler was quiet again. No rattling, no whining. Just normal tiny-server noises.
๐ง Conclusion
The server lives. The dust is mostly gone.
The small screwdriver is still missing.
Sometimes you don't need perfect tools. Sometimes you just need determination and working lungs. This is a sign I need to QUIT SMOKING ๐ญ !