[vox-tech] Is it possible to damage a wireless card with just software?

[Charles Polisher]

ME wrote:
> > My wireless card was working fine this morning under Linux, and then it
> > stopped working altogether; it won't even pick up a signal under
> > Windows.
> >
> > Is it possible that I might have damaged the card itself while messing
> > around with it in Linux?
> 
> Yes.
> 
> Is this risk Linux specific? : No.
> 
> (I read your other post, but am responding anyway.)
> 
> It is a good question.
> 
> Back in "the-day" it was often trivial to damage hardware with software.
> Such things are becoming increasingly difficult. Many bits of hardware
> sold to consumers are designed to be more tolerant to driver issues. Part
> of this is due to standards that seem to be shared among vendors.
> 
> Some examples:
> 1) Physical control of your Apple ][e , 5.25" drive to alter its
> performance and use to the point you make it smoke and catch fire.
> (Required work, but was possible,)
> 2) Ask your monitor to display images with HSync/VSync beyond their
> capability. (Now almost all monitors detect out-of-range signal requests
> and will not try to display them, but instead show the user a red light or
> other feedback to let the user know that decision was not a good idea.
> 3) Use software control with your AMD CPU to remove any throttling of
> speed due to overheating... and then let it overheat.
> 
> As for this and wireless PCMCIA cards, I expect the risk is very low
> (Linux or Windows.)
 
Flashing the MB, or a drive controller, or in some cases a drive itself,
can be problematic. Very troubling indeed.