Honestly, that's a huge gamble with a client's machine. A clean install is the only sure fix and avoids wasting more time if those commands fail. You got lucky this time, but next time you might just make the data recovery harder.

Totally agree about the heat. I used a low setting and kept the gun moving in small circles. Letting the glue get too hot makes a huge mess and can damage the piece. I found that a little patience goes a long way, scraping gently as it softens. Rushing it always ended badly for me.

Honestly, I used to think more detail was always better, like you had to write a whole paragraph for the AI to get it. But seeing stuff like that sentient broccoli story totally changed my mind. It's like they're so worried about being boring that they can't just give a straight answer. Now I just say "list only" or "one sentence" right from the start, because otherwise you get a history lesson with your grocery list.

My buddy Jake lost a whole vise jaw pushing a dull 1/4" end mill.

Wait, you were only charging $50 an hour? That's the part that got me. I mean, for any kind of real skilled work, that's practically giving it away. No wonder the stranger looked at you like that. It's wild how we can be blind to our own worth until someone just says it out loud.