English · Proverb Attested

never change a running system

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Do not change something while it is working (because there is a risk of breaking it).

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

đừng thay đổi thứ đang hoạt động

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Where it’s used: Used American English

That is, applying a specialised new policy to only improve a temporary capacity extension may be unsuitable (“Never change a running system!”).

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “never change a running system” mean?

Do not change something while it is working (because there is a risk of breaking it).

Is “never change a running system” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.

👁 Views 0 today 0 past 7 days 0 this month 9 all time