Failure Of A Component.

**lynx** · 01-10-2004, 01:55 PM

I've just come across a beauty on a system I've been asked to fix.

The first symptom was that the system would not post, and the cd drawer opened every time power was switched on. Everything else seemed to power up correctly. I disconnected everything possible from the mobo, but it still would not post. I tried a different processor, still no joy, and tried the memory in another machine - no fault with the memory.

The natural assumption was that the motherboard was faulty, so I got a new mobo. Plugged everything together. Machine would not post. Since I had not been 100% sure about the second processor I had tried, I had to dismantle my own machine to check out the processors, they both proved to be ok, so it looked like I had a dodgy motherboard.

I decided to give it one last try, just in case I had made a mistake. This time, nothing powered up at all. Disconnected everything from the psu except the mobo, still no power up. Just to make sure, I connected the psu from my own machine, and it powered up, but still would not post. Obviously, the power supply had gone and blown the new mobo too.

Got a new psu (from a different source) and exchanged the mobo (just told them it wouldn't post). Assembled everything again, applying power to just the mobo. Post successful. Connected the rest of the components - no power up! Disconnected them one by one, things started working when I disconnected the cdrom.

Replaced the cdrom with one I had lying about, powered up the system, went into the bios. Performed IDE detection - no hd detected. Removed the hd, and there's a very obvious blown chip. It's still under warranty so hopefully I can get it replaced.

I haven't found anything else that's gone (I think there's only the floppy drive left), but it looks like the power supply must have partially failed, and taken with it 2 motherboards, a cdrom drive and a hard drive.

Anyone else seen as bad a case as this?

**Mad Cat** · 01-10-2004, 01:59 PM

A PSU blew up in my old PC, everything went. It was an obslete PC, but I could still have played with it

EDIT: I reckon a bad water cooling unit would do the worst damage.

**ck-uk** · 01-10-2004, 02:37 PM

No mate & hope i never do.

M'opinon why so many conflict & problems with pc's is so many different manufacturers esp' for the end user...Theres only a basic standard they have to keep to & if the bigger companys have there own technology too.

**Virtualbody1234** · 01-10-2004, 04:29 PM

That's nasty. Oh the costs!

Sounds like a power spike took out the whole system the first time.

**DVD PIRATE III** · 01-10-2004, 04:46 PM

@ Lynx
Not much more couldve gone wrong mate..

**lynx** · 01-10-2004, 07:01 PM

Originally posted by Virtualbody1234@10 January 2004 - 15:29
That's nasty. Oh the costs!

Sounds like a power spike took out the whole system the first time.

Sounds a bit like that, doesn't it.

But it's the second time they've blown a psu in 9 months, last time it "merely" took out the hd. I'm trying to figure out what they might be doing that could cause it.

**sparsely** · 01-10-2004, 07:57 PM

recommend them a UPS

**TheFilePirater** · 01-10-2004, 08:07 PM

my old emachines 633mhz, i pulled off the heatsink and didnt put new thermal paste

, woke up next morning and the computer was off

**kazaa2002** · 01-10-2004, 08:33 PM

Originally posted by Virtualbody1234@10 January 2004 - 16:29
That's nasty. Oh the costs!

Sounds like a power spike took out the whole system the first time.

Wow, That is really a bad case. A few years back, I lost 3 modems to
lightening strikes and a hard drive to a power surge(car hit a power pole)and
sent burst to home.
Lynx, it could have just been a bad part but I think
vb1234 is right, some areas do not have power regulated that would protect
electronics.
Sparsely's suggestion for ups may be your answer.
for me, a good surge arrestor was the answer.