Member Avatar for JimmyL4K3

Hey,

a couple days ago i was working on my step mothers computer installing more RAM (256MB) I turned the computer back on and seconds later i smelt burning metal. I quickly unplugged the computer and opened it up and removed the RAM I had just installed into the PC. I smelt the RAM stick and it didnt smell like it was burning. It so happened to be that the burning smell was coming from the power supply. I then was worried that maybe the motherboard or something else got fried because the power supply powers other parts in the computer. (hard drive, CD-Drive, etc.) I took the power supply out of MY computer (which is the same brand power supply that is in my step mothers computer.) I plugged it in and it wasnt powering anything up.. only a green light came on one of the CD Drives and the fan was spinning very slowly. I have no clue what to do now. I am lost. does anybody have any ideas on what i should do? or if there is a way i can tell if the motherboard was damaged by looking at it?

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Member Avatar for Catweazle

You might see capacitors with damage showing on them, or sections of the board where scorch marks appear, should you inspect it closely. Alternatively, there may be a blown chip on it, with no visible signs whatsoever.

Assuming you have actually connected everything up correctly, it certainly does sound like the motherboard has blown as a result of the power supply unit. It also sounds like this has been circumstance rather than something you've done yourself.

Bad luck :(

Member Avatar for tornshadow

Before buying anything new, be sure after you hook up the power supply that the voltage setting is right on the power supply, and reset the cmos and see if that does anything. Most likely, yes its a dead MB too :sad:

Member Avatar for DMR

Also remove any PCI cards and all but 1 stick of (known to be good) RAM; you may have only fried a peripheral component and not the entire mobo.

Member Avatar for Catweazle

eerrr..... uummmmmm.........

Make sure when you're removing those add-in cards that you don't remove the display card. A PC will not boot without a display card, so if an add-in card is all you've got, then you need to leave it in there!

Member Avatar for DMR

eerrr..... uummmmmm.........

Make sure when you're removing those add-in cards that you don't remove the display card. A PC will not boot without a display card, so if an add-in card is all you've got, then you need to leave it in there!

True, but sorry- I thought that one would land well on the obvious side of the fence... :p

Member Avatar for Catweazle

heh heh....

You'd think so, but the content of some of the reader requests we get at Australian PC User (and some of the help requests I've seen here at TechTalk) would suggest that this is not always the case ;)

Member Avatar for DMR

I know, Terry- just joking a bit; your advice is actually on the mark.

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