PC died last night

Fuzzy_2

Hi

PC is dead, used it last night everything fine; son mentioned a strange smell last night, thought it a bed delaying tactic, so ignored it! Later found PC switched off, thought one of the kids had turned it off, and smell still lingering, not a burnt smell, but sort of plasticy! Tried to switch on this morning - nothing, dead as a dodo.

Plan to have a close look tonight, will check plug fuses etc, but what else should we check? How would we know whether it's the power supply, or CPU board which has gone? Any useful starter points would be a great help. Would certainly need to retrieve files and s/ware off hard drive if it's possible.

Cheers

irnbru_2

Fuzzy wrote:

How would we know whether it's the power supply, or CPU board which has gone?

By elimination.

There may be an LED on the motherboard with is illuminated when the PSU is working.

mr_fishbulb

If you are confident about sticking paperclips in connections, there is a guide here to check if the PSU still works:
http://www.overclock3d.net/forums/showthread.php?t=435

Although the correct connection doesn't send any current through the paperclip, the wrong connection could send a few amps so you have to be very sure you want to do it.

Otherwise get someone in to take a look at it.

It will probably be the PSU becuase if it was the mobo you will usually find that some bits sill work when you turn it on. For example my mobo burn't a big hole through itself but when you turned the machine on, you could still hear the hard drive going around.

jimmmyc

I have mostly found its the Power Supply dying too! My nieghbours PC gave up after 18months! and it was just the power supply nothing else was damaged in process.

sublime

If you have another computer then just go through it by process of elimination. I'ts not neccessarily the PSU.

I highly doubt it's the cpu since they're pretty resistant and tend to explode. Remove the heatsink and you'll know instantly wether it is that.

Just be cautious though because it could be some major electrical flaw on your mobo and you'll end up breaking yet another PSU unknowingly.

Strip it down to the bare bones i.e. CPU, PSU, 1 stick of ram, onboard video / sound (as much as possible if you have it). And then work your way from there in cmos.

T4i

Capacitors make a strange smell.

When opening your computer look for a line of capacitors.



Look for 'bulging' on the silver cap tops......they bulge outwards....look for any exploded caps (you will see these easily)

If these are ok, I'd take the CPU cooler off and look for scorchin marks on the CPU chip. Also make sure the corners on the chip are not damaged. If this is ok apply new thermal compound to the chip and re-seat the cpu cooler. Make sure you put it on right (i've seen sooooo many people 'chew' a CPU becuase they havnt lined the cooler up with the CPU socket).

If that looks ok, I'd start looking at the PSU.

As another user has said, take everything out (graphics card, soundcard, NIC etc etc) and see if it boots.....without the graphics in you wont see a display (before someone tells me) but you will be able to hear the p.c booting - or trying to boot at least.

Hope you get it sorted!

Fuzzy_2

Thanks to you all,

Now this is really wierd, the PC has decided to work this evening, having been as dead-as... this morning!

Why would it do that?

headcovers

Fuzzy wrote:

Thanks to you all,

Now this is really wierd, the PC has decided to work this evening, having been as dead-as... this morning!

Why would it do that?

Is it possible that the power on switch is faulty?

headcovers

I've been having a scout around the 'net. If your PC didn't work this morning and does now, it sounds like its an overheating problem.

Are you able to open the PC to see if there is any dust build up in the box; are all the vents clean and clear? Where do you site the PC - does it have good ventilation around it? Is is sited in full sunlight - could you move it to a cooler locations?

mr_fishbulb

Maybe you had a power cut in your house this morning.

alanobrien

Intermittent working and a smell sounds like its shorting out somewhere to me.
I would check the mains lead to the PSU then the leads from the PSU to the mainboard.

Look for any black marks around connections, its a carbon deposit and a tell tale sign of shorting.