Solve : downed computer?

1.	Solve : downed computer?
Answer» Looking for advise. Newcomer to the Forum club. Had a power outage. Computer won't TURN on now. Was plugged into a surge protector. Everything else is working. Printer, monitor, wireless hub etc..... Plugged into other outlets but still won't turn on. There is no green light on the power supply. What are my options. Would appreciate any help Try the small reset button (if you have one ) on the back of the PSU... If that doesn't work borrow a known good one of the same or greater wattage and swap it in there... Hopefully the PSU took the hit and protected the expensive stuff.Thank you Patio. I appreciate any and all help. If the PSU is bad, where do you recommend that I buy one?Unfortunately, some of the cheap surge protectors aren't any better than a common plug strip. Before you buy a PSU, see if you can borrow one from a friend. It could still something else that has gone bad.Quote from: gmoyer on October 15, 2010, 09:51:25 PM Thank you Patio. I appreciate any and all help. If the PSU is bad, where do you recommend that I buy one? Anywhere that is dedicated to selling computer part really. Be sure to know what watts your current PSU is running at, and also the what CONNECTORS you require to power your components. My brother experienced computer damage from a thunderstorm some weeks ago. Lighting hit a tree quite close to their house. Fortunately, no other property damage seems to have occurred. He did have a surge protector but I have the impression the power surge may have come through his phone line and gone into his modem; the phone line was not protected. But, perhaps it also overcame the surge protector and went into the computer's PSU; that seems to be indicated by the complete failure of the computer to start. But, fortunately, the hard drive and, I believe, the CD-RW drive and probably the floppy drive were still OK. My point is that you should check your hard drive to see whether it still works. If so, you'll be able to retrieve important files by connecting it to another computer or installing it in an external enclosure, thereby converting it to an external hard drive.If you get a close lightning strike there is no surge protector in the world that will protect you. I once saw the aftermath of a close strike on a power line. It blew a 200 amp breaker panel out of the wall and ACROSS the room.Quote from: rthompson80819 on October 16, 2010, 02:36:05 PM If you get a close lightning strike there is no surge protector in the world that will protect you. I once saw the aftermath of a close strike on a power line. It blew a 200 amp breaker panel out of the wall and across the room. Sure, if the lighting directly hits the power line leading to your computer. In the case of my brother, lighting struck close and did cause damage but, as I previously said, some components did not get destroyed.Quote from: gmoyer on October 15, 2010, 09:51:25 PM Thank you Patio. I appreciate any and all help. If the PSU is bad, where do you recommend that I buy one? Actually at this point i would borrow a known good one of the same wattage and swap it in there....til we know if it's indeed the issue.Quote from: patio on October 16, 2010, 04:12:06 PM Actually at this point i would borrow a known good one of the same wattage and swap it in there....til we know if it's indeed the issue. Or that option as well, haha Quote from: gmoyer on October 15, 2010, 09:51:25 PM Thank you Patio. I appreciate any and all help. If the PSU is bad, where do you recommend that I buy one? How would you know a power supply is defective? You do not. Of many components in a power 'system', which component is bad? Not answered, in part, because many assume a power supply is the entire power ‘system’. Some will recommend replacing many good parts (ie a power supply) until something works (also called shotgunning). Using a minute of labor, quickly learn what is wrong. Post relevant numbers. Then the few who know computer hardware can identify a suspect or defect in a next reply. That means BUYING (or borrowing) a 3.5 digit multimeter from K-mart or from most any store that also sells hammers (which says how complicated and dangerous a meter is). Or spend $18 to buy the same thing from Wal-mart. Meter is a tool about as dangerous and complicated as a hammer. LOCATE wires from power supply to motherboard. Set the meter to 20 VDC. Touch a red meter probe to each purple, green, and gray wires. Read numbers both before and when the power switch is pressed. Post those numbers. The few who actually know how computers work will then list what is defective , what is not defective, or where to next search for the defect. Also useful is to measure any one red, orange, and yellow wires as the power switch is pressed. Numbers (or how each wire responds) means you have an answer without that other speculation. And you then learn how computers really work. Only a minority will know what those numbers mean and therefore what has caused your failure. Westom, please go away. We've managed without your irrelevant nonsense for this long.Quote from: westom on October 16, 2010, 08:15:10 PM That means buying (or borrowing) a 3.5 digit multimeter from K-mart or from most any store that also sells hammers (which says how complicated and dangerous a meter is). Or spend $18 to buy the same thing from Wal-mart. Meter is a tool about as dangerous and complicated as a hammer. Borrowing a multimeter from K-Mart, isn't that kind of like shoplifting? And a hammer is my #1 tool for fixing a computer.

Answer»

Looking for advise. Newcomer to the Forum club. Had a power outage. Computer won't TURN on now. Was plugged into a surge protector. Everything else is working. Printer, monitor, wireless hub etc..... Plugged into other outlets but still won't turn on. There is no green light on the power supply. What are my options. Would appreciate any help Try the small reset button (if you have one ) on the back of the PSU...
If that doesn't work borrow a known good one of the same or greater wattage and swap it in there...
Hopefully the PSU took the hit and protected the expensive stuff.Thank you Patio. I appreciate any and all help. If the PSU is bad, where do you recommend that I buy one?Unfortunately, some of the cheap surge protectors aren't any better than a common plug strip. Before you buy a PSU, see if you can borrow one from a friend. It could still something else that has gone bad.Quote from: gmoyer on October 15, 2010, 09:51:25 PM

Thank you Patio. I appreciate any and all help. If the PSU is bad, where do you recommend that I buy one?

Anywhere that is dedicated to selling computer part really.

Be sure to know what watts your current PSU is running at, and also the what CONNECTORS you require to power your components. My brother experienced computer damage from a thunderstorm some weeks ago. Lighting hit a tree quite close to their house. Fortunately, no other property damage seems to have occurred. He did have a surge protector but I have the impression the power surge may have come through his phone line and gone into his modem; the phone line was not protected. But, perhaps it also overcame the surge protector and went into the computer's PSU; that seems to be indicated by the complete failure of the computer to start.

But, fortunately, the hard drive and, I believe, the CD-RW drive and probably the floppy drive were still OK. My point is that you should check your hard drive to see whether it still works. If so, you'll be able to retrieve important files by connecting it to another computer or installing it in an external enclosure, thereby converting it to an external hard drive.If you get a close lightning strike there is no surge protector in the world that will protect you.

I once saw the aftermath of a close strike on a power line. It blew a 200 amp breaker panel out of the wall and ACROSS the room.Quote from: rthompson80819 on October 16, 2010, 02:36:05 PM

If you get a close lightning strike there is no surge protector in the world that will protect you.

I once saw the aftermath of a close strike on a power line. It blew a 200 amp breaker panel out of the wall and across the room.

Sure, if the lighting directly hits the power line leading to your computer. In the case of my brother, lighting struck close and did cause damage but, as I previously said, some components did not get destroyed.Quote from: gmoyer on October 15, 2010, 09:51:25 PM

Thank you Patio. I appreciate any and all help. If the PSU is bad, where do you recommend that I buy one?

Actually at this point i would borrow a known good one of the same wattage and swap it in there....til we know if it's indeed the issue.Quote from: patio on October 16, 2010, 04:12:06 PM

Actually at this point i would borrow a known good one of the same wattage and swap it in there....til we know if it's indeed the issue.

Or that option as well, haha Quote from: gmoyer on October 15, 2010, 09:51:25 PM

Thank you Patio. I appreciate any and all help. If the PSU is bad, where do you recommend that I buy one?

How would you know a power supply is defective? You do not. Of many components in a power 'system', which component is bad? Not answered, in part, because many assume a power supply is the entire power ‘system’. Some will recommend replacing many good parts (ie a power supply) until something works (also called shotgunning).

Using a minute of labor, quickly learn what is wrong. Post relevant numbers. Then the few who know computer hardware can identify a suspect or defect in a next reply. That means BUYING (or borrowing) a 3.5 digit multimeter from K-mart or from most any store that also sells hammers (which says how complicated and dangerous a meter is). Or spend $18 to buy the same thing from Wal-mart. Meter is a tool about as dangerous and complicated as a hammer.

LOCATE wires from power supply to motherboard. Set the meter to 20 VDC. Touch a red meter probe to each purple, green, and gray wires. Read numbers both before and when the power switch is pressed. Post those numbers. The few who actually know how computers work will then list what is defective , what is not defective, or where to next search for the defect.

Also useful is to measure any one red, orange, and yellow wires as the power switch is pressed. Numbers (or how each wire responds) means you have an answer without that other speculation. And you then learn how computers really work. Only a minority will know what those numbers mean and therefore what has caused your failure.
Westom, please go away. We've managed without your irrelevant nonsense for this long.Quote from: westom on October 16, 2010, 08:15:10 PM

That means buying (or borrowing) a 3.5 digit multimeter from K-mart or from most any store that also sells hammers (which says how complicated and dangerous a meter is). Or spend $18 to buy the same thing from Wal-mart. Meter is a tool about as dangerous and complicated as a hammer.

Borrowing a multimeter from K-Mart, isn't that kind of like shoplifting? And a hammer is my #1 tool for fixing a computer.

Solve : downed computer?

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